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Uncategorized, WOFF Updates, WOFFGATE

WOFFGATE- Another Motion Filed Thursday in Matthew Fenner Case

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Rcatalyst.com reports this story. Another motion was filed by Assistant District Attorney Garland Byers in the Matthew Fenner case on Thursday. “This is a Notice of Hearing on a Motion for Special Venire from Another County.” This motion is for the jury selection in the trial of five defendants in the Matthew Fenner case: Brooke Covington, Sarah Anderson, Justin Covington, Robert Lewis Walker, Jr. and Adam Bartley. The charges in the case include simple assault and second degree kidnapping. Sarah also faces a charge for allegedly attempting to strangle Matthew.

The hearing is scheduled for September 21, 2015 at 9:30AM which is the same session in which the Change of Venue request filed earlier in the year by Tomblin, Farmer and Morris is set to be heard.

From the article, “The State asserts that the Defendants can receive a fair trial in Rutherford County. The N.C. Supreme Court has held that the existence of pretrial publicity by itself does not establish a reasonable likelihood that a defendant cannot receive a fair trial in the county where the crime was committed.

Byers further states that it is logistically impractical to have the trial in another county. Additionally, the appearance of any special treatment to these defendants should be avoided. …the State requests that jurors be brought in from Buncombe County, NC. The requirement of Jurors to travel to a county different from their residence is expressly authorized by the N.C. state statute.”

What does this mean? It means two things to me. First, Mr. Byers is attempting in every way to provide an environment where this case can be fairly heard for victim and defendants. Second, having the jurors brought in will in some regards may create more media attention. I do not believe this aspect of the trial is under direct control of Mr. Byers, nor should it be. This case has and will continue to be newsworthy to many in NC and across the country. Certainly, a scenario of five potential aggressors versus one victim is noteworthy. The laws of our State are meant to protect victims in these situations and justly penalize the aggressors.

The Summer of Decision rolls on. Hot, hot and hotter. How will this be played inside WOFF? We may never know or will we? Also, a much awaited decision on the disqualification of the attorneys from Tomblin, Farmer and Morris is expected any time. The ruling regarding the disqualification will add yet another layer of intrigue to this case- no matter how the judge rules. Return daily, there is so much breaking news in this case and the trial has not even begun!

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Uncategorized, WOFF Updates, WOFFGATE

WOFFGATE-Stunning Developments in Rutherford County

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This morning the Superior Courtroom was alive with action. There were several items on the docket which required plenty of attorneys. The session was scheduled to start at 9:30AM. I arrived at 9:15AM and met Matthew Fenner and his supporters in the foyer of the courthouse. We entered the room taking seats on the right side of the courtroom, most sitting toward the front. The only member of Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF) present at that moment was Karel Reynolds. Soon, the others made their way in and the beehive of activity ebbed and flowed as attorneys milled in their area and onlookers took seats and spoke in hushed tones. The cameraman for WLOS Channel 13 waiting outside the courtroom door on hold for permission to film or take pictures.

About 9:50AM, Assistant District Attorney Garland Byers along with Josh Farmer approached the bench where the judge was setting up his computer for the session at hand. Probably, the permission for video was discussed and the judge agreed to rule on it soon. The activity continued as conversations in different corners buzzed with the issues at hand.

At 10:03AM, the court was called to order, all stood as Judge Marvin Pope entered and was seated. At last, we were beginning. I was in the front row and surely missed the ebb and flow of any dramas behind me. Much to my dismay, there were other court cases on the docket. Two defendants were heard and their cases processed. This only added to the overwhelming anticipation. Come on, let’s get rolling!

At 10:34AM- Mr. Byers steps off to the left side of his table, glancing down at documents and addressed the judge saying there were two matters before the court which were not on the docket. In order to brief the judge, the attorneys agreed to retire to the judge’s chambers and give the background of the matters at hand. Another wait… Again, hurry up and wait was the order of the day- normal for court sessions, right? Oh, the excitement was rising to a fever pitch, at least in my mind.

11:00AM, the attorneys for each party and the judge reentered the courtroom. Ray Farmer was called to the front. He was sworn in and took his place on the witness stand. From here, let me say again the acoustics were not great and I may miss what some others would consider important parts of the testimony. I may concentrate on something others may find as minute. But, at least, the hearing started.
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Uncategorized, WOFF Updates, WOFFGATE

Another Chapter of WOFFGATE- Memorandum Filed for Hearing 8/3/15

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Rccatalyst.com leads the way again by reporting the “Memorandum of Law” filed this past Friday in the Matthew Fenner Case. This document lays out the Assistant District Attorney Garland Byers’ grounds for the motion to disqualify all of the Tomblin, Farmer Morris firm from representing any of the five defendants in the case. His reasoning includes the argument Josh Farmer put forth for the change of venue hearing now rescheduled for September 21, 2015 at 9:30AM. Quoting from that change of venue motion:

“Defendant is a member of Word of Faith Fellowship, a church that for nearly two decades has been the subject of extraordinary persecution, hatred, bigotry, and discrimination in this county, spurred by the Inside Edition tabloid news, local, national, and international new media coverage, as well as continued social media postings”…

Garland’s motion says – “Given that public perception is key to this motion, the State respectfully shows that defense counsel’s own allegations support the State’s position in bringing the motion to disqualify counsel.”

Garland’s memo also includes several other reasons for the disqualification. Time does not permit me to go through every point; however, I will list a few of the focal points in the motion. As a further explanation, we will add understanding of the background nuances which Garland may or may not be aware of in this case. These nuances may or may not come out on Monday.
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Uncategorized, WOFF Updates

Plea Offered to Defendant Adam Bartley in Matthew Fenner Case- rccatalyst.com

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Saturday, August 01, 2015, in a stunning revelation, rccatalyst.com reported a plea was offered to Adam Bartley on July 22nd. The plea includes dismissal of the Second Degree Kidnapping charge in exchange for a guilty plea on a count Simple Assault. Under this plea agreement, Mr. Bartley would serve no additional prison time but will serve supervised probation. The letter conveying the plea from Garland Byers is in the article as well as the request for Tomblin, Farmer and Morris to withdraw from counsel. The letter was hand delivered to Caleb Farmer at 11:02AM per Garland Byers. See article Plea offered to Bartley. Use the BACK ARROW to return to this post.

No official word if Mr. Bartley has accepted the plea. He may need to secure new counsel before he can officially accept and begin negotiations. Folks, this looks like a great deal for Adam Bartley. No prison time if he agrees to testify to the happenings on that fateful night? Risk going back to jail for what? Why would he not accept? Why did the District Attorney offer the plea to Bartley? My opinion is since this defendant already has a criminal record reported by the Daily Courier Daily Courier reports:
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Uncategorized, WOFF Updates

Subpoenas, the Motion to Disqualify and NC Deed(s) of Trust (updated)

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The Summer of Decision rolls on….

Friday, July 31, 2015; Rccataylst.com in article (rccatalyst.com) broke the news concerning the subpoena served on Ray Farmer as Vice President and Treasurer of Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF). The subpoena requires for delivery of certain DVDs, audio or videos made January 26-28, 2013 on the premises of WOFF to the Rutherford County Superior Court on or before August 3, 3015 at 9:30AM. The document also requires all videotapes, audio, DVDs or video made July 1 through July 31, 2015 to be turned over. A third part of the subpoena includes any audio, CD’s DVD’s, videos papers, photos any other media depicting Richard Matthew Fenner, III. Read the document for a more complete description.

This is a very inclusive request. As far as I know, this is the first time WOFF has been issued such a request. Will there be lights on all night this whole weekend at the WOFF grounds? Will there be a last minute hardship request for an extension of time? What creative excuses will be given if such a request is made? The subpoena outlines a requirement for Ray Farmer to appear and testify on Monday. What will he be testifying to? Will he be required to swear under oath that the materials presented are all inclusive and nothing has been overlooked, modified or tampered with? Will he be required to attest to the validity, integrity and completeness of the submitted recordings? What if there are gaps in time sequence? How will this affect the acceptance of the materials? Will the papers be redacted? If so, what reason will there be for such redaction? Will tapes be scrambled? Questions, questions.

The delivery date for the required materials coincides with the hearing on Monday, August 3, 2015 for the State’s Motion to Disqualify Counsel. The State is moving to disqualify the entire firm of Tomblin, Farmer and Morris, P.L.L.C. from representing the five named defendants in the Fenner case. The motion cites “the aforesaid counsel have a non-waivable, concurrent, conflict of interest. See the Motion below. (use the BACK ARROW to return to this blog)
motion to disqualify TFM

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Uncategorized, WOFF Updates

Google plus® night…. at WOFF – Guest Post

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After much consideration, I decided to post this account of a special service at Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF). I trust this ‘anonymous’ source. This person provides a poignant insightful perspective into the internal dynamics of this group. In the future, I hope for more explanation as to the content of the meeting and the new terms describing life inside WOFF- “Brockianity” and “Whaleyanity”. I hope you enjoy this account. Let me know your reaction. Share this with your friends.
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Google plus® night…. at WOFF

If you think the Google plus® night was about dealing with sin… You are one hundred percent wrong. It will take several posts to fully explain what happened that night. However, there are couple things I would like to highlight, including the mind control techniques Jane applies on the WOFF members. This is psychology 101, by the way.

On the 4th of February of 2014, a Tuesday; a text message went out church wide calling all members for a solemn assembly. Puzzled, I began to wonder the reason for such. The worst scenario was someone may have died, but I was pretty sure by that time, I would have heard about it. I had no idea what was going on. I made some phone calls to some of my buddies to find out if anyone knew what was happening. After exhausting all my avenues, I grew even more puzzled. No one in my cult knew of the upcoming event. This was really unusual since gossip runs like wild fire in that place.

I went to church that night not having the first clue. Upon arrival all members were instructed to go to the sanctuary. No one was allowed in the overflow rooms. The sanctuary was overcrowded, lots of people standing up including children. Shortly after, Jane marches into the room, holding her Bible and a stack of papers… She was late for the meeting, as usual. She always said she was late because she was dealing with sin. If eating, gossiping, or playing with dogs was dealing with sin, then no wonder things there were falling thru her fingers.

Evidently, by the look on her face, she was not having a good day. She was angry, even though she says the devil of anger left her many years ago (LOL).
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Car Wash – Thank you to all who helped in any way!

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In this video we review Saturday and thank everyone who came out to support us. The slogan on the shirt we wore is explained. “How is that CULT thing working for you?” If you are not in a cult, the question means nothing.

question for group members
question for group members

We talk about the help available for those who leave Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF) or other groups like them. I did not include my phone number- (828) 289-7923.

The needs a person faces when they leave WOFF pale in comparison to the risk for staying inside.

Address: Faith Freedom Fund
805 Oakland Rd.
Spindale, NC 28160
Donations welcome.

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