WOMEN STAND TOGETHER
Paula DiNardi
Hi everyone…I want to say thank you to all of you who have reached out to me with love & support throughout the past 21 months. I will only post about what is already public record. As most of you know, I was assaulted on Thanksgiving night in 2018 by a local businessman. I was led to believe justice would be served, & it was for just a minute…the city judge found the assailant guilty of assault & public intoxication.
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The assailant appealed the judge’s decision & our city prosecutor, Marcus McDowell, was to continue to represent me in that appeal process. I was injured in the assault with a concussion, among other injuries. This prosecutor allowed the assault charge to be dismissed by neglecting to answer the court, regarding the omission of proper wording in the filing during the appeal process. McDowell bragged during the city council meeting how he’s been practicing law for years & has had thousands of cases….so it is my opinion that an attorney with that much experience, knows better. This was & is standard procedure. The court gave Marcus McDowell another chance to remedy & he again ignored the court. He had worked against my interest & allowed the charges to be dismissed. I might add that he refused to subpoena witnesses & he didn’t call me to update about hearings being postponed on several occasions, but left me sitting in the courtroom for hours, all the while knowing the defendant was not coming.
During a city council meeting this past spring, an advocate asked the council what they would do to hold this prosecutor accountable for dropping the ball…after all, it is this city council in Fairhope who appointed this prosecutor to represent my interest, as a United States citizen & victim of assault by a downtown businessman. During this same meeting, the mayor asked Marcus McDowell to recuse himself from the case because his inaction was deplorable. Marcus McDowell seemingly became defensive & this city council adjourned the meeting, after a vicious & highly disrespectful tongue lashing @ the mayor on live TV. McDowell claimed he allowed the charges to be dismissed because the Publix intoxication charge carries the same punishment as the assault charge. The assailant was already on probation for assaulting someone else & then found guilty for assaulting me. McDowell has never to this day held the assailant accountable for violating his probation. He told me, ‘we will get to that later’….almost two years later, no accountability. He then claimed he plans to refile the case. To this day, he has not done so. He stood on live camera & told the citizens of Fairhope he would refile. He has dismissed the case & is now presumably waiting for the statute of limitations to expire. Rumor has it that he cannot legally refile the case. Marcus McDowell says he can talk law all day but can’t make us understand it. So Marcus…I implore you…hammer down…I’ve got time.
This city council, who appointed this prosecutor, has gone silent & has never held him accountable for his egregious negligence. It’s quite embarrassing for a town that’s embraced by Southern Living Magazine (which I helped promote). Since then, I have reached out to the Alabama Bar, the Department of Justice & the Alabama Attorney General. It was my prayer that I wouldn’t have to go this route, but Marcus McDowell & this city council have left me no choice. I will not sit down & shut up. I will not go away. I had prayed & hoped for justice, I had prayed to get this behind me so I can start to heal & move on with my life. I expected justice…As an American woman who was assaulted by a man…an immigration green card holder…On camera…no denying…I expected this city council & prosecutor to do their jobs. You all have failed me. To be victimized by the City Of Fairhope is like being hit twice. The city council didn’t stand up & say ‘this is wrong’, or ‘I’m sorry this has happened to you’…but the mayor did. Then she was crucified for having a compassionate heart & calling them out for their unlawful & unethical behavior. The city council appointed this prosecuting attorney. They have refused to hold him accountable…yet they showboat & grandstand all over town trying to be re-elected because they are ‘good guys’. To neglect righting a wrong against a citizen you represent, is not being the good guys. It’s the opposite. Also, I’d like to add that I have never moved out of state, I still live right here in Fairhope. On a final note, after thinking this through with a humble heart, I’m calling on my fellow citizens, many who are friends…to vote this city council out this Election Day. With all due respect, I will not respond to comments. Thank you for the love & prayers, stay safe & keep on smiling…..I love you all ❤️????
VOTE AUG 25th AND VOTE CATALYST BULLIES, Burrell, Boone and BROWN, OUT
GOOD GOVERNMENT TICKET MAYOR KARIN WILSON < DEB HOPKINS < JOSHUA GAMMON AND HOWELL GIBBENS