I think that the opinions and thoughts expressed here on MOPO are due
to the fact that so much information about the case, the papers
available on LAMP, etc, and the fact that most here know how the
restore business works-- informed "early votes" as to one's guilt or
innocence can be expressed.. really no different than when seated in
a jury room, and doing a first, "cold" raise of hands around the room
as to whether the 12 in the box have an initial opinion either way,
before real deliberation starts.
true, we dont have many of the facts, or know what the actual
conversations were between Haggard and Jaime (and some of the re-
created dialog here may turn out to be accurate, or not) but the
overall, general facts are already known to people here on MOPO, NSF,
MPF and other movie poster boards.\
it will be interesting to see if this all moves to a trial, is
settled, or if jail time is sentenced, kinds of fines imposed,
restitution, etc.
Jeff
On Dec 5, 2009, at 8:45 AM, Franc wrote:
I think what you're missing is that this restorer is NOT on trial.
He's filed an affadavit for the plantiff. And yes, the judicial
system would be served well to have me on the jury because I at
least understand that in the USA someone is innocent until proven
guilty and it's the obligation of the juror not to make his mind up
about a case before he's heard the evidence. FRANC
-----Original Message-----
From: MoPo List [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of
Bruce Hershenson
Sent: Saturday, December 05, 2009 8:24 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [MOPO] BIG News in Universal Horror Fraud Case
The only prayer this restorer has in court is to get TWELVE
"Francs" on his jury!
On Sat, Dec 5, 2009 at 6:56 AM, Franc <[email protected]> wrote:
Luckily in our courts you need evidence and proof. Fantasy and
conjecture doesn't suffice. FRANC
-----Original Message-----
From: MoPo List [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of
James Richard
Sent: Saturday, December 05, 2009 5:26 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [MOPO] BIG News in Universal Horror Fraud Case
Bruce,
Perhaps I'm being overly critical, but it seems to me that what
Jaime did was actually "worse" than what Kerry did. Jaime enabled
Kerry. After all, if Jaime had not made the forgeries for him, then
Kerry wouldn't have had any practically perfect fakes to sell to
his victims. To say Jaime didn't do anything "wrong" is like saying
the guy who engraves the plates to make counterfeit $100 bills
didn't do anything wrong because he didn't actually pass out any of
the fake money himself.
But we're just being mean and small-minded, I guess. It's clear now
that Jaime was merely an innocent dupe, just another victim of the
silver-tongued devil. Apparently we need to understand that what
really happened was something like this:
"Kerry: Hi, Jaime. Listen.. I need you to produce another "highly
accurate reproduction" of the Black Cat for me, just like the one
you did 6 months ago. Naturally I'll pay you the same as last time.
Jaime: Gee, Kerry what happened to the first one I made? You told
me to make you a virtually indistinguishable-from-the-original
duplicate so that you could sell your authentic Black Cat and keep
my expert copy to hang on your wall.
Kerry: Yeah... and that's what I did. But then, see, we had this
earthquake and the poster fell off my wall and my dog ate it. So
now I need you to make me another one.
Jaime: Oh...well, OK then.... since it is only for your own
personal use."
-- JR
Bruce Hershenson wrote:
JR
Obviously we are very wrong here. The restorer in question is not
a perpetrator of any crime, he is actually a VICTIM. After all, he
was just "following orders". How sad that people are now
persecuting him. They should be showering him with sympathy (and
apparently, restoration consignments) instead.
Bruce
On Fri, Dec 4, 2009 at 2:41 AM, James Richard
<[email protected]> wrote:
Steve,
I'm simply echoing "Bruce's logic" as Franc called it: Given what
Jamie now admits he did, if you send him a poster to work on how
can you trust him not to do something he shouldn't with it? Like
use it to make a near-perfect forgery that would go to someone
else... or maybe send you back the forgery while your original
stays with him or goes who knows where?
His total disregard and disrespect for the community of movie
poster collectors -- demonstrated his admitted part in this
massive 2-year forgery scam -- clearly disqualifies him from any
future position of trust in that community as far as I'm concerned.
What, we should say, "Well, he's been caught and will pay
(whatever) price the law lays on him for his part (not much,
likely, since he is now a cooperating witness in the case against
Haggard) -- so now he's learned his lesson, he's sorry (that he
got caught), and will promise never ever to do something like
that again... so everything's cool."?
No, I might go for something like that if Jamie had been the one
to first come forward and break the scandal instead of Grey Smith.
Or if Jamie had gone to some of the people who were sold his
forgeries and said "Hey, guys, I think I may have unknowingly been
involved in something that was done to you." Or gone to Heritage,
his biggest customer, and said "Um, Grey, I think I screwed up...
here's what I did, but now I realize I was duped and shouldn't
have done it and here's a list of the posters I forged."
Or he could have simply stepped up to the plate like Diane
Jefferies did in regards to the fake DRACULA poster when she
publicly told her story on this list about how a client pressed
her to do things to that poster which she had serious doubts
about. Although she did it -- because that's what the paying
client insisted on -- when she saw her work put up for auction
under false pretenses, she quickly decided she needed to publicly
tell this list what she knew about the situation and so was
instrumental in bringing to light the true nature of that poster.
But no. Jamie did none of those things. He just kept on cranking
out the forgeries until the shit was about to hit the fan (or
maybe until Kerry stopped paying him?). And when the scam was made
public even then he lied, denying for months that he had anything
to do with it. He's only admitting it now in order to cut himself
a deal with the prosecutors.
Sorry. Not someone I will ever send my posters to. Other
individuals may be feel differently and can do what they wish of
course, but I don't see how an operation like Heritage -- which
takes extremely valuable posters from people on consignment (in
trust) can run the risk of continuing to do business with him.
As ever, just my humble opinion.
-- JR
Steven F. Poole wrote:
Gosh.....That's a pretty strong statement, JR. To say that
Jaime should never be trusted with posters again.
Help me to understand your point here. Because of being a
possibly unknowing accessory to this crime? Because he may send
a dupe your way on returning work? Because he will always be
suspect of making forgeries of any real posters one sends his
way? Or just on general principle of being an admitted expert at
reproducing the real deal by way of vintage posters?
I'm not trying to be dense here. I just would like yourself or
Bruce to go into more detailed reasons why you guys are holding
these tough (but maybe valid) reasons. I have been a client of
Jaime's in the past and I would appreciate any discussions on the
topic.
~Steve
----- Original Message -----
From: James Richard
To: [email protected]
Sent: Thursday, December 03, 2009 11:41 PM
Subject: Re: [MOPO] BIG News in Universal Horror Fraud Case
No one is that naive. When Jamie was asked to create a duplicate
of the same poster more than once -- a duplicate which would be
virtually indistinguishable from the real poster -- there was no
possibility he did not understand what he was being asked to do
or fail to realize what Haggard would do with them. No doubt
Jamie had what he considered good reasons for going along with
scam. I'm sure Kerry has his own reasons, as well. Doesn't change
the fact that Bruce is right: No one should ever send Jamie
Mendez another poster now that there is no longer any doubt about
what he did.
There is no excuse for what he did and he can never be trusted
with posters again.
-- JR
Franc wrote:
Bruce --- I'm not taking sides in this one but your logic is
flawed. A forgery is defined as "the process of making,
adapting, or imitating objects with the intent to deceive." If
Jaime Mendez's claim is actually true in that he didn't know
that is was the intent of Kerry Haggard to sell these works as
originals, then Jaime had no intent to deceive. Hence Jaime is
not guilty of forging movie posters irrespective of the fact
that it is his work that was ultimately used in Haggard's forgery.
Franc
-----Original Message-----
From: MoPo List [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf
Of Bruce Hershenson
Sent: Thursday, December 03, 2009 7:27 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [MOPO] BIG News in Universal Horror Fraud Case
I guess those who said that we have to give this restorer the
"benefit of the doubt" will now accept that he is GUILTY of
forging movie posters (whether or not he was "aware" of what
purpose they would be used for), since he admits to it himself.
Given this news, are there still people here who think they
should send their posters to this person for restoration? How
can you know that YOU won't receive a reproduction in return?
And what of the many, many posters he restored for many dealers
and auction houses over the past three years? Don't they all
need to be checked over closely.
I applaud this person for "doing the right thing", but I
certainly would advise him to find a new line of work.
Bruce
On Thu, Dec 3, 2009 at 3:29 AM, Sean Linkenback
<[email protected]> wrote:
Sue is probably waiting until their regular newsletter to make
an announcement, but there is BIG, HUGE, GIGANTIC news in the
ongoing civil lawsuits (which will definitely affect the
upcoming criminal suit) in the Haggard fake case.
Jaime Mendez has entered a sworn affidavit in the Gresham v.
Haggard case for the plaintiff and is testifying that he DID
indeed make the fake posters on behalf of Kerry Haggard, but did
not realize the true motives behind Haggard's request.
There is also a partial list provided by Mendez of the posters
he worked on.
You can read more about it at the LAMP website: http://
www.learnaboutmovieposters.com/newsite/INDEX/ARTICLES/Frauds-
Update.htm
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