The Place Where Ludington Talks
Re: April Reynolds
On December 27, 2011 a Personal Protection Order (PPO) was issued by Circuit Court Judge Richard Cooper on April Reynolds regarding some alleged behavior by her to Ariel Courtland, Baby Kate's mother. In Courtland's claim for the PPO, Ariel stated that Reynolds called her at least 30 times on Christmas Eve and left voice mail messages threatening to kill her.
A PPO sounds reasonable if such harassing activity has taken place, which should be easily proved by phone records and the voice mail messages.
April Reynolds challenged the PPO decision in court on February 1st in front of Judge Cooper with Ariel Courtland present. According to WMOM reports, Ariel stated Mrs. Reynolds has posted disparaging information about her on three different Facebook pages. She reiterated that she is not and never has been a suspect in the disappearance of her daughter, Baby Kate. And, stated that she never has requested help from April Reynolds.
When Reynolds took the stand the story was completely different. She claimed that Ariel's application for the PPO was 99.9% false. She insisted that Ariel had contacted her in August. But later admitted that she had posted numerous hostile messages on various Facebook pages. After carefully considering all of the testimony, Judge Cooper ruled that the original PPO would stand.
April joined the Ludington Torch as a member back on August 16, 2011. A review of her postings shows she does have an opinion of some complicity at the least by Ariel Courtland in the disappearance of Baby Kate. Her outspoken views could upset Ariel, but her posts here, at least, have been measured and well within her rights given her by the First Amendment. I cannot comment on her posts elsewhere, but it seems as if her main beef has been with the rigor of the investigation by the investigating unit, the Ludington Police Department (LPD).
This was confirmed by the protest march she organized at the end of October. She organized the event to protest the LPD's flawed investigation of Baby Kate; later on in November she was visited in Grand Rapids by two LPD detectives under questionable rationale and methods. I think there was a correlation between her activism and the visit, where the lead detective made an explicit threat to her about obstructing an investigation.
Come December 27, 2011 Ariel Courtland petitions for a PPO saying April had phoned her on Christmas Eve over 30 times and threatened to kill her on voice messages. Yet, according to what has been reported on at the hearing, she fell back not on these alleged calls and threat, a definite PPO starter, but on Facebook postings by April that disputed her innocence in the investigation of the disappearance of her baby.
Perhaps this is why April claimed her PPO application was 99.9% false. And that's the point here. If those 30+ phone calls were never made, if no voice mails exist of April Reynolds making a threat to Ariel is forthcoming, and the information that Ariel included on her PPO was falsified and/or exaggerated, then she may not be guilty of anything involving her baby, but is guilty of
MCL 600.2950(24): "An individual who knowingly and intentionally makes a false statement to the court in support of his or her petition for a personal protection order is subject to the contempt powers of the court."
April's statements right here at the Torch on 12-30 and 1-6 also seem to indicate that the City applied for the PPO on Ariel's behalf:
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by april on
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This was my whole point, as I have said if you are going to get a ppo on me then please use facts, my problem is with the page of lies she stated I did,I dont care about no ppo, what I do care about is as you said, if she is capable of doing this to me,not even knowing me, what is to be believed at Kate's trial ,when she gets on the stand?
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Permalink Reply by XLFD on
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This is primarily why I am sympathetic to your case, April. You would only need to subpoena her phone records for that night to nail her for lying under oath and put her in position for contempt charges, if not more serious repercussions.
You would be remiss if you didn't pursue that route. If you do, maybe all those agencies that have already reported your 30 plus phone calls, with threats, etc. as factual, may have to rethink their positions when it comes down to 5 calls being made that night within a period of 15 minutes. They may still think you're a kook, but wonder why the LPD (who likely prompted Ariel to do a PPO) and the Judge have purposely overlooked her sworn statements.
To me, it is unconscionable for the law and justice principles in this case to give Ariel a pass on her testimonials without verifying the truth.
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For one thing the Judge didn't use the Det's police reports at the hearing because they were in Kentucky. I'm not sure what was on the reports, but I'm sure there was evidence in the reports that would cover some of Ms April's objections. Of couse if Ariel also lied on her paperwork then they both should be held accountable.
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I think you need to know the facts about my life before you go putting stuff out about me.
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Also this is dated 12/27 I never called after the night of the 24th but yet she states I still continue to contact her (us) And how do I contact a 4 yr old?
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April,
Has it ever been explained to you why your PPO petition is dated December 22, 2011 in one place, and that Ariel's affidavit is signed on the 27th. Is their some significance to the 22nd, and do you know the second author?
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No it was never explained to me why the different dates on the ppo, but I noticed that the day I received it. All I know is this has been messed up from the start and know the reason they are doing this to me is only for their sake, so I dont intervene in the case as judge Cooper had said. I never lied while under oath, I stand by what I said, I never threatened her, never said I drive from GR to Ludington just to go by her house, I never threatened to take Haley, I never harassed Haley. and I did not make 30 or more calls to her phone. and I will not sit here and argue with people about my past I have never been charged with domestic abuse.
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There is two distinct handwriting styles (besides the judge's) in the actual document. The top part is Ariel's handwriting, if I'm not mistaken as it matches the attached affidavit.
But on the PPO's body, the handwriting is different and I would presume it is Judge Cooper's writing, but I believe that the majority of this PPO was already drawn up before the 24th (on the 22nd) because it has no reference to the material Ariel entered on her affidavit filed on the 27th. Just that you have "taken it upon herself to intervene in a criminal case and to repeatedly impact a key witness." That is the extent of the "willful, unconsented contact" that the second author puts down-- no threats, no phone calls mentioned.
Was there any reason they might have for drawing up a PPO on the 22nd?
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Also why am I getting blamed for talking to Maltbie that night which I never did, and why did Wells make a phone call to me stating when I sent Ariel her information for the dismiss hearing did he tell me it was illegal and I could get a warrant for it, the clerk stated to me I was in the right and Wells was in the wrong?
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