Monday, March 3, 2014

WIGHTMAN WOULD HAVE YOU THINK HE'S A SICK PUPPY

"Although a previous Army mental exam found he had "no psychiatric disorder," his commanding officer at Goodfellow believed Wightman was malingering and ordered that he be evaluated at St. John's Hospital in San Angelo."
Dallas Observer, March 2000

malinger (məˈlɪŋɡə) — vb ( intr ) to pretend or exaggerate illness, esp. to avoid work
World English Dictionary

By Juan Montoya
When all his subterfuges and legal dodging have been depleted and the other side in the dispute is prevailing, disbarred attorney Robert Wightman has found that he still has two aces up his sleeve to divert and distract attention of his opponents and the courts: his homosexuality and his hypochondria.

In fact, if you are acquainted with his writings, at any one time Wightman is complaining of some malady or another that drives him to despair – and into the long lines of truly deserving veterans seeking aid from the Veterans Administration.

It doesn't matter that he never shot at anyone in anger when he was in the peacetime Army, or that he ever left the U.S. to serve in a combat role overseas.

Those two or so years that he served as an aircraft mechanic's helper before the Army discharged him based on a psychological evaluation have provided him the ticket to elbow out deserving combat veterans to receive specialized treatment for any number of perceived illnesses and conditions.

(Incidentally, now he calls himself a disabled veteran and has likened himself to soldiers serving in Iraq.)

After he was disbarred in 2002, he continued to operate a website where he identified himself as an "attorney and mediator" authorized to practice before the Supreme Court. The Dallas County legal community was wise to him and he was charged with a felony for holding himself out as an attorney and charging clients for giving them legal advice.

The Supreme Court disbarred him in 2002.

He pleaded down the charge to a misdemeanor and then missed court dates to determine his guilt and punishment by scheduling visits to the VA Hospital on the same dates court hearings had been set. This drove his court-appointed attorney John Cook bonkers and he questioned Wightman's antics.

When Cook called him on the matter, Wightman, in a tiff, replied that he had scheduled appointments with the VA hospital, suspiciously, on the same days he had court hearings.

He tells Cook:  "The question is why you did not call me when I was late – this is basic advocacy – I will file another motion to have you removed for setting me up to be arrested rather than just give me a simple phone call. How easy that would have been for you to do."

Exasperated, Cook finally erupts: "All your court dates were scheduled well in advance. You never objected to the dates. Why would you schedule doctor's appointments on two separate court dates? No one believes you anymore on your excuses. The same goes for your trips to the U.S. Supreme Court, Court TV, RICOH suits filed in D.C., talks with ethics professors, having Jane Boyle disqualified as U.S.Attorney, Supreme Court attorneys agreeing with your theory of case, etc., etc., the list goes on and on..."

In February 2004, Wightman filed a motion in Dallas County's 204th District Court for a continuance on his case where he established the pattern for his future behavior.

"Upon receiving John Cook's emails the Defendant (Wightman) became despondent and sat in disbelief. The frustration,,,made it impossible (for me) to prepare for work in this case. It is related to the (my) situation stress wherein he shuts down while working on nay matter related to himself.

"Every effort (by me) to respond to (Cook's) actions or prepare for this case was met with (me) being unable so much as sit at (my desk). To understand this situation stress during this period (I had) no problem doing school work related to (the) last class toward (my) MEd."

Got your box of Kleenex ready. It gets even weepier.
"By Thursday Feb. 5, 2004, as a consequence of repeatedly trying to force (myself) to work on the case, (I) became highly stressed out. On Saturday afternoon the situation reached the point putting (me) in bed and sleeping for 14 hours. On Sunday afternoon (I) experienced left-sided chest pain and was left bedridden until late Monday. (I) am under ongoing treatment for how the stress seems to cause excruciating left-sided chest pain. On Sunday (I) had failed to take (my) medicine – Plavix and aspirin. (I) took my medicine and the pain subsided.

"On Tuesday (I) spent from 7:30 a.m. until 12 noon with his lipid specialist...Dr. Cater is in the process of pulling the tests related to (my) chest pain and meeting with other doctors to determine a course of action. Part of the problem is six years of treatment for high cholesterol and triglycerides has not been successful. While the triglycerides are down 317 from over 800, and the cholesterol is down 217, the problem remains. (I) go back to Dr. Cater...to learn what treatment direction is being advised. (I) also will meet with (my) psychiatrist to determine if the Paxil is working as it should."

As the case dragged on as a result of these antics, Wightman again addressed the court to plead his case for continuing the process and blaming Cook for the missed court hearings. Looking at almost a certain 14-day jail sentence for his violation, on April 4, he writes:

"For the record, the VA records will prove that I have missed several appointments, my school work will show Zero as grades because my health made it impossible for me to complete course work...

"I will appear in court Monday afternoon, with a motion to disqualify John Cook, and to reinstate the bail. If denied, I will bring my nebulizer and medications with me in the invent (event?) I am arrested. As each of you know, federal judge Solis has found this to be a requisite to him granting the federal habeas corpus."

Alas, and even though he delayed and tried to use his perceived ailments as a way to stop the inevitable, the jail doors closed behind Wightman and he spent two weeks sending off handwritten missives from behind bars to the court to no avail.

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