I may or may not win the Pulitzer Prize for reporting,I may not be a lawyer and I may be wrong about many things, but there were good reason for anyone to be concerned about this situation and I had a right and duty to say something.
If no one listened or if Smith trashed me personally, so be it, but to use his power as a prosecutor to punish me and shut me down and ruin my life is unwarranted, offensive and illegal.
I may be wrong on my broader concerns about a conspiracy with Roberts and Smith, but when Smith went that far to punish not just me but others, it makes me unable to shake that I am right about that as well.
After Smith’s decision to abuse his power by charging me unless I retracted my articles and the posting online that I would be arrested if I set foot in Iowa to testify, I could not shake my gut telling me that this was not just some inexperienced, bumbling prosecutor who allowed his emotions to get the better of him, it is more than that.
Prosecutor Ben Smith was a proxy for Michael Roberts, Rexxfield and Mile2 who wanted to discredit my research and articles about the prosecutorial misconduct in the Tracey Richter murder trial. Tracey Richter is the ex-wife of Michael Roberts.
Here is Ben Smith’s sworn testimony that Michael Roberts conspired to draft false claims about reporter Darren Meade which led to the dismissal against reporter Darren Meade.
I was the investigative reporter targeted by Iowa county prosecutor Ben Smith. Ripoff Report hired me for PR and as an investigative journalist to change the perception of their website (Ripoff Report) that is a matter of record.
The preliminary injunction was filed because my employer ED Magedson feared he would also be indicted in Iowa. I was the first journalist in the USA criminally indicted for writing about my belief that a flawed criminal prosecution placed an innocent woman ( Tracey Richter ) in prison.
DISAVOWED: Reporter Darren Meade Responds To Allegations That He Committed Crimes Against Tax Payers.
These allegations are denied. Darren Meade has not had anything to do with extortion or crimes against tax payers. ED Magedson and Ripoff Report are alleged to remove and delete reports on Rip-off Report as a matter of policy at ED Magedson's direction.
Ripoff Report removes reports at the direction of Rip-off Report owner ED Magedson. Ripoff Report bullies individuals and corporations into joining its so called 'Reputation Management' services also known as Corporate Advocacy Program.
ED Magedson and his attorneys Maria Crimi Speth & Adam Kunz have accused Darren Mitchell Meade of extortion.
These allegations are denied; Darren Mitchell Meade, has a valid fraud in the inducement, unpaid wages, and breach of contract claim against ED aka Stick Bogart.
I won't take the time to refute every falsehood you've penned under "Stick Bogart".
I am suing you and will introduce the consensual audio recording along with other evidence that will be used to impeach your credibility not to mention Kunz, Speth, Crossman, and Yaghobi.
Furthermore, I do not condone the publication of fictitious complaints about ANY organization, even those that support Ed Magedson's Ripoffreport.com financially. I do not need to embellish my reporting with lies as Magedson has alleged.
As for the "extortion" that ED Magedson always claims about his critics why didn't he the police prosecute? I'll tell you why...because he's claims were false and he already filed multiple false police reports including making false claims to the FBI and IRS.
ED Magedson lies about his services/results and steals money from legitimate clients. Luckily nobody takes him seriously and his hidden agenda is easily brought to light in my upcoming expose.
ED Magedson, is a Class A scam artist, and his claim of "Champion of Consumers," yada yada, is pure garbage and about as useful of taking your chances with Three-Card Monte.
The September 2, 2014 indictment lodged against me for my investigative reporting contained ten counts of general conduct which did not provide me under Iowa Rule of Criminal Procedure 2.11(6) with the necessary information to prepare an adequate defense.
Eight of the ten counts of the Trial Information Charged me with Witness Tampering in violation of Iowa Code Section 720.4.
Section 720.4 provides three methods of committing this offense: "offering a bribe, (2) making threats of forcibly or fraudulently detaining or restraining, or (3) harassing in retaliation." State v. LaPointe, 418 N.W. 2d 49, 51 (Iowa 1988).
The first two methods were not an issue as County Attorney Smith only alleged I published defamatory statements about witnesses in retaliation for their lawful participation and testimony in State v. Richter, Sac County District Course, Case No. FECR011900.
Apparently Smith's theory was that Meade's investigative journalism was conducted and published with the intent to harass the states witnesses in the Richter case. Apart from the obvious problem that such journalism is protected by the First Amendment to the Constitution, Smith made only conclusory assertions about Meade's articles and statements he alleged were intended to harass the witness.
Although Smith attached a thousand pages of exhibits to the Minutes of Testimony in the indictment Smith never was able to reveal the exact "defamatory" complaints or statements that Meade allegedly published to harass the witnesses.
Smith, and the State of Iowa, failed to provide due process to Meade and inform him of the exact statements that he intended to show were meant to harass the State's witnesses Cole v. Arkansas, 333 U.S. 196, 201(1948 holding that due process guarantees of the fourteenth amendment requires the accused to be advised of the specific charges against him).
When the day came for Prosecutor Smith to face Meade's defense attorney in court, and present some kind of evidence to show Meade made false statements, Ben Smith gave up instead of fighting. Smith, did not present any evidence to show Meade did anything wrong. Smith did not present any evidence to show anything Meade wrote was false.
My life was ruined when I wrote about my belief that a flawed criminal prosecution led to the death sentence of an innocent mother of three.
I hope a future article will delve into the repercussions of posting on Ripoff Report. Even when you report truthfully victims have been both criminally charged, and sued civilly in court. When that happens, Ripoff Report will not help you, even if you are a reporter on staff. Ripoff Report will leave you to pay your own legal fees and when you share your story the poison pens of Magedson will be detached to destroy your reputation.
A criminal indictment was filed on September 2nd, 2014 in retaliation of my reporting on the flawed criminal prosecution of Tracey Richter (ex-wife of Michael Roberts Rexxfield).
Prior to the filing of this criminal indictment against Meade, Michael Roberts business associate County Attorney Ben Smith (aka "overreaching state prosecutor") filed an Application For A Civil Injunction to Restrain Harassment or Intimidation of Victims of Witness - State of Iowa v. Xcentric Ventures, LLC, CVCV019540.
Xcentric Ventures does business as The RipOffReport - www.ripoffreport.com The RipOffReport hired Meade for public relations and an investigative journalist to change its poor image as an extortion website. Meade co-created content with Magedson. Meade also did investigative journalism which Ripoff Report published about the Tracey Richter murder trial.
County Attorney Smith filed an injunction against Xcentric Ventures seeking to remove Meade's articles about the Tracey Richter trial which included alleged perjury of the State's Witnesses that contained 3rd party unimpeachable documents in State v. Richter.
County Attorney Smith was directly criticized by Meade for what Meade believes were instances of prosecutorial misconduct in the way Smith handled the Richter investigation and prosecution.
Smith, told 60 Minutes Australia that Meade's criticism of him "irritated him" and "sucked" that he would "not legitimate the nonsense" by discussing it and that they "attack me and the agents" https://youtu.be/HhtbM1M5Rdo
Smith, suggest that Meade's reports are such "crap" that no one could believe them anyway. Id. He says Meade's "attacks" were "emotionally" difficult for him for him and almost "broke" him. Id. Furthermore, Smith has testified that Meade and his criticisms are "annoying." "flat-out annoying" and that he doesn't want to have to deal with somebody coming out of the wood work every six months" because they are contacted by somebody exploring Richter's innocence.
Furthermore, Smith admitted that the Richter case was his "life" for over a year, "20 hours a day" Id., and that as of July 9, 2014, he had spent over 1,500 hours since then investigating Meade, and others for posting criticisms See Search Warrant Application July 9, 2014, Sac County District Court.
We can only surmise that because this 1,500 hour figure was before Smith filed the criminal indictment against Meade - including 50 pages of the Minutes of Testimony - that figure has grown considerably.
Smith has a personal relationship with Richter's now ex-husband, a relationship which consisted of in-person meetings with Roberts and "tons" of phone calls with Roberts, including multiple phone calls per day.
Michael Roberts is a so-called "online reputation expert" who brags about being able to delete content from Google. He was once an employee of ED Magedson and Ripoff Report.
Roberts then allegedly attempted to extort Ripoff Report.
Roberts retaliated against Ripoff Report and enlisted his bull-dog attorney and business associate prosector Ben Smith to provide support to Roberts, including an affidavit in support and testimony at a child custody hearing of Roberts and contacting the Australian Consulate of behalf of Roberts (as Australian Citizen) in an effort to remove Roberts children from the only family they have known in the USA.
Smith, the prosecutor, has vouced for Roberts credibility and has called him "completely and unabashedly honest," even though Smith was aware that Roberts took a polygraph about the murder and was judged to be 99% deceptive in his answers (See failed polygraph - http://www.ripoffreport.com/lhc/common/files/Michael_Roberts_Polygraph_Results.pdf )
Furthermore, Smith, by Roberts own admission, personally vouched for and/or offered to vouch for Roberts fitness to receive a personal loan to help staunch the bleeding and hemorrhaging of business entities including Rexxfield. When asked if Smith contacted the potential financial backer about asking Ben Smith for a personal reference Roberts replied "Possibly", and then "I'm pretty sure she spoke to Ben Smith." Hearing transcript p. 50, 11 21-25
Smith, made the highly unusual decision to file an unsealed Search Warrant Application to seize computers and electronic data from the home of Tracey Richter's mother - Anna Richter. The application is a bizarre and rambling document that contains so much extraneous, irrelevant information about Meade as to be almost unreadable.
Smith, is married to the prosecution "star" witness Mary Higgins daughter, Abbie (Abigal Marie Higgins) Mary Higgins was the state's main witness in State v. Richter, Sac County District Court Case No. FECRO11900.
My investigative reporting criticized and questioned Mary Higgins fairytale about the "pink notebook" and when the existence of that pink notebook was revealed to the mother-in-law (Mary Higgins) of prosecutor Ben Smith.
It also detailed Michael Roberts payments to multiple state witnesses ahead of their testimony in State v. Richter.
Smith pursued a criminal indictment against Meade not because such a prosecution was in the best interest of the State of Iowa, or even in the furtherance of legitimate public purposes or interest, but instead it was pursued with the purpose of silencing his critic journalist Darren Mitchell Meade.
His former employer, ED Magedson and Xcentric Ventures rather than rallying to support Meade's investigative journalism refused to honor their commitment and promises to pay Meade once the criminal indictment was dismissed 9 months later.
Michael, why don't you come clean that in your mentorship of Dustin, Michael Roberts had Dustin work on creative writing exercises that often were violent in nature. Roberts after his failed polygraph admitted he told Dustin details about John Pitman and dont forget in the other notebook, Kill a Pitman. The super-secret evidence, the Pink Notebook was photographed at the crime scene, and listed under section two of the Vehicle Interior.
Sac County Attorney Ben Smith dismissed all charges against Darren Meade on May 27, 2015, with prejudice.
That means that the State of Iowa and Ben Smith stopped prosecuting Meade for the things Meade reported on the Tracey Richter murder trial, and the State of Iowa nor Smith cannot change their minds again and re-file the charges.
Watch the pre-trial conference hearing dismissing charges against Meade - https://youtu.be/98WnZysDT9o and granting him immunity in the future without any conditions (Meade, did not make a deal).
In July, 2014, Smith published a vague affidavit claiming that journalist, Meade had written false and defamatory things about witnesses in the Tracy Richter Murder trial. Smith later filed criminal charges against Meade, claiming that Meade’s writings and postings were criminal offenses, making further vague accusations that at least some of the things Meade wrote and posted were false and defamatory.
Meade’s attorney filed a motion to dismiss, claiming, among other things, that Smith had no evidence to support that what Meade wrote was false or defamatory and that what Meade wrote is protected by the U.S. Constitution as free speech, and could not be a crime. Meade’s attorney also asked the Court to disqualify Prosecutor Ben Smith from the case for a conflict of interest. Meade’s attorney argued that Smith was retaliating against Meade with the vast resources of the State of Iowa and the power of his government office, because Meade had made harsh professional criticisms against Smith in his reporting.
When the day came for Prosecutor Ben Smith to face Meade’s defense attorney in court, and present some kind of evidence to show that Meade made false statements, Ben Smith gave up instead of fighting. Smith did not present any evidence to show that Meade did anything wrong. Smith did not identify what statements, if any, were supposedly false. Smith did not present any evidence to show that anything Meade wrote was false. Instead, on the morning of the hearing, Ben Smith filed a motion to have the Court dismiss all charges against Meade, with prejudice, so that no charges could ever be re-filed. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ -----
Ben Smith Sac County Iowa Attorney prosecutorial misconduct, improper relationship with star witnesses, allowing witnesses to knowingly lie, seeking fame not justice, Sac county Iowa corruption. Tracey Richter falsely convicted evidence leads to overwhelming evidence to estranged husband Michael Roberts, Rexxfield failed polygraph, witness intimidation, evidence tampering, Prosecutors improper relationship with witnesses & Michael Roberts. Roberts witness protection sham. Exaggerated, misleading information to Dateline NBC. Sac City, Iowa.
Prosecutor Ben Smith was a proxy for Michael Roberts, Rexxfield and Mile2 who wanted to discredit my research and articles about the prosecutorial misconduct in the Tracey Richter murder trial. Tracey Richter is the ex-wife of Michael Roberts.
Here is Ben Smith’s sworn testimony that Michael Roberts conspired to draft false claims about reporter Darren Meade which led to the dismissal against reporter Darren Meade.
In the days leading up to my video broadcasts on Ripoff Report people mentioned in my previous reporting in the original story had been applying personal and legal pressure on SCRIBD, Techsmith, Slideshare as well as ED Magedson my employer Ripoff Report. So instead of being praised for producing a powerful, important story, I was under siege, being blamed for causing problems. I found myself in an inhospitable environment for original investigative reporting and its occasional consequences - pushback from the powerful (which should be a badge of honor for a reporter), but also my spinelessness from my employer about what we had published. ED Magedson and Ripoff Report terminated me and then left me to fight the criminal indictment for 9 months without any help and to fend for myself in protecting the rights of reporters everywhere.
Knowing County Attorney Benjamin Smith as we do, we weren't surprised that he threatened me (Darren Meade) with a criminal indictment because we had, he says — and we're not making this up — been putting Benjamin Smith's name in my articles about prosecutorial misconduct reports'it sucks.'
In fact, I spent quite some time laughing about it. Benjamin Smith, an elected official; Ben Smith, a public figure? Surely, Benjamin John Smith can't be serious?
Discernibly, though, County Attorney Ben Smith's ignorance of what journalism is and does is no joke, and illustrates one disturbing aspect too prevalent in conservatives’ beliefs: That the media are all-liberal stooges hell bent on pursuing some fictional leftwing agenda.
Smith claimed the media are all-liberal cowards. Cowards? Tell that to the families of the 60 journalists killed in 2014, or the 70 in 2013, or the 74 who died in 2012, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. All in pursuit of the truth, or the most reliable version of it at hand in the most dangerous regions of the world.
Edifying as it may be to lapse into name calling -- and yes, I allowed myself a little childishness above and maybe a little bit below -- I need to make one serious point the County Attorney needs to hear and understand: I will not bow to petty intimidation tactics because a local politician thinks he can score political points and threaten me with 25 years in prison unless I retracted my articles accusing him of Prosecutorial Misconduct.
Legally, County Attorney Ben Smith had no case.
And why? Here's how Washington Post blogger Eugene Volokh, who "teaches free speech law, religious freedom law, church-state relations law, a First Amendment Amicus Brief Clinic, and tort law, at UCLA School of Law," nicely sums it up:
“Uh, Council Member: In our country, newspapers are actually allowed to write about elected officials (and others) without their permission. It’s an avantgarde experiment, to be sure, but we’ve had some success with it." You know, that whole First Amendment thing."
Techdirt has not posted any stories submitted by Darren M. Meade.
Re:
He was able to have it delisted.
Darren Meade v Ben Smith (as Darren Meade)
If no one listened or if Smith trashed me personally, so be it, but to use his power as a prosecutor to punish me and shut me down and ruin my life is unwarranted, offensive and illegal.
I may be wrong on my broader concerns about a conspiracy with Roberts and Smith, but when Smith went that far to punish not just me but others, it makes me unable to shake that I am right about that as well.
After Smith’s decision to abuse his power by charging me unless I retracted my articles and the posting online that I would be arrested if I set foot in Iowa to testify, I could not shake my gut telling me that this was not just some inexperienced, bumbling prosecutor who allowed his emotions to get the better of him, it is more than that.
Re: Re: Duffy Makes him look even worse.
Evidently there products don't work ... LOL
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http://www.slideshare.net/darrenmeade1/jury-witness-tampering-websites-through-google-search -urgent-takedown-request-iowa-vs-tracey-richter-murder-in-the-1st-degree
2012 Michael Roberts Sued Google; Fox News and others to delete another article
Sworn Testimony on Michael Roberts
Here is Ben Smith’s sworn testimony that Michael Roberts conspired to draft false claims about reporter Darren Meade which led to the dismissal against reporter Darren Meade.
http://www.slideshare.net/darrenmeade1/ben-smith-sworn-testimony-5-115-48729234
The prosecutor ( Ben Smith ) was trying to silence his critic ( Darren Meade ) who reported on prosecutorial misconduct in the Tracey Richter trial
I was the investigative reporter targeted by Iowa county prosecutor Ben Smith. Ripoff Report hired me for PR and as an investigative journalist to change the perception of their website (Ripoff Report) that is a matter of record.
The preliminary injunction was filed because my employer ED Magedson feared he would also be indicted in Iowa. I was the first journalist in the USA criminally indicted for writing about my belief that a flawed criminal prosecution placed an innocent woman ( Tracey Richter ) in prison.
See more here -
http://www.slideshare.net/darrenmeade1/motion-for-bill-or-particulars-to-specify-alleged-crimes-of-p rosecutor-smith-against-reporter-darren-mitchell-meade
And here - https://youtu.be/98WnZysDT9o
DISAVOWED: Reporter Darren M. Meade Responds To False Allegations That He Committed Crimes Against Taxpayers
These allegations are denied. Darren Meade has not had anything to do with extortion or crimes against tax payers.
ED Magedson and Ripoff Report are alleged to remove and delete reports on Rip-off Report as a matter of policy at ED Magedson's direction.
Ripoff Report removes reports at the direction of Rip-off Report owner ED Magedson. Ripoff Report bullies individuals and corporations into joining its so called 'Reputation Management' services also known as Corporate Advocacy Program.
To learn more read this document here -
http://www.slideshare.net/darrenmeade1/dear-ed-magedso1
No matter what you may have heard. In fact, ED Magedson, creates and sometimes dictates the content on Rip-off Report all to generate money for Xcentric Ventures.
Because Ripoff Report has created content for years with immunity. I'm placing this information into a public lawsuit.
I will push with my reporting with integrity toward a more comprehensive vision of freedom for all.
These allegations are denied; Darren Mitchell Meade, has a valid fraud in the inducement, unpaid wages, and breach of contract claim against ED aka Stick Bogart.
I won't take the time to refute every falsehood you've penned under "Stick Bogart".
I am suing you and will introduce the consensual audio recording along with other evidence that will be used to impeach your credibility not to mention Kunz, Speth, Crossman, and Yaghobi.
Furthermore, I do not condone the publication of fictitious complaints about ANY organization, even those that support Ed Magedson's Ripoffreport.com financially. I do not need to embellish my reporting with lies as Magedson has alleged.
- See more at: http://www.slideshare.net/darrenmeade1/dear-ed-magedso1
ED Magedson, claims he's a victim. He's not, in fact, he's the culprit.
ED Magedson lies about his services/results and steals money from legitimate clients. Luckily nobody takes him seriously and his hidden agenda is easily brought to light in my upcoming expose.
ED Magedson, is a Class A scam artist, and his claim of "Champion of Consumers," yada yada, is pure garbage and about as useful of taking your chances with Three-Card Monte.
Journalism is not a crime and its not harassment!
Eight of the ten counts of the Trial Information Charged me with Witness Tampering in violation of Iowa Code Section 720.4.
Section 720.4 provides three methods of committing this offense: "offering a bribe, (2) making threats of forcibly or fraudulently detaining or restraining, or (3) harassing in retaliation." State v. LaPointe, 418 N.W. 2d 49, 51 (Iowa 1988).
The first two methods were not an issue as County Attorney Smith only alleged I published defamatory statements about witnesses in retaliation for their lawful participation and testimony in State v. Richter, Sac County District Course, Case No. FECR011900.
Apparently Smith's theory was that Meade's investigative journalism was conducted and published with the intent to harass the states witnesses in the Richter case. Apart from the obvious problem that such journalism is protected by the First Amendment to the Constitution, Smith made only conclusory assertions about Meade's articles and statements he alleged were intended to harass the witness.
Although Smith attached a thousand pages of exhibits to the Minutes of Testimony in the indictment Smith never was able to reveal the exact "defamatory" complaints or statements that Meade allegedly published to harass the witnesses.
Smith, and the State of Iowa, failed to provide due process to Meade and inform him of the exact statements that he intended to show were meant to harass the State's witnesses Cole v. Arkansas, 333 U.S. 196, 201(1948 holding that due process guarantees of the fourteenth amendment requires the accused to be advised of the specific charges against him).
When the day came for Prosecutor Smith to face Meade's defense attorney in court, and present some kind of evidence to show Meade made false statements, Ben Smith gave up instead of fighting. Smith, did not present any evidence to show Meade did anything wrong. Smith did not present any evidence to show anything Meade wrote was false.
My life was ruined when I wrote about my belief that a flawed criminal prosecution led to the death sentence of an innocent mother of three.
I hope a future article will delve into the repercussions of posting on Ripoff Report. Even when you report truthfully victims have been both criminally charged, and sued civilly in court. When that happens, Ripoff Report will not help you, even if you are a reporter on staff. Ripoff Report will leave you to pay your own legal fees and when you share your story the poison pens of Magedson will be detached to destroy your reputation.
an innocent mother of three (Tracey Richter) is sentenced to die in prison due to Ben Smith and Michael Roberts
Prior to the filing of this criminal indictment against Meade, Michael Roberts business associate County Attorney Ben Smith (aka "overreaching state prosecutor") filed an Application For A Civil Injunction to Restrain Harassment or Intimidation of Victims of Witness - State of Iowa v. Xcentric Ventures, LLC, CVCV019540.
Xcentric Ventures does business as The RipOffReport - www.ripoffreport.com The RipOffReport hired Meade for public relations and an investigative journalist to change its poor image as an extortion website. Meade co-created content with Magedson. Meade also did investigative journalism which Ripoff Report published about the Tracey Richter murder trial.
County Attorney Smith filed an injunction against Xcentric Ventures seeking to remove Meade's articles about the Tracey Richter trial which included alleged perjury of the State's Witnesses that contained 3rd party unimpeachable documents in State v. Richter.
County Attorney Smith was directly criticized by Meade for what Meade believes were instances of prosecutorial misconduct in the way Smith handled the Richter investigation and prosecution.
http://www.ripoffreport.com/r/Update-June-1-2015-INVESTIGATION-UPDATE-Ben-Smith-Sac-Coun ty-Iowa-Attorney-Charges-against-Darren-Meade-dropped-Sac-County-Attorney-Ben-Smith-dismisses-all-cr iminal-charges-against-Darren-Meade-related-to-his-posts-on-Ripoff-Report-Sac-County-Iowa-Attorney-B en-Smith-fails-to-identify-false-statements-fails-to-support-his-accusations-with-clarifications/Sac -City-Iowa-/Update-June-1-2015-INVESTIGATION-UPDATE-Charges-against-Darren-Meade-droppedU-938843
Smith, told 60 Minutes Australia that Meade's criticism of him "irritated him" and "sucked" that he would "not legitimate the nonsense" by discussing it and that they "attack me and the agents" https://youtu.be/HhtbM1M5Rdo
Smith, suggest that Meade's reports are such "crap" that no one could believe them anyway. Id. He says Meade's "attacks" were "emotionally" difficult for him for him and almost "broke" him. Id. Furthermore, Smith has testified that Meade and his criticisms are "annoying." "flat-out annoying" and that he doesn't want to have to deal with somebody coming out of the wood work every six months" because they are contacted by somebody exploring Richter's innocence.
Furthermore, Smith admitted that the Richter case was his "life" for over a year, "20 hours a day" Id., and that as of July 9, 2014, he had spent over 1,500 hours since then investigating Meade, and others for posting criticisms See Search Warrant Application July 9, 2014, Sac County District Court.
We can only surmise that because this 1,500 hour figure was before Smith filed the criminal indictment against Meade - including 50 pages of the Minutes of Testimony - that figure has grown considerably.
Smith has a personal relationship with Richter's now ex-husband, a relationship which consisted of in-person meetings with Roberts and "tons" of phone calls with Roberts, including multiple phone calls per day.
Michael Roberts is a so-called "online reputation expert" who brags about being able to delete content from Google. He was once an employee of ED Magedson and Ripoff Report.
Roberts then allegedly attempted to extort Ripoff Report.
Roberts retaliated against Ripoff Report and enlisted his bull-dog attorney and business associate prosector Ben Smith to provide support to Roberts, including an affidavit in support and testimony at a child custody hearing of Roberts and contacting the Australian Consulate of behalf of Roberts (as Australian Citizen) in an effort to remove Roberts children from the only family they have known in the USA.
Smith, the prosecutor, has vouced for Roberts credibility and has called him "completely and unabashedly honest," even though Smith was aware that Roberts took a polygraph about the murder and was judged to be 99% deceptive in his answers (See failed polygraph - http://www.ripoffreport.com/lhc/common/files/Michael_Roberts_Polygraph_Results.pdf )
Furthermore, Smith, by Roberts own admission, personally vouched for and/or offered to vouch for Roberts fitness to receive a personal loan to help staunch the bleeding and hemorrhaging of business entities including Rexxfield. When asked if Smith contacted the potential financial backer about asking Ben Smith for a personal reference Roberts replied "Possibly", and then "I'm pretty sure she spoke to Ben Smith." Hearing transcript p. 50, 11 21-25
Smith, made the highly unusual decision to file an unsealed Search Warrant Application to seize computers and electronic data from the home of Tracey Richter's mother - Anna Richter. The application is a bizarre and rambling document that contains so much extraneous, irrelevant information about Meade as to be almost unreadable.
Smith, is married to the prosecution "star" witness Mary Higgins daughter, Abbie (Abigal Marie Higgins) Mary Higgins was the state's main witness in State v. Richter, Sac County District Court Case No. FECRO11900.
My investigative reporting criticized and questioned Mary Higgins fairytale about the "pink notebook" and when the existence of that pink notebook was revealed to the mother-in-law (Mary Higgins) of prosecutor Ben Smith.
It also detailed Michael Roberts payments to multiple state witnesses ahead of their testimony in State v. Richter.
Smith pursued a criminal indictment against Meade not because such a prosecution was in the best interest of the State of Iowa, or even in the furtherance of legitimate public purposes or interest, but instead it was pursued with the purpose of silencing his critic journalist Darren Mitchell Meade.
His former employer, ED Magedson and Xcentric Ventures rather than rallying to support Meade's investigative journalism refused to honor their commitment and promises to pay Meade once the criminal indictment was dismissed 9 months later.
‘Journalism is Not a Crime and It’s Not Harassment’ / Prosecution chills rights of journalist to report on matters of public concern.
See document here: http://www.slideshare.net/darrenmeade1/michael-robertsstillasuspectasof12009pdf
He previously had been arrested for both beating his then wife, Tracey Richter and their children.
See police report here:
http://www.slideshare.net/darrenmeade1/michael-roberts-ofrexxfieldarrestreportcitesspousalandchildab usepdf
See FOUNDED Child Abuse report here:
http://www.ripoffreport.com/lhc/common/files/Notice_of_Child_Abuse_Assessment.pdf
Michael, why don't you come clean that in your mentorship of Dustin, Michael Roberts had Dustin work on creative writing exercises that often were violent in nature. Roberts after his failed polygraph admitted he told Dustin details about John Pitman and dont forget in the other notebook, Kill a Pitman. The super-secret evidence, the Pink Notebook was photographed at the crime scene, and listed under section two of the Vehicle Interior.
The video report which made Ben Smith and Michael Roberts retaliate
Sac County Attorney Ben Smith dismissed all charges against Darren Meade on May 27, 2015, with prejudice.
That means that the State of Iowa and Ben Smith stopped prosecuting Meade for the things Meade reported on the Tracey Richter murder trial, and the State of Iowa nor Smith cannot change their minds again and re-file the charges.
Watch the pre-trial conference hearing dismissing charges against Meade - https://youtu.be/98WnZysDT9o and granting him immunity in the future without any conditions (Meade, did not make a deal).
In July, 2014, Smith published a vague affidavit claiming that journalist, Meade had written false and defamatory things about witnesses in the Tracy Richter Murder trial. Smith later filed criminal charges against Meade, claiming that Meade’s writings and postings were criminal offenses, making further vague accusations that at least some of the things Meade wrote and posted were false and defamatory.
Meade’s attorney filed a motion to dismiss, claiming, among other things, that Smith had no evidence to support that what Meade wrote was false or defamatory and that what Meade wrote is protected by the U.S. Constitution as free speech, and could not be a crime. Meade’s attorney also asked the Court to disqualify Prosecutor Ben Smith from the case for a conflict of interest. Meade’s attorney argued that Smith was retaliating against Meade with the vast resources of the State of Iowa and the power of his government office, because Meade had made harsh professional criticisms against Smith in his reporting.
When the day came for Prosecutor Ben Smith to face Meade’s defense attorney in court, and present some kind of evidence to show that Meade made false statements, Ben Smith gave up instead of fighting. Smith did not present any evidence to show that Meade did anything wrong. Smith did not identify what statements, if any, were supposedly false. Smith did not present any evidence to show that anything Meade wrote was false. Instead, on the morning of the hearing, Ben Smith filed a motion to have the Court dismiss all charges against Meade, with prejudice, so that no charges could ever be re-filed.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ -----
Ben Smith Sac County Iowa Attorney prosecutorial misconduct, improper relationship with star witnesses, allowing witnesses to knowingly lie, seeking fame not justice, Sac county Iowa corruption. Tracey Richter falsely convicted evidence leads to overwhelming evidence to estranged husband Michael Roberts, Rexxfield failed polygraph, witness intimidation, evidence tampering, Prosecutors improper relationship with witnesses & Michael Roberts. Roberts witness protection sham. Exaggerated, misleading information to Dateline NBC. Sac City, Iowa.
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Here is Ben Smith’s sworn testimony that Michael Roberts conspired to draft false claims about reporter Darren Meade which led to the dismissal against reporter Darren Meade.
http://www.slideshare.net/darrenmeade1/ben-smith-sworn-testimony-5-115-48729234
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http://www.slideshare.net/darrenmeade1/ed-magedson-hires-darren-meade-to-co-create-content-on-ripoff -report
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In fact, I spent quite some time laughing about it. Benjamin Smith, an elected official; Ben Smith, a public figure? Surely, Benjamin John Smith can't be serious?
Discernibly, though, County Attorney Ben Smith's ignorance of what journalism is and does is no joke, and illustrates one disturbing aspect too prevalent in conservatives’ beliefs: That the media are all-liberal stooges hell bent on pursuing some fictional leftwing agenda.
Smith claimed the media are all-liberal cowards. Cowards? Tell that to the families of the 60 journalists killed in 2014, or the 70 in 2013, or the 74 who died in 2012, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. All in pursuit of the truth, or the most reliable version of it at hand in the most dangerous regions of the world.
Edifying as it may be to lapse into name calling -- and yes, I allowed myself a little childishness above and maybe a little bit below -- I need to make one serious point the County Attorney needs to hear and understand: I will not bow to petty intimidation tactics because a local politician thinks he can score political points and threaten me with 25 years in prison unless I retracted my articles accusing him of Prosecutorial Misconduct.
Legally, County Attorney Ben Smith had no case.
And why? Here's how Washington Post blogger Eugene Volokh, who "teaches free speech law, religious freedom law, church-state relations law, a First Amendment Amicus Brief Clinic, and tort law, at UCLA School of Law," nicely sums it up:
“Uh, Council Member: In our country, newspapers are actually allowed to write about elected officials (and others) without their permission. It’s an avantgarde experiment, to be sure, but we’ve had some success with it." You know, that whole First Amendment thing."
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