My friend Judy is in jail. It defies explanation. Nine policeman appeared at the home of Lilly Meehan yesterday with a warrant and searched her house, finding nothing of course. At the same time, Judy’s house was searched and she was arrested for being a “fugitive”. She was fired unexpectedly and went home to her husband. That’s being a fugitive? Only legal machinations, misuse of the system, could define her as a fugitive. If it wasn’t so horrible, it would be laughable. What she was “fleeing” was a veritable looney bin, having made every attempt to remain on the inside. And now they have taken her freedom. Turning her into not just a fraud, but a criminal, a thief? Come on. She is incarcerated and anything can happen. It is critical that the patient community find ways to let the authorities know that we are watching. If anyone harms a hair on her head, it will be noticed.
Dr. Mikovits was due in New York for the Mt. Sinai conference tomorrow, so would have had to leave the state in any event. And they knew very well she had been invited to that conference; it was no secret and they could have warned her that they thought that a violation of the injunction. What were they going to do if she had just gone to New York? Would she have been hauled off to jail for attending an important ME conference at which she was slated to be on a panel?
My blog is being monitored by the same law firm that sued Dr. Mikovits in the last few days. From Chicago and Kansas City. There are even 3 hits from the tech department in Kansas City. It would appear that they are actually paying really expensive lawyers to think about my blog! Are they going to spend money on a libel suit? To win a libel suit, you have to prove an untruth. I have told the truth and nothing but the truth. Everything I’ve said is my opinion and my own experience. I have nothing to hide and stand behind everything I’ve said. The only blog I regret is the one Harvey fed me about VIP Dx. I believed what he told me implicitly at the time, but now? Anything they told me is suspect. Who are these people? The sweet well-intentioned parents of a sick young woman? They must have used a very long, very strong arm to have made that happen yesterday. An intensive police effort in another state for a non-violent crime? How many cops involved? 20? You’d think she was a serial killer.
For the record, and lawyers at SNR Denton please take note, when I said that the WPI was spending money that patients donated on lawyers, I was stating my opinion, based on my assumption that the WPI’s income comes from grants and donations, and that they aren’t using grant money to pay lawyers. However, I was never privy to the books or finances at the WPI. I did not mean that there are line items in the books showing patient donations going to lawyers. The lack of accountability is part of the problem. What did happen to all that money, since there was lots of it, and apparently still enough left to burn up a bunch on lawyers? I wanted to write a blog before the annual fundraiser, but Judy stopped me. And now they have all that money, to pay lawyers to destroy Judy and go over my blog with a fine tooth comb. Very ugly.
Personally, I think it was Professor Plum in the library with the candlestick. The materials in question document a failed experiment. I have no idea where the notebooks are, but the value being put on them is smoke and mirrors, in my estimate. Their only real value would seem to be to someone with something to hide, which could be a number of people, Judy being the least likely. Any value the notebooks might have had is destroyed with this crazy maneuver. They are in the process of completing the destruction of the only scientist in the world who cares enough to have laid it all on the line. The scientist that helped their daughter by finally conceptualizing what was wrong with her, even if she didn’t have the resources, human and financial, to prove it. The damage to patients, to my daughter, is inestimable. The Whittemore’s are throwing us back into darkness. Complete meltdown for the patients. They held themselves out as our best hope, but have managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. Beyond tragic. They have now ensured their own place in the community as a pariah, it seems to me. The saddest thing of all is that they are fighting about the past, and ensuring that nothing at all will happen going forward, while our hearts get dissected in the courts.
I had to cancel my trip to NYC. I have been pushing to see patients for a couple of weeks and was too close to the edge to throw myself off a cliff and hope to fly. And now this. I will be in LA on Tuesday for Judy’s arraignment. I hope that as many of you as possible will attend. Let the authorities know that we are watching. Let her know that we are with her.
A hearing for Dr. Mikovits will take place on Tuesday, November 22 at the Ventura County Government Center, Hall of Justice, Room 13, at 1:30 p.m. The government center is on Victoria Avenue in East Ventura.
County of Ventura Government Center
800 S. Victoria Avenue
Ventura, California 93009See Click here: Maps Map of the Ventura County Government Center
Parking for the Hall of Justice is accessible from Lots B & C, entering from Victoria Avenue, and from lots E & F, entering from Hill Road. Even with handicapped parking, there is considerable distance to walk from the parking lot to the Hall of Justice, so bring a wheelchair if needed.
Ventura is a coastal Southern California town between Santa Barbara and Malibu. Travel to Ventura County by car is accessible by freeway. The Ventura County Government Center is bordered by the 126 Freeway and Victoria Avenue and is close to the 101 freeway as well.
Amtrac has stops at both Oxnard and Ventura. The Metrolink train station in Montalvo is much closer to the government center than the Amtrac stations, so if possible to use Metrolink, that is the best.
>Keep telling that truth, girl!
>Someone is very sick, and it's not CFS. Wish I was on the west coast, I'd be there.
>She better not have an "accident" in there over the weekend, DeFreitas MKII much?
>The Whittemores are, indeed, throwing us back into darkness, or trying to. They have had Andrea W. on the internet for weeks threatening patients with legal action. Is this how they show their caring for M.E. patients? They are showing their true colors, and they aren't pretty.
Patricia Carter
>From: http://news.sciencemag.org/scienceinsider/2011/11/controversial-cfs-researcher-arr.html?ref=hp
"Hart strongly denied the charges against her client. "She does not have the notebooks, nor any 'proprietary items' from WPI," Hart wrote ScienceInsider in an e-mail. "She is entitled to a copy of the information she created."
On 7 November, a judge from the Nevada court granted a request for a temporary restraining order against Mikovits to prohibit her from "destroying, altering, disseminating, or using trade secrets and confidential information." The order contended that "immediate and irreparable injury, loss, or damage will result to WPI if it does not get this relief." But the order does not explicitly forbid Mikovits, who lives in Ventura, California, from leaving the state of Nevada."
>Can't believe all this is happening, it doesn’t seem real, its incredibly upsetting… I am totally disenchanted with the WPI and the Whittemore family!
Cristina.
>Dr. Jaimie: Can you tell me, when you worked at WPI, did you have any knowledge of Dr. Judy talking with an Israeli Group re: XMRV and Israels' desire to help their peoples possibly afflicted with this illness? I recall on a Videotape taken at Gordon Medical where both Judy and Annette were present, Annette mentioning this fact. Whomever has access to that video, Get it and save it RIGHT NOW.
>This is appalling. The Whittemore's are entitled self-serving bullies with no sense of morals.
It's just as appalling to read that their daughter has been on the internet threatening patients with lawsuits. What a piece of work she is.
We're all behind you Dr. D-J and we're behind Dr. Judy.
How sad that I cannot even sign my name to this post.
>Can you please send a link where Andrea was threatening patients? Find the lonk, take a photo with your camera ASAP before they delete it.
>This whole situation is beyond belief. And Dr. Judy Mikovits is a felon? Yeah, right. Even her harshest critics never accused her anything more than being pigheaded and making public statements that were (in hindsight) unhelpful. Her harshest critics! Lilly Meehan harassed by a bunch of policemen, that is beyond the pale. There I said it.
Dr. Jamie DJ, I thank you for your blogging and allowing any comments but I would hope you are able to fulfill two additional obligations (sorry if that feels like piling on at a time like this!) here…
One, the WPI has managed to alienate very many of the researchers they were working with (to the best of my memory: Dr. Peterson, Dr. Mikovits, Dr. Knox, Dr. Klimas (I think who was in a consultant role) Dr. Dr. Michael Snyderman and of course you.
Therefore, since you are the only one likely to speak up, you have an obligation to tell the patient community what your experience as an employee was like and to speculate (yes it is okay to *speculate if it is clearly labelled as such) why this could have happened. What do you know, even if it risks libel–at this point the truth of this matter has to come to light, and expeditiously…
Second, we are not powerless while this entire sordid situation is flailing in the wind. We can start up a center –the Whittemores are not the only rich people in the world who have an interest in seeing M.E. cured, I daresay.
I think you and Dr. Snyderman should try and set something up with Dr. Klimas, Dr. Enlander, or Dr. Lucy Bateman. The more I think about it, there is a 'Center of Research and Clinical Excellence' waiting to happen either in Miami with Klimas, in Utah with Bateman, or in NY with Enlander, and Bell if he's able.
We do need a high-profile research center… ever so much! Even before this the WPI had, (from memory again) three papers to their name. They obviously weren't getting any money or weren't researching as much as would be hoped.
Also I tend to think we have a lot of potential 'friends' in the scientific community who are just either timid or uninformed. (call me crazy) For example, Dr. Vincent Racaniello, I know vehemently would disagree with taking ARVs, but I think would genuinely be willing to help if the opportunity presented itself.
This isn't Angels & Demons. If we learn anything for future advocacy hopefully that will be it. It isn't Judy vs. Annette take your pick… It is larger than that. That is not to say that Dr. Judy doesn't deserve to be treated justly –she absolutely does.
There is a lot of good research that has to be done, and a lot of research that doesn't require an expert in Retrovirology–call it foundational, background, boring, or whatever, it will have to be done eventually (and should have been done many years ago).
That is, Pathology, Epidemiology, Longitudinal Studies, Genomics, and Cytokines, things any competent and gutsy M.D. or PhD in the biological sciences could probably take part in.
You and Michael got off to a good start with your informal survey… my advice would be to find other friendly M.D.s and PhDs and keep going! Expand! Now, is not the time for timidity. Rather for thoughtful action. Timidity will get us exactly nowhere.
Kind wishes. Things will get better. They have to. We may have to help them along though.
"All eyes are opened, or opening, to the rights of man."–Thomas Jefferson.
>I am watching and nothing better happen or patients will kick up a bigger stink then Waterfate caused!
>This drama can't be about stealing anything , its smells like Judy is being silenced. It smells like the WPI must continue at ANY cost . Have they been bought out by government ? Will we see grants heading the way of the WPI now that Judy has been taken out of the equation. What sort of alliances will be made? Think about it….
Thanx once again Jamie
>Dear Friends,
I still can not understand the twisted sequence of events. If the WPI thought that this strategy would protect its financial and scientific value they have done the polar opposite. The consequences will be no donations, no patients and no grants.
They might as well cut their losses and close their doors now. They have no future.
Dr. Mikovits will be back in a lab, hopefully soon and doing her research that will make our lives easier. All of us and Dr. Mikovits will survive this trauma although the WPI will not.
Michael Snyderman, MD
>Your wrong about the value of the notebooks!
Dr Mikovits says she can not continue her research on the UK and US study with out her computer and notebooks.
>Look at what has happened since Lipkin visited Dr Snyderman.
Its like the movie Charlie Wilsons War
>You're wrong about the notebooks – they'll be an important part of the Science investigation (eg. did they do the experiment how they said they did). People seem to keep forgetting that this investigation is going on, and it's significant for everyone involved.
>Will someone with more energy than myself please look up who wrote the arrest warrant and what judge signed it?
Then check public records for campaign donations if those positions are elected? Odds are there might be some dots to connect there.
>The publications produced by a group of virologits is based on their preexisting belief that gammaretroviruses cannot infect humans and thus any detected replicating in humans must be a laboratory artifact or some sort of contamination
They have designed all their studies in an attempt to confirm this and interpreted all the data so it is in line with this belief and ignored all other possible explanations
They ask you to believe that this represents sound scientific practice and the convlusions presented are unbiased and the work of competent scientists
They ask you to believe that the VP-62 strain is the only possible strain of xenotropic murine related retroviruses found replicating in the human population.This is despite the fact that no retrovirus in history has been limited to one strain
They ask you to believe that their PCR assays that can detect the DNA of the vp-62 strain in a spiked sample ( analytical sensitivity) would be able to detect the vp-62 strain in an infected person(Clinical sensitivity).This is despite numerous papers demonstrating that PCR assays with excellent analytical sensitivity have zero clinical sensitivity
They ask you to believe that this is good scientific practice and the work of unbiased scientists
They set their PCR conditions so that the assay could only detect the vp-62 stain in people with ME and no other even one very closely related.They ask you to believe that this is the work of unbiased competent scientists
They know that after the initial stages of infection the vp-62 strain becomes impossible to detect in blood using PCR.Yet they continue to report that they were unable to detect the vp-62 strain of xmrv in the blood of people with chronic fatigue.They ask you to believe that this is the work of unbiased competent scientists
They know that the vp-62 strain of XMRV is readily detected in tissues when it is not detectable in blood.Yet they continue to conduct studies looking for the vp-62 strain in blood.They ask you to believe that these are the actions of competent unbiased scientists
They know that the host antibody response to the vp-62 strain of xmrv fades and disappears after the acute infectious phase.Yet they continue to present papers highlighting the absence of an antibody response to the vp-62 strain in people with ME as evidence of absence of the vp-62 strain in the blood of people studied.They ask you to believe that this is the behaviour of unbiased competent scientists
They know that the vp-62 strain rapidly establishes latency and is highly unlikely to produce proteins.Yet they continue to produce papers highlighting the absence of vp-62 proteins as evidence that the people studies are not infected with the vp-62 strain.They ask you to believe that this is the work of unbiased competent scientists
They ask you to accept such practices without complaint because they are carried out by reputable scientists
This post is aimed at the honest posters and readers of this forum
>The raw material/notebooks had already been seen by the reviewer/Coffin and Science. They asked for the relabelling. You are forgetting that science has already looked into this matter.
>@Anon 8:47PM
I think you are barking up the wrong tree there. According to ScienceInsider, "the Washoe County Sheriff's Office did not issue the arrest warrant, nor did the Reno or Sparks police department. He said it could be from one of several federal agencies in Washoe County."
>Dr. D-J, I do hope you'll be able to go to Ventura to support Dr. M. My thoughts and prayers are with her. If there's anything we, as a patient community, can do to help her, please let us know. Thank you for continuing to post and keep us in the loop.
>What?! Source please(to show that Science have concluded their investiation of Mikovits, and that Coffin requested the relabelling).
>Science saw the materials in 2009 and requested the relabelling. What about that do you fail to grasp. The WBs are frank Ruscetti's. Lol are you accussing him of something? Don't be a tool.
>@Anon 9:14
Exactly. There's no way the Ventura PD or Ventura County Sheriff's Office, whichever it was, expended that kind of manpower on an across-state-lines piddly ass Reno PD or Washoe Cty warrant.
You can't get that kind of turnout on a custodial interference or most any kind of white collar felony across state lines, especially in CA, and I know that for a fact.
It was a bigger office that wrote it up, and a judge had to sign off on it. A judge had to be "convinced" that a researcher had fled NV to avoid a civil lawsuit. Said researcher had not been enjoined from going home. Judge signed anyway. C'mon.
Thanks for clarifying my point.
>Who does that judge know is the next question. Innocent until proven guilty unless you are a troll. But let's not forget we have 2 people hostile to Mikovits and Ruscettis finding who posted the raw gel on the web in the 4th Oct. neither of them would say where they got that gel from. So clearly Mikovits does not have it and Billy and RRM are implicated and should be traced for questioning and more.
>It would be very interesting to know what probable cause was presented to the judge that justified a patient/neighbor's home being searched.
This stinks to high heaven.
And I most sincerely hope that said patient/neighbor ends up with grounds for her own lawsuit and goes for it full bore.
I'd love to contribute to that fund. I have a few spare bucks now that I have Counted Myself Out from donating to WPI every month.
>Someone paid to have all this put in motion. Murders get bail in a few hours. ALL of the Whittmores are slime. There karma is going to be a b–tch
>@Anon 9:33PM
I still think you have the wrong tree there. Federal judges are not elected. And I doubt any judge would issue an arrest warrant just because an individual might try to avoid a civil lawsuit. That makes no sense to me.
>@Anon 9:49PM
And any of this makes sense to you?
>@Anon, 9:49
Are you meaning to say you think this was not due to the Whittemores lawsuit? Every report I've read does link it to that.
My apology, if that was not your intention.
>It's been alleged on this blog's comments that Dr. Mikovits falsified data, lied, and committed fraud. If that were true, it's still no reason to have her arrested and thrown in jail. Fugitive from justice, my ASS.
I was neutral about all if this but the Whittemores have lost all my sympathy with this despicable display of heavy handed posturing. What scientist is going to want to work at the WPI now?
Andrea, if you're reading this, enjoy your ARVs, princess. Mikovits sure paid a price for them.
>The stupidity is the infection will likely change and there is NO guarantee that ARVs + what ever immune modulators is going to work in the future. How very bright of them! Well done!!
>Jaime, just be sure that you are very disciplined and do not let all this make you sicker, ugly and crazy as it is. That goes for al the patients here.
>@adrienne
To be sure, are you trying to make out Jamie is crazy or that anyone else posting is? If yes, why on earth would you say that? What is your personal problem?
>"Andrea, if you're reading this, enjoy your ARVs, princess. Mikovits sure paid a price for them."
This is so right on!!! And yes, she is reading this, no doubt.
>Andrea's doctor is probably getting very, very nervous about all that is happening given that he/she is prescribing ARVs for her just because she is being paid handsomely for it. The AMA would be very interested in all this. Once that doctor bails out to save their skin, it will be much harder to find another doctor prescribing what makes her well and what is so elusive for all the other patients. Enjoy it while it lasts!
>Thank you Dr. Jamie for posting this blog and keeping us informed! Any lawyers out there – How were they able to arrest Dr. Judy with penal code 1551.1 in a civil suit? CAL. PEN. CODE § 1551.1 : California Code – Section 1551.1 The arrest of a person may also be lawfully made by any peace officer, without a warrant, upon reasonable information that the accused stands charged in the courts of any other state with a crime punishable by death or imprisonment for a term exceeding one year, or that the person has been convicted of a crime punishable in the state of conviction by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year and thereafter escaped from confinement or violated the terms of his or her bail, probation or parole. When so arrested the accused shall be taken before a magistrate with all practicable speed and complaint shall be made against him or her under oath setting forth the ground for the arrest as in Section 1551. Doesn't look like it applies at all to Dr. Judy's case!! I will never support an Institution or family that would go to these lengths! My support and Prayers go out to Dr. Judy and everyone who is struggling from the latest turn of events!
>I sincerely hope that Andrea Whittemore is NOT reading these comments. She is ill and I am sure this is an extremely stressful experience for her; she does not deserve to be personally attacked.
>As a CFS sufferer for 18 years, I am appalled by the actions of the WPI. I hope they shut down. I can't believe I wasted so much time in the last Chase contest trying to drum up votes for them, which award money now could be paying lawyers to go against Dr. Mikovits. This is lower than low. I hope they are reading and I hope all CFS patients withdraw any type of support of them.
>@ Anonymous @1132PM… Why not? She makes lots of personal attacks on other sick people. Is she privileged and it's okay for her to attack but people can't attack her because she's sick? Or is it because she's rich?
>@Anonymous 1142…I do not believe it is 'okay' for her to make personal attacks on others. She is chronically ill and vulnerable to human pain and suffering like everyone else. Wealthy people may be privileged but they are not immune to human suffering. I do not personally know Andrea Whittemore but I am aware that this horrific situation must be extremely painful for her as well.
>Where is Andrea Whittemore making personal attacks on others? Please provide a link. I've seen her defend the attacks and allegations being made on her family but what would you expect her to do? Andrea is not named as part of this legal mess involving Dr. Mikovits and all this vitriol aimed at her is nasty and destructive! Check your emotions people! Such drama is not helping anyone deal with this difficult situation.
>If it is painful for her, then she won't come to the site to read the comments. Her best bet is to keep away. But if she is monitoring it and making attacks then sick or not, rich or wealthy, people are entitled to reply and have their say in reply.
>@anon at November 19, 2011 10:28 PM, Adrienne was saying the situation of Judy being arrested is crazy and ugly. She was reminding us to look after ourselves in this stupid situation.
Thanks for the timely warning, Adrienne.
All love and strength to Judy, who is being used as a pawn in their game. DeFreitas #2, but with the internet watching every move. I hope that fact will make the difference. We aware patients are not going away. We are watching. We are communicating this travesty, blow by blow.
Jane Clout.
>Shouldn't it be that Andrea would be chronically ill if it were not for the 2 years of ARV treatment for her human gamma retrovirus infection allowing her to exercise in the gym.
>2 names comes to mind when thinking of crime against humanity; Whittemore and Hitler…
Elisabeth
>You can add some ex-scientists to that list who claim to have once known what the scientific method is. Whilst Judy is wrongly locked up in jail it is now down to patients again to point out the horrors occurring in HGRV research. The WPI happily continue with the Lipkin study, but the neither of the people qualified to lead the study are taking part (Mikovits and Ruscetti) and the answer of why studies using assays optimised to VP62/XMRV are negative have been answered. Vp62/XMRV is not the viruses they discovered and as we know optimising to a synthetic virus does not mean an assay can detect a real wild type virus that is integrated. Then there is the issue that all labs taking part are now using unvalidated assays that failed in the BWG. The outcome is already known.
To defend Judy Mikovits we must also defend her research and demand they stop the Lipkin study as being unscientific. That the WPI would take part in this way is more insult to injury for her and patients.
>I am deeply saddened and angered by this inhumane unchristian and Unamerican treatment of a woman I consider a friend a wonderful person and a very fine scientist
I am also feeling very foolish because I suspended my disbelief and believed everything that Annette Whittmore and Andrea communicated to me in many e mails
When Andrea contacted me apparently distraught because the details of her personal treatment regime which included tenovir had been posted in a public forum I went out of my way to try and get that information deleted as I believed it was inappropriate to reveal such intimate details without her permission
I feel duped and deceived
I spent many hours defending the WPI,writing critiques of the double negative studies and constructing testable hypotheses regarding disease mechanisms and potential modes of treatment
I sent everything to Judy and Annette praying that no one should ever have to endure the hell that this disease can bring
Judy actually used my disease causation model to make a pitch for trial funding for the WPI
She told me that without my help she would not have been able to put the presentation together as she was so devoid of support
Judy has given 5 years of her life to the WPI on an almost 24/7 basis and being highly instrumental in restoring Andrea to comparatively robust health
This is not just an example of biting the hand that feeds you it isIMO actually cutting it off to ensure that the same hand cannot feed other far more needy people
I hope that practicing Christians the world over relay their disgust to the whittmores regarding their behavior towards a very fine woman and one so dedicated to helping millions of desperately ill people all over the world
I would urge everyone to support Jamie with her efforts and not allow responses to be dominated by anonymous trolls who are in reality vermin who rejoice in the suffering of others
My apologies to those who I have clashed with repeatedly who honestly believed that the WPI were not what they said they were.I had bought into their sales pitch entirely and defended the owners of the institution vigorously
They could have gone down in history as great benefactors now I fear they will leave a record of infamy within the ME community all over the world
>Well,it is no wonder why the ''P''in the''WPI'' wanted out!
>"There are times when you have to obey a call which is the highest of all, i.e. the voice of conscience even though such obedience may cost many a bitter tear, and even more, separation from friends, from family, from the state to which you may belong, from all that you have held as dear as life itself. For this obedience is the law of our being."
– Mahatma Gandhi, said while being jailed by the British