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Copyright (C) By Brill Smith
(UPDATED) JULY 26, 2010
Sembler Company settles case July 07, 2010 after
dragging little Josiah Wineberger through years of
unnecessary legal battles.
Sembler had time and money for Charlie Crist and his U.S. Senate
campaign but failed the moral test to simply take care of
Josiah Wineberger without a
lengthy court battle.
Settlement terms confidential.
Parents if you take your children to a Sembler Company
project take time to read about Josiah Wineberger’s tragic story.
(UPDATED) June 29, 2010
Crist $10 plus million for U.S. Senate Campaign, Josiah Wineberger $0
(UPDATED) June 18, 2010
Settlement talks failed to produce results.
Are the Semblers more concerned about Charlie Crist’s U.S. Senate campaign, or Josiah Wineberger?
Tell us what you think?
* * * Update * * *
Friday, February 19th, 2010
* * * Breaking News * * *
* * * Settlement in works * * *
* * * Waiting on court approval * * *
Copyright (C)
UPDATE: Crist $10 plus million for U.S. Senate Campaign, Josiah Wineberger $0 June 29, 2010
UPDATE: OCTOBER 09, 2009 Crist $2.4 million more
As of October 09, 2009 for little Josiah Wineberger $0.
Talk about “Outrages!”
I would love to hear the Sembler’s lawyers crying “poor mouth” about this.
(EXCLUSIVE) Coming soon a special report about Ana-Maria Carnesoltas who was Melvin and Betty Sembler’s attorney during the protracted lawsuit they brought against Richard Bradbury their former highly thought of Straight, Incorporated employee.
Florida’s Gay Governor Charlie Crist reports raising $4.3 million dollars for his bid for the United States Senate.
UPDATE: OUTRAGE
That’s $83,000 per day over 50 days.
UPDATE: Correction $86,000 per day over 50 days.
So far for little Josiah Wineberger $0.
If you recall Josiah Wineberger was injured back in February 2007 while eating ice cream during one of Sembler Company’s alcohol related partieson his failed Baywalk project in St. Petersburg Florida case number 08-0683-CI (6th Circuit Pinellas County Florida).
The Sembler Company and the Semblers have found no money to settle the ongoing civil case brought by the parents of Josiah Wineberger to assist him in his lifelong recovery but they sure do have money when it comes to campaign contributions.
During the 2008 – 2010 election cycle as reported on”OpenSecrets.org”the Sembler family and or their companies have contributed a total of $416,804 through 174 separate contributions to organizations such as the R.N.C. to former Presidential candidate John McCain (R).
But how much for little Josiah Wineberger? $0.
Sembler Company is in DeKalb County GA asking for a huge tax gift from its citizens. Is this the type of business practices you want in your community DeKalb?
Sembler has left the Tampabayarea marked with failed business ventures; Baywalk, Centro Ybor and Straight, Incorporated. The taxpayers of St. PetersburgandTampa Florida got stuck with his bills and children were abused at his notorious Straight, Incorporated.
His wife Betty Sembler has a very special and dear friend Virgil Miller Newton who lost millions of dollars in court awarded, or settled claims of child abuse at his “Straight” like abuse facilities.
So at the end of the day do the Semblers, or the Sembler Company care if they drag the Wineberger family through a lengthy court battle?
The Semblers seem more concerned about trash. Yes trash.
 Is Sembler more concerned about trash or Josiah Wineberger? This is EXHIBIT 6 (A) in the famous trash case now known as Pumpgate. Melvin Sembler was so concerned about his former penis pump that his maid may have thrown in the garbage that he sued Ray Bradbury in a protracted 5 year legal battle for its return.
Sembler lost this case and has not retrieved his penis pump. But how much did that ridiculous litigation cost Sembler? He simply could have gone down to CVS and purchased another one, or if in Tampa stopped at the world famous Todd Couples Superstore.
But Semblerhada vendetta, an “ax” to grind with Ray Bradbury as Bradbury was one of Sembler’s former employee’s of his notorious Straight, Incorporated who first spoke out about the abuse. This “lawsuit” was Sembler’swayof getting even with Bradbury.
Josiah Wineberger we wish you the best in your lifelong recovery but don’t expect the best out of The Sembler Company, or the Semblers.
Crist $4.3 million, Wineberger $0.
Copyright (C)
* * *
Copyright (C) 2009 Orange Toilet News, Incorporated (EXCLUSIVE) ORIGINAL PUBLICATION DATE OCTOBER 15, 2009 By Brill Smith
 Melvin Sembler center with Betty Sembler left 03-17-2009 “People thought we were taking away children’s rights. But we saw it just the opposite – giving them back their rights by helping them get off drugs. Mel Sembler, Straight’s founder, Florida Trend Magazine, May 1997″
Straight, Incorporated marketed itself as a “Kids Helping Kids” drug treatment program. As ridiculous as that may sound, they were serious about it.
Straight was licensed as an out-patient treatment facility meaning no children spent the night at the facility. At night they went home to “Foster Homes.” This term was used until the Department of Health and Rehabilitative Service, now known as the Department of Children and Families, made them change the term in around 1982 to “Host Homes” because the term “Foster Home” has a legal definition as a placement of a child by the “social services” system. There is a legal definition of the term “Foster Home” with specific safety requirements which Straight, Inc. could or would not meet.
Straight had 6 parts to it’s “treatment program.” Phases 1 through 5 and “7th Step.” 7th Step is obtained when a person graduates from Straight’s “treatment program.” There was no 6th phase.
On 1st phase a child would be age 11 – 17, or young adult meaning 18 and over but under 25 would go home at night with a client and their family who was on 2nd phase of the program or higher up to phase 5. Clients on 2nd phase through 5th phase were known as “oldcomers.”
On the 1st phase, a child would be “belt looped” and may be restrained or even tied with a nylon rope for things like not sitting up straight enough, poor hygiene or sleeping when not allowed. This according to an agreed administrative order between Texas Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse Normally an oldcomer was assigned at least two newcomers; one on each hand. The “Host Homes” were locked in a manner in which the only way to exit would be to smash a window much like Fred Collins did in the now famous court case Fred Collings v. Straight, Inc.
Straight locations were normally operated out of large warehouses, normally a two story open building in the center with offices on the outer edge for the sales staff and “intake” rooms. “Intake” rooms were small rooms with solid wooden doors used in “interviewing” potential clients. Everyone was a new client, drug problem or not. According to a 1993 FBI document, Straight took in all teens. They did some weekday intakes but Saturdays were their big sales days. No child who’s parents had the means to pay was ever “diagnosed” as straight enough.
Would you let some child perform surgery on you, or a family member during open heart procedure?
This is Allison Clute. The marks on her are the result of “Kids Helping Kids.” In this letter to then Florida Governor Lawton Chiles from Community Improvement, Inc., President Richard Bradbury outlines the abuse of Ms. Clute on page two. And here is Ms. Clute’s statement.
Wow, someone might wonder where in the world was the oversight, or shall we say lack of, by the Florida Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services? This report by Lowell Clary, Acting Inspector General for Florida’s Department of Health and Human Services (HRS) now called the Office of Children and Family, may answer that.
 FBI findings Straight accepted all teens. On Friday and Monday nights Straight held what was called "Open Meeting." Well it was not really that open. After they had scrutinized your drivers license and other identification to make sure you were not the cops, or a reporter you were welcomed in. Straight marketed to prospective parents by sending these higher phase clients out to do speaking engagements. Those welcome were a carefully selected group of individuals. They were parents who had told their kids earlier in the evening $5 is on the table get pizza tonight dad and I are going out to dinner, see you later. Lie number 1. They called these get togethers “Share the Gift”. Here is a document headlined “Suggeted letter for Share the gift or may as well have been titled “Here’ some coffee. Wanna join my cult?”(see page 6)
These parents lied to their children. Straight’s most important “rule” was honesty but that was only applicable to the children and their parents that Straight and its operators preyed upon.
Straight from the get go split the family. It was easier to attack that way and accomplish their mission of depleting all of the funds they could from the family or their insurance company or both.
That “dinner” the parents told their kids they were going to was Straight’s “Open Meeting.” By now the parents had already been approached by a co-worker, or attended some speaking engagement or business meeting and heard children from Straight who were on higher phases of the program, normally 3rd, 4th or 5th phase, speak about Straight’s (Click on the following) “wonders.”
(Click on the following) It was called “Share the Gift.”
What these parents did not know is that these kids were required to do as many speaking engagements as they could in order to curry favor in hopes of “7th Stepping (graduating). And if they did not they may be subject to punishment such as; a set back to a lower phase, loss of days off, or loss of the “privilege” to attend school and so forth.
So now mom and dad have heard these Straight kids talking about how bad their life was before Straight and how Straight had saved them from ending up in the gutter dead from drugs, or stopped them from being a cheap prostitute, homeless, or gay.
Here are these young ladies (kids) dressed in nice skirts, or young men (kids) in a dress shirt, tie and “clean cut.” The potential new sale (parents) are sitting there listening to these kids talking about how their parents had only thought they may have at some point snuck out of the house to hang out with friends, or how they listened to rock music, or how they may have tried a marijuana joint, or how they my have smoked a cigarette, or how they my have had homosexual, or lesbian relations but, in “reality”, they had been hard addicts, prostitutes, armed robbers, drug runners, etc and how the “miracle” of Straight, Inc. had saved their lives.
The parents would be blown away and think “THATS MY KID!” Imagine your eating lunch at the whatever business group you attended sitting next to your friends and co-workers and out of this kids mouth comes, “I sucked dick and Straight saved me.”
Shocking but totally true. How many of the children’s stories were made up to protect themselves from further punishment (abuse)? Next time someone presses a hammer into your hand telling telling you about your leeky roof, look down first and see if they’re not pissin’ down your leg.
(Click on the following) Then fliers would be passed out promoting Straight, Incorporated. No care to the fact that these children are classified as clients in a licensed out-patient “drug treatment program” they have a legal right to medical confidentiality. But these kids don’t have a choice. They must do these speaking engagements and they must follow the script–”honesty,” the first and most impotent rule be damned–along with “anonymity and confidentiality”.
Imagine if you were stricken by prostate cancer and did not want anyone to know. As a result of the prostate cancer your doctor gave you a (Click on the following) penis pump as you experienced difficulty erecting your penis. This is exactly what happened to Straight’s founder Melvin Sembler as he claims in a verified complaint filed in Pinellas County Court in a 2003 lawsuit he brought against a former highly thought of employee Richard Bradbury. Mr. Sembler claims that he was stricken in or around 1990 with prostate cancer and did not want anyone except for close family and friend to know. He claims he was prescribed a penis pump.
 Sembler v. Bradbury page 3 penis pump "trash" privacy claim He later claimed in a deposition he may have given it, or left it for his maid to throw into the trash.
(The penis pump was later retrieved by a world famous garbage collector. We will come back to that later)
Melvin Sembler expected privacy in trash. The children left in his “care” at his Straight Corporations had no privacy. Why should he expect it in “his” trash?
Magic Grits III coming soon:
(What Happened to the medical records Straight maintained on the children and young adults in it’s care?)
Special thanks to Ginger McNulty with this exclusive report.
Copyright (C) 2009 Orange Toilet News, Incorporated (EXCLUSIVE)
 - Straight, Incorporated License
Copyright (C) 2009 Orange Toilet News, Incorporated a Florida News Corporation (EXCLUSIVE) PUBLISHED SEPTEMBER 13, 2009
 Magic Grits HEAR NO EVIL, SEE NO EVIL, SPEAK NO EVIL, but its ok to run a criminal enterprise if your last name is Sembler and you have the approval of the Florida Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services, now named the Florida Department of Children and Families Straight, Incorporated flung it’s doors open on April 26, 1976 to much ado. Straight, Incorporated was licensed by the State of Florida Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services–now known as the Department of Children and Families–as an out-patient Alcohol Drug Abuse and Mental Health Facility.
The Florida Department of Health and Rehabilitation Services changed names in 1997 because of all the bad press they had been receiving over debacle after debacle in which children they were charged with caring for and monitoring were either hurt, or killed.
I guess they figured the name change would make all their problems go away?
Their partners in crime and grossly outrageous misconduct Straight, Incorporated later changed it’s name to the Straight Foundation, Incorporated and now its named Drug Free America Foundation, Incorporated; they also hoped to escape their legal problems such as the “Clary Report” and numerous “secret settlements” for the abuse of children and public civil court cases they lost for torturing children in the process. Under their new name, Drug Free America Foundation, Incorporated has received your tax dollars. Melvin Sembler, Betty Sembler and Melvin’s “gal pal” long time Sembler Company employee Marlene McCord have all held, or hold positions at the top of the company.
In fact the Straight Corporations were being run out of the Sembler Company as late as November 1993. Robert Rose, Sembler Company employee, was the “Straight Agent” and you could reach him at the Sembler Company at 813.384.6000 and by mail at PO Box 1577 Pinellas Park, Florida 34664.
Straight officials were so bold they were even open for business and conducting business during 10/13/1989 while they were on “involuntarily dissolved” status with the Secretary of State Florida Department of Corporations.
Straight was on the run. But from what? We know they failed to pay their bills at their headquarters at 3001 Gandy Blvd, St. Petersburg, Florida 33702 and the mortgage company foreclosed on them. But what else were they running from? And what happened to the 100 million dollars they reportedly had collected over the years?
Did Straight officials update the corporate address change with the Secretary of State, Florida Department Of Corporations to the PO Box 1577 Pinellas Park, Florida 34664? Did they let the Secretary of State know how to reach them by contacting Robert Rose at the Sembler Company? No.
Why? Did they have something to hide? Sure they did.
Were they worried people would find out that the developer they used and or are using for projects like Target, Publix, or the Brookhaven project in DeKalb Georgia was and had operated the Straight, Corporations from Sembler Company’s offices using Sembler Company employees? Could they have been worried about something worse? Could it get worse? Yes.
What they did do in 1994 is to update their address to 6529 Central Avenue St. Petersburg, Florida 33710 in 1994. This is the same office strip that once held the offices of Joseph Zappala the other Straight Founder.
The idea of the Straight, Corporations being operated from the Sembler Company, by paid Sembler Company employees could have the potential to become a big public relations nightmare for the Sembler Company.
The Straight Corporations paid out hundreds of thousands of dollars in child abuse settlements.
Robert Rose was not the only person working out of Sembler Company offices on Straight, Corporations projects, so was Melvin Sembler’s long time employee and “gal pal” Marlene McCord.
Melvin Sembler so elegantly stated “Ms. McCord keeps a file of special people” (line 22 page 59) during his deposition on September 18, 2006.
 Melvin Sembler under oath Straight’s partners in crime and outrageous conduct, The Department of Children and Families, is a failed government agency that does not meet its mission criteria to provide equal services to the residents of the State of Florida.
Their employees are overworked and under paid and, at the top of the organization politics and campaign contributions, dictate selective enforcement of policies and administrative codes.
The relationship between the Department of Children and families formerly the Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services and Melvin Sembler and his criminal enterprise Straight, Incorporated are a prime example of grossly negligent and criminal behavior on the part of both the agency, Melvin Sembler, Straight’s employees and the Straight Corporation(s).
They turned a blind eye to abuses by the Straight Corporations.
Recently, Florida’s Governor Charlie Crist inducted Melvin Sembler’s wife, Betty Sembler, into the Florida Women’s Hall of Fame for her work with Straight, Incorporated (Drug Free America Foundation, Inc.) The Semblers are large campaign contributors to Charlie Crist. Crist and Brent Sembler grew up together and are best friends. They also have in common their use of illegal drugs.
Straight, Incorporated had operating facilities across the country until July 1993 and it was headquartered out of St. Petersburg, Florida. During its “run” thousands of children and their families passed through their doors and thousands upon thousands of medical records were maintained as required by the State of Florida Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services, now know as the State of Florida Department of Children and Families as required by their Administrative Codes known as the 10e 16. Straight also maintained thousands of financial records for “services rendered.”
Straight, Incorporated was so adamant about the “privacy” of these records that when activist and outspoken critic of Straight, Incorporated, Richard Bradbury, and friend John Foley went to Straight, Incorporated offices in St. Petersburg in 1987 with signed releases form former patients which empowered Mr. Bradbury under Florida Statute to obtain copies of their medical records, Straight refused to release them.
The Straight, Corporations had some big problems other than systematically abusing the children in their “care” across the country. Now they were faced with former employees and graduates speaking out about the abuses and fraud that as far as the general public was concerned went on behind those closed doors but was smack in front of the faces of government officials who gave the “green light” to this illegal conduct.
Mr. Bradbury complained to the Department of Health of Rehabilitative Services but the complaints “fell on deaf ears.” Mr. Bradbury said as did those of the his complaints of “child abuse” and “sexual abuse” of Straight’s patients.
Not only did Straight have Mr. Bradbury, a formerly highly thought of employee and graduate, to contend with but also Community Improvement, Incorporated, which was comprised of Janet Kennedy of Texas who holds a Doctorate in Pharmacy and Master’s degree in Hospital Administration, Greg Reight from Maryland a father of a Straight Survivor, Claire Martin President of F.A.D.D. , Psychiatrist, Dr. Roger Pierson and his son David Pierson, Dee Edwards, Barbara Segraves her son Jay and numerous other former parents, employees, patients, friends and people from the medical community.
Straight officials were very greedy; really greedy; like street thugs and this would be their demise. Not the proven cases of child torture and abuse but plain and simple greed.
“Magic Grits” II (coming soon) “People thought we were taking away children’s rights. But we saw it just the opposite – giving them back their rights by helping them get off drugs. Mel Sembler, Straight’s founder, Florida Trend Magazine, May 1997>
You can reach Brill Smith at Brillsmith@gmail.com, also you may comment by emailing Editor@orangetoiletnews.com
Copyright (C) 2009 Orange Toilet News, Incorporated a Florida News Corporation (EXCLUSIVE)
 Wesley Fager, Hero
Copyright (C) By Wesley Fager 1946 – 2009 whose service to his country, family and community will live forever and made the world a better place.
Ambassador Sembler dines in luxury while the little boy injured at Baywalk is about to be evicted.
Mankind was my business. The ghost of Jacob Marley from “A Christmas Carol.”
In February 2007 a speaker fell on 4 year old Josiah Wineberger from a second story balcony at the Baywalk Shopping Center in St. Petersburg, Fl., crushing him and fracturing his skull. Doctors said he would never walk again, but, with intense physical therapy, Josiah is not only walking but he’s talking like any boy his age.
Melvin Sembler, AO, is our former ambassador to Italy. If you are familiar with Ambassador Sembler you know that he and his wife Betty founded and operated Straight, Inc., a national-level, juvenile substance abuse treatment program, for 17 years. The abuse that kids sustained at Straight, Inc. are a national disgrace and over 40 former clients have committed suicide.
Straight earned $100 million–tax free. But that’s peanuts to Ambassador Sembler who makes his real money building and leasing shopping centers. Shopping centers like Baywalk where Josiah Wineberger was nearly killed last year. The Semblers live a life of opulence, traveling from here to there anywhere in the world in their private jet. In 2003 the Semblers held
The Mother of all Toga Parties (turn on sound before linking) in Rome when they celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary at their Magic Kingdom by inviting all the Who’s Who’s from St. Petersburg and Washington.
Mel Sembler even convinced the US Congress to buy a $100 million memorial in Rome to honor his greatness.
But while Mel and Betty were eating caviar this Hanukkah, the Wineberger’s position worsened. The day after Christmas, an electrical fire sparked in their home and now the fire department has declared it unsafe to live in. Worse still, the home is facing foreclosure.
You might recall that Ambassador Sembler once sued Ray Bradbury for recovery of a medical device, but much to his chagrin, the story made international news. Sembler had thought that Bradbury would cave, we suppose, but Bradbury did not, and the judge finally set a trial date for April 10 – April 21, 2006. The ambassador did not want the trial to go on so he made a motion (and the judge granted it) to postpone it. Why? He decided to take his family on a holiday. He decided to fly his entire family to Israel for the Passover from April 10 to April 20! So we know the Semblers do enjoy their religious retreats.
Mr. Sembler, thousands of kids have been harmed by you at Straight. You have a reputation for sticking it to your fellow citizens in your business dealings. Couldn’t you spare a little change to help Josiah Wineberger and his family this holiday. It would not have to be an admission of guilt. Just a gesture to lend a hand to someone hurt at one of your projects.
It’s a tradition in my family to watch “A Christmas Carol” each year around this time. We always watch the 1951 movie version starring Alistair Simms. When the third spirit takes Ebenezer Scrooge to his future grave, it chills me to the bone because I know Dickens is speaking directly to me. I’m old Mel, but you’re older. Maybe you and I had better wake up.
Here’s a link to the Josiah Wineberger story.
Copyright (C) Story published with consent of Ray Bradbury
Copyright (C) 2010 Orange Toilet News, Incorporated (UPDATED) 06/17/2010 By Brill Smith
ORIGINAL PUBLICATION February 10, 2010
Joe Conason with Salon.com wrote a piece on Melvin Sembler on Tuesday February the 09, 2010. For those of you who may have missed it click on the story title below to be redirected the his article.
Salon.com
Tuesday, Feb 9, 2010 19:10 EST
Copyright (C) 2010 Orange Toilet News, Incorporated
Copyright (C) 2010 Orange Toilet News, Incorporated
In our exclusive report dated February 26, 2010, we reported the “Feds” were investigating the R.P.O.F. Today former R.P.O.F. Chairman Jim Greer who is Charlie Crist’s “right hand man” was arrested and has been indicted on 6 felony charges to include; grand theft, money laundering and running an organized scheme to defraud.The R.P.O.F. under Florida’s Gay Governor Charlie Crist has been operated as a criminal enterprise. Mr. Greer was indicted on similar charges a “mobster” such as John Gotti might expect.
 "Ham Head" Jim Greer More arrests are imminent.
Editorial
How much time do you think a Mr. Greer can do behind prison walls? My guess is not much.
He’s just not cut out for it; he likes the high rolling lifestyle he’s accustomed. I figure the “Feds” have a singing “Ham Head” right now.
I will be impressed when and or if the day ever comes when one of the last names of those indicted ends with Sembler.
Mr. Greer “sing your songs” as that’s your only chance.
Brill Smith’s definition of a “Ham Head”
Politician, an individual whose lifestyle is predicated on politics and the financial gain associated.
Copyright (C) 2010 Orange Toilet News, Incorporated
Outrageous behavior of the R.P.O.F. under Crist Administration
 Head of Florida Republican Party
- Big parties
- lavish spending
- Out of touch with the people on the street.
- Florida’s gay governor pandering for votes.
More as info. becomes available.
Copyright (C) 2010 Orange Toilet News, Incorporated (EXCLUSIVE)
Ginger McNulty who is a member of our Editorial Board operates a web forum about the “troubled teen rehab industry.” The name of the site is “fornits.com.” The web site is presently down. If you would like further information on this technical problem click on the following link; http://blog.fornits.com/.
Copyright (C) 2010 Orange Toilet News, Incorporated (EXCLUSIVE)
 Inside the "White House" toilet facility (used by permission from Roger Keiser) Copyright (C) 2010 Orange Toilet News, Incorporated (EXCLUSIVE)
I asked Julian what he learned from his experience during his stay at the Dozier “School” for Boy. He said, “complete disrespect for authority.”
Today, Julian Michael Sapp is a Snook Fisherman. He grew up and moved on with his life but wants to hold those persons accountable for his mistreatment as a youth. He was a Plaintiff in the Class Action Lawsuit which has been filed against the State of Florida for the abuses of the Dozier “School” for Boys. “I withdrew myself because I don’t want money off the tragedy”. Mr. Sapp said. “Off my book Chasing Freedom, Life of a white House Boy, yes, off the law suit no.”
Julian was assigned to “Pierce Hall” as shown in the picture in our November 23rd, 2009 article, The Life of a “White House Boy” I. Julian said, “It was isolated from everything else; it was on a hill where they sent kids they thought were mentally disturbed and I was given some type of medication. I am not sure what it was.”
Julian said that during his stay “I was beaten two more times but they were minor, not like the first time.” He would go on to witness other children when they were showering who had disgusting marks from beatings on their buttocks, thighs and backs. He said, “you could not miss it.”
Julian was released from the Dozier “School” for Boys on June 06, 1961 to his biological fathers wife, whose name we have redacted from the included document titled “Florida Department of Juvenile Justice” dated October 06, 2009. (EXCLUSIVE)
I asked Julian what he learned from his experience from his stay at the Dozier “School” for Boys? He said, “complete disrespect for authority.”
I was recently reading Ben Montgomery’s and Waveney Ann Moore’s story from the Sunday December 06, 2009 St. Petersburg Times edition titled “Florida juvenile justice: Dozier school’s roster of the lost.” The story focused on boys from the “Dozier Class of 88″ and how many of them were arrested again after their stay at the Dozier “School” for Boys and found shocking evidence of an almost complete rate of failure of the Dozier “School” for Boys to “reform” or rehabilitate any of the boys from the “Class of 88.”
I took notice of the comments section of the storyand I think this comment summarizes the ignorance of some of the readers; “lillapoyka” commented, “If you would have behaved as a kid you never would have been sent their. You have nobody to blame except yourselves and maybe your parents.” (St. Petersburg Times comment section December 06, 2009)
Let us not forget these were minors and the State of Florida was charged with protecting them once committed to their care and the state failed and continues to fail to this day.
In Julian’s case he would go on to get into further trouble with the law.
When he was 16 Julian and another boy, whose father happened to be the local Police Chief, were walking along and saw a row boat. So they took it for a joy ride. When they returned to the dock a deputy was waiting for them. The Police Chief did not want Julian hanging out with his son. And so, for this joy ride, Julian was sentence to 3 months probation which he completed successfully.
Shortly thereafter the Police Chief found out Julian was back hanging out with his son and had him rearrested for a 2nd time for stealing the row boat. This time Judge Sample sentenced Julian to Florida State Prison for a period no shorter than 6 months and not longer than 3 years depending upon his behavior.
Julian said, “Before they rearrested me a 2nd time for stealing the row boat I was still salvageable.” Julian was held in the local jail for the next 14 months and, at about age 17½, he was transferred to Raiford State Prison in Florida. Julian’s fate would now be in his own hands. He had been dehumanized by his stay at the Dozier “School”. He had had his civil rights trampled there as well as by the local Police Chief who felt he could arrest anyone whom he did not like hanging around with his son.
Julian would go on to appeal this case himself all the way to the United States Supreme Court.
Julian’s trouble with the law was not over. While at Raiford, Julian escaped and committed additional crimes. His sentence was extended by 97 years. At the retrial in 1965 he accepted a plea deal for 20 years. He completed the 20 years sentence and was released from the Orlando Work Center on October 18, 1975 as did expiration of the sentence.
But something happened along the way that “would change my life forever,” I inquired as to what that was. Julian said, “someone took an interest in me.” I asked who and he said “While in prison a woman starting writing to me and started visiting me. She would drive a lot of miles a week to see me. It change me, it changed my life.”
Julian was released from prison on October 1st, 1975. His sentence had been reduced by several years because Julian had appealed his 2nd arrest and charge as a Juvenile for stealing the row boat. Upon his release they started dating in 1975 and had children together. “This changed my whole life,” Julian said.
I asked him if he was involved with any drugs or drinking when he committed the crimes we discussed. He said “no, I tried a marijuana cigarette in 1975 and it freaked me out and to this day I am not involved with any of that period!”
Julian left the state in 1975 and went to work for a deaf school in West Virginia. “I worked there until they got my background check back and they found out I was an ex-con and my employment was terminated as a result. I was hired for a special skill I learned while in prison and that was sign language because back then ‘mutes’ were treated differently–like outcasts from society and it was hard to find a person who knew sign language and I got that job pretty quickly.”
In 1976 Julian started working in Columbia South Carolina, as a dredge engineer ”because no one cared about your background just as long as you could do the job and it paid well,” he said. He would go on to become chief engineer on the dredge in 1979 he was working a tug boat in Tampa, Florida the day the ship struck the Skyway Bridge knocking numerous cars and a bus off the bridge into the water. He said, “we went right over there and started pulling survivors out of the water.”
He did a brief stint as an orange grove manager in the early 1980’s and then went back to work as a dredge engineer “because it paid so well,” he said. 1985 he was working in Longwood, Florida installing fire sprinklers and was promoted by the company in 1988 and started teaching at Seminole Community College in the Vocational Training Program. He taught apprentices at the college how to become Journeymen and Master Pipe-fitters.
But then trouble stuck again; the college got back his background check. “They were going to terminate me if not for one man; Mac Blyth,” Julian said. “He went to bat for me.” Mr. Blythe got the school to hold off on terminating Julian until he could hear back from the governors office on his request for a pardon.
On April 12, 1988 Julian Michael Sapp was pardoned for all of his past crimes by then Florida Governor Bob Martinez. His civil rights have been restored with the exception of his right to carry a firearm. (EXCLUSIVE)
Julian kept his job and in 1990 went on to work as youth minister at Osteen Baptist Church outside of Daytona Beach, Florida. In 1991 he went to work for the Salvation Army at a homeless lodge. In about three months he was promoted to Disaster Director for the Salvation Army and then promoted to Director of residential Drug Treatment for their drug treatment program. He worked closely with Volusia and Flagler county to coordinate disaster relief.
Julian retired in 2001 as a result of a heart attack the year before. He said, “I tried to go back to work but my short term memory gave me some trouble and i figured it was about time to retire.”
 "Gone Fishing" Julian did his time for his crimes and paid the price. He lost his freedom and rights and had to fight to get them back and he won.
So far Florida Governor Charlie Crist has not seen the need to do this, even though the same abuses and horrors are taking place today.
It’s time for the State of Florida to pay the price for 100 years of systematic abuse of the boys who where sent to the Dozier “School” for Boys.
You can reach Julian and the other ‘White House Boys” at http://www.theofficialwhitehouseboys.com.
Brill Smith can be reached at brillsmith@gmail.com
Copyright (C) 2010 Orange Toilet News, Incorporated (EXCLUSIVE)
Copyright (C) 2010 Orange Toilet News, Incorporated (EXCLUSIVE)
Coming Monday January 11, 2010
Copyright (C) 2010 Orange Toilet News, Incorporated (EXCLUSIVE)
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