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A Juneau man accused of violating conditions of probation stemming from his conviction for big game hunting violations asked his attorney to withdraw within an hour of his scheduled court date.
Park Myers III stated in Juneau District Court before Judge Keith Levy that it was “unfair to continue the services” of his attorney David Mallet “when I cannot afford to pay him.”
Levy stated he was a little bit frustrated that he was not informed about the activities between the state and the defense concerning the change of counsel.
“So the no one asked the court?” Levy asked.
David Mallet, appearing by telephone, said the decision was made at 7:45 that morning, just 45 minutes prior to the hearing’s start.
Also appearing by telephone was attorney Jeffrey Sauer, representing alleged victims of Myers who say they are affected through his killing of the black wolf affectionately known as Romeo.
State’s attorney Amy Williams said the state was ready at any time although one witness was presently unavailable.
Myers said he has very little income doing boat repair and maintenance.
Levy asked Mallet if there would be Fifth Amendment implications from Myers financial statements as the charge he is facing concerns receiving funds while on unemployment. The Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution bars, among other things, requiring a defendant in a criminal case to testify against himself.
“I have to inquire about what his income is,” Levy said.
Myers said he has filed for bankruptcy and owes $305,000 on a house assessed at $250,000.
“I am not firing him, he is a good man,” Myers said of Mallet. “It is just not fair for Mr. Mallet to represent me if I cannot pay for him.”
Williams did not oppose and Mallet said to Levy, “Judge, I think that the filing of bankruptcy speaks for itself.”
Myers was told to obtain a financial affidavit from the clerk of the court who would inform the public defender’s agency to attend Myers’ representation hearing at 8:30 a.m. today.
Myers was convicted, along with hunting companion Jeffrey Peacock of multiple big game violations including bear baiting without a permit, unlawful possession of game and unsworn falsification in the shooting of the black wolf called Romeo.
The incidents occurred from May 2009 through May 2010.
Peacock received 18 months suspended jail time, a $2,000 fine and three years probation with loss of hunting privileges. Myers received 330 days in prison, all suspended and $12,500 in fines, $7,500 suspended. He was also ordered to pay restitution of $1,100, forfeit of three rifles and to have his hunting privileges suspended during his three-year probation. Both had other charges dismissed.
• Contact reporter Klas Stolpe at 523-2263 or at klas.stolpe@juneauempire.com.
Comments (27)
Add commentVictims??? I want to know the
Victims??? I want to know the story on this:
"Also appearing by telephone was attorney Jeffrey Sauer, representing alleged victims of Myers who say they are affected through his killing of the black wolf affectionately known as Romeo"
Who are these "victims", I want to know who is ruining this man for money.
This whole thing is disgusting and it has nothing to do with a wolf anymore. Everyone is getting paid now. Of coarse the Empire has made it much worse but how many are making money off this? Lawyers, Prosecutors, Authors, Tourism, any POS that figures they can make a buck of another beings suffering.
I never shot a wolf before but you bet your Alaska I am now. In fact, since I can not ride my ATV in Juneau legally, perhaps I will just become a wolf hunter and start shooting wolves legally and to the limit. Perhaps all ATV enthusiasts should become wolf hunters. That would give us something to do until there is a place in Juneau we can legally ride.
Hank, you really have a one
Hank, you really have a one track mind.
Not a hunter
Hanklive, I'm really failing to see your reasoning here. You're upset about this trial so you're going to run amok on your ATV? First, Mr. Myers is a poacher, not a hunter. There is a big difference. If you want to kill wolves in season and obey the limits, that's okay, you're a hunter. As an avid ATV enthusiast I feel your pain, but if you're going to kill wolves until ATV opportunities increase, you're going to be waiting awhile. There are other avenues, google blue ribbon coalition. Ride safe!
Poacher not hunter.
It's an insult to hunters to call poaching hunting.
I am not crying a river over Park Myers. More important his bankruptcy and the loss of his job was his own doing. It's time the man took a little personal responsibility
First, Myers blames the Friends of Romeo and others for the recent drop in real estate prices that happened nation wide. His house is worth 250K and he owes 305K. How is that related to the fact that he poached a wolf and got caught?
Also Myers was not fired from his job at the Alaskan Brewery because of Romeo. He knows this but he is playing victim. He signed an affidavit like all employees there that he did not have prior alcohol convictions.
Park Myers lied on a sworn affidavit. Several years ago he plead guilty to selling alcohol to minors and lied about it to the brewery. The brewery is very serious about alcohol convictions. The brewery caught him in his lie because the of his arrest for poaching and when investigators did a background check but he was fired for lying on statements he made when he was hired.
Now he is crying a river about how he was abused by the Friends of Romeo. They aren't the ones that made him sell booze to minors.
I don't believe Myers' story that he cried after shooting the wolf either. The man is a piece of work.
By the way Jimcollman. Hanklive can connect any issue in the news ranging from poaching to celebrity gossip to ATV riding. He is majorly talented that way. The Queen of Thailand has a bunion because Hanklive doesn't have enough places to ride.
Just get it over with.
Mr. Meyers has done some extremely stupid things, it's sad that Romeo's not around anymore, and Mr. Meyers deserves punishment. However, last I checked, Romeo didn't belong to anybody more than an unlawfully taken fish, bear, or deer belongs to anybody. Can't we just let the judge do what he needs to do to deal with the probation violation so we can all move on?
It's sad that there are unsolved deaths of people in Juneau that get no more than a few paragraphs in the Empire, yet a probation violation is dominating headlines. It'd be nice if we as a community could put this much effort towards solving some of these crimes:
http://juneaucrimeline.com/crimeoftheweek.aspx
True costs
While it can be said that there are people that allege they have been harmed by the shooting of Romeo, THE WOLF, the true harm is to the public. Now that Mr. Myers has filed for bankruptcy all the people and business and the banks holding debts will lose that income. He will likely be qualified for various public assistance programs. And now that his attorney has been withdrawn from the case, Mr Myers will like be eligible for a public defender.
So, let us recap. Mr. Myers went from being a tax paying, productive and contributing member of society, committed what is not really a very serious infraction (he shot the local wild glacier dog out of season with a gun that was too small) to an unemployed (maybe unemployable in Juneau), assistance receiving individual with no hope of public forgiveness.
Unless I have misunderstood some of the postings, many of you would prefer Mr. Meyers be tried for murder and then put to death. Well for those of you that believe that, you should hope for mercy in the event the day comes that you make a poor choice and the 'Holier than Thou' come forward to crucify you.
I say, move on. Mr Myers has paid, paid again and paid dearly. What we, the general public, run the risk of, if we do not end this, is the creation a creature with such hate and discontent for the public flogging of him that he my do something much more heinous and commit a real crime and truly harm people. Remember this, he has lost everything but his family. A man with nothing else to lose can be a dangerous person. Is that what we want?
Let it go people! Just let it go!!!
poacher
park is getting what he deserves.for years park does what park wants too!here in pa. he did alot of killing of deer in different counties,where he did not have a tag for that county.as far as being a liar,he's great at that.as far as the girl ,he came to me and ask if he should get a lawyer,i ask him what he did,and he told me,the rest you all have read about!so for killing a wolf,2 black bears,and all the game laws he has broken,he is finally getting what he deserves,and hopefully so.
Myers' house is under water.
So Thomas Jefferson and jsoza. Myers claims his house is worth less than he paid for it. How is that related to him shooting Romeo and how is it that the drop in the market was caused by Romeo lovers, the courts or anything else related to Romeo? Selling alcohol to minors and then lying about it on a job application wasn't a good move either. As I see it this guy blames everything that happens on Romeo lovers. Most of the bad things happening to him were his own doing or bad luck like buying a house right before the market crashed.
I don't think he should be punished for killing Romeo any more than any other wolf. Quite frankly the courts go way too easy on poachers in Alaska and Myers should be punished heavy for poaching as should every poacher. After he pays for poaching, I wish him a good life starting with the possibility that he will one day grow a pair and own up to his own failures. He could do that more easily if he didn't have a bunch of people in the community enabling his inability to take responsibility for his own actions.
By the way, I like the moniker Thomas Jefferson. Very clever.
Park's trying the Vic Kohring
Park's trying the Vic Kohring Defense---I think Levy's expression says it all...
Clap, clap, clap, clap
Thank you jsoza and Thomas Jefferson for pointing out that it is time to move on people. Holy crap! Sometimes i don't know who is more crazy, the friends of Romeo or Park Meyer. Oh wait they all are.
let us not forget about the bears
It was not only the wolf that was taken. There were charges from bear baiting also that no one here seems to remember. And if Meyer was an “outdoorsman/hunter” then he should have known that shooting a big game animal with a .22 is against the law and baiting bears is also I take it that he can read and it states that in the hunting regulations. I say that he needs to face what he did in shooting a wolf with the wrong gun and baiting bears and pay the fine and do the time for that like any one that did the same thing. Yes it is sad that the wolf was Romeo but that should not play into it at all. And losing his job and house should not either but the past crime that was just found out should. As he should have lied about it
Don't kill famous animals
I don't know what Mr. Myers was thinking that day but don't kill famous animals! Years back down south a couple punks killed a donkey from a petting zoo. This generated more press and vigilantiism than the Green River Killer. There is a memorial day, programs, laws, and a standing memorial for this donkey, anything for the Green River victims? No.
He's a criminal!
This loser is a criminal. He violated several game laws and the court just slapped his hand because he lied about previous convictions, so now he's getting what he deserves.
If you read between the lines of the previous Empire story regarding his conviction for furnishing booze to a minor, it appears that he caught the (15 year old) babysitter drinking his booze and then sexually assaulted her in return for not turning her in for stealing his booze. He was able to plead it down to a lesser charge of furnishing booze, but the young lady is in fear of him returning to Pennsylvania to the point of moving to a different county and having an unlisted address and phone.
I hope he does some hard time in Lemon Creek, where his fellow inmates can remind him of how they feel about child sex offenders.
A little clarification here -
Romeo wasn't even born when Myers and his wife were involved (1999) with those female minors in PA. The Friend's of Romeo must of been psychic to have predicted/caused that!
Myers was working for quite a few months on those Jordan Creek storage-condos at the same time he was collecting unemployment. His Jeep was pretty easy to see from Egan. I'd hardly call that unemployed - in fact (with unemployment) he was drawing a double check. I heard from one of the guys on the job-site, that Myers wasn't even being charged for some of his double-dipping that he did with another construction outfit at that same site. I'd say that he got pretty lucky there.
According to what Myers was saying at the Juneau Bowling Center, there was no equity in his house because he had already pulled a bunch out, and then was living "rent free" (as he put it) as he was forcing the bank to do a time-consuming eviction process. According to earlier statements that Myers had made, he planned on leaving Juneau by December - that is, until he got popped for unemployment fraud. Apparently, he'd also been a little lax on his local bills, which he eliminated by declaring bankruptcy on12/29/2010. Having to delay his departure because of the fraud probably put a crimp in his leaving, forcing him to rethink his strategy.
According to court records (I checked), Myers has never paid a dime on his hunting-fines, or done any of his community service requirements. In fact, he filed a motion with the court on 1/13/2011 requesting an extension of time to do his required community service because "he had been working full-time" and just hadn't had time to do it. Of course, this was being done while he was also collecting unemployment. Working long hours, not paying bills, not making house payment - but, he has no money.
And, somewhere in this time frame, he also managed to scrape up enough money to buy himself a new hunting rifle. I work full-time, and I still can't quite afford that .308 I've been eying for the last two-months. And, no, I'm not trading my Ram for a Prius.
Myers - a victim of the system, hardly! I think he knows how to play the system very well, or is being allowed to do so.
And your points are:
For me this was over after sentencing. My point to this diatribe was he IS responsible for his actions and he already paid dearly for all his poor choices. The courts will make sure he pays for his indiscretions. What we need to remember is that in America you get another chance when your debt to society has been paid. Many of you have expressed your opinions, saying, 'he is scum and he deserves this or that'. It sounds to me like he is getting what he desires. I know from personal experience that Judge Levy will do the right thing. He has proven to be a good Jurist. Now it is up to us to be good Americans and let this man get on with his life.
And to the young lady in PA. Stealing someones booze while they have trusted you is note worthy. If Mr. Myers did indeed commit inappropriate behaviors with her, he too should be punished for that. Sounds like he was.
Tell this, Where should Mr. Myers go now to start over? Are we going to pursue him there as well?
This needs to end!
Mr. Myers, When you are able to you might consider moving. Be sure to tell everyone that you plan to move to one place and then move to another. Change your name in another town to something like John Smith for a year, Change it again after moving again. This may help you to escape the haters but it is YOU YOURSELF that has to grow up and play it straight!
Good luck Mr. Myers
AK_Jase has it right
You're right; he knows how to play the system and has gotten away with it for years. No need for anyone to discuss the whole Wolf killing issue, the courts have decided that. Now the whole thing is really his lying and cheating. This is a whole new ballgame and one that has taken way too long to come about. It's about time someone calls him on the carpet for his wrong doings and it sounds like the system finally is. Big question is, "will he every learn"? As long as he always gets away with stuff, he will keep doing it and start going for the bigger stuff. Look out for his next illegal adventure!
Mr. Jefferson:
The only "debt to society" that Myers appears to have paid is the 4-5 years probation stemming from that incident in PA. On his more recent hunting charges: he's done no jail time, has performed no court-ordered community service, and has made no effort to pay the court any of his violation fines. In the interim time, he was working close to full-time doing construction while also "allegedly" collecting unemployment. Then after having run-up a serious amount of local unpaid bills, he & his wife chose to declare bankruptcy in December of 2010- leaving his creditors hanging. Not having any money didn't seem to inhibit him from buying a new rifle, and/or keeping current on his bowling league fees down at the JBC. Also, his wife was working two jobs, which she had been doing long before the Romeo incident happened.
Myers seems far more adept at accumulating new debts, rather then paying off any of his "debts to society". I suspect this behavior will continue until he's no longer being rewarded for his actions. I don't think a change of locale is going to produce some miraculous transformation.
It almost sounds like you're suggesting he should run, rather than take responsibility for his actions - odd. I would of thought that maybe you would have suggested that he should just grow-up and become a responsible citizen.
Everybody deserves another chance, but that person still needs to make the decision to take it. The old, "You can lead a horse to water..." saying comes to mind.
I
I think he deserves to learn
I think he deserves to learn what being a hunter is all about. Its like the natives several years back where they were put on an isolated island and had to fend for themselves. No rifle nothing. Just drop him on the island and let nature take its course. make sure its an island with lots of bears
New Rifle but can't hunt
So he has a new rifle now. But from what I have read he cannot hunt until his probation is up? 3 years. I would think that his probation would continue until the community work is done and the fine paid? So if he does not get the CWS done and pay the fine then he cannot hunt for that period of time I would guess. But then again I am willing to bet he will be hunting some place next fall.
Confused
Ok he says she stole his alcohol...
Then why was he drinking with her??
Maybe I missed something?
Sounds to me like another lie to cover his useless perv booty.
I am pretty curious about
I am pretty curious about these other "victims" who have suffered from this, i mean come on here...... what kind of life must someone have to actually hire a lawyer over such a thing! Victim.... hahah...pathetic......
get the skillet yer done
I guess he will think second thoughts about being here now.. get the skillet hot.. he is toasted and DONE.. no time served, no deductions in time, no hand slapping.. toss the book and key.. and make sure the book clocks his melon maybe some sense will jar loose..
Romeo
It's just so sad that something so special like Romeo who gave so much joy to so many can be destroyed by some demented NRA low life who gets nothing but a minor slap on the wrist. He and his cohort obviously have some very serious mental issues not addressed at all by their sentences. They are time bombs for future problems that the criminal system has not addressed just because their victim was an animal. When next time their victim is a human, probably a child given their mentality, no one should say, "gee, that was totally unexpected."
Quick fix
Cover the low life in bear bait and tie him to a tree out in the woods.
Liar
Let me make one thing clear. The "female" in PA, NEVER stole alcohol from this "man". Trust me, he was more than encouraging. He has continuously made excuses for his choices and has never taken responsibility. The ONLY reason he was charged with the lesser/[filtered word] charges is because she was scared, too scared to testify. It's sad when the people you trust betray you & then make up these sad excuses for what they did. Park Myers has been able to get away with things for way too many years. He may claim he is bankrupt but I'm sure this is just another way for him to get around the system. His family has plenty of money and when it benefits him, they are more than willing to provide him with the financial assistance. But now, it is more beneficial for him to claim he is broke so he is going to go that route. This "man" is a liar, a loser and a pathetic excuse for a human. I hope people see through this and finally make him pay for his mistakes. I just wish the "female" from PA would have been strong enough to stand up to him and his wife back in 1999... if his cocky attitude had been knocked down a few notches I am sure none of this would have happened. Why doesn't the DA or Judge contact her??? Why not get some information about his character and use that?
About Romeo
All said and done it comes down to Romeo's untimely death to a couple of censored names which are published and they basically have no time to serve ... some money ... and I feel for Romeo ... I am by no means a Writer ... But I know that Jack London would say .... and Romeo reminds Me of White Fang.... May God Bless " The Blessed Wolf Romeo " Ron
Well said YukonRon
Thank you for saying it so eloquently.