Mikeys Last Ride

A Run To Witness Justice and Remember Lost Friends

2009-06-10T07:45:00.002-05:00

The Following was posted on the Ann Arbor American HOG Chapter website. The link below has the story with pictures.

Ann Arbor American HOG site with pictures

Written by Grant Sweet
Many of you may know that Nancy and I along with Marty Condron rode to Milwaukee to attend the sentencing of the woman who struck and killed Mike Fleming while she was driving drunk. I have many thoughts about this but a lot of it is disjointed and hard to get down on paper, so I will do my best.

We left from the dealership at noon on Sunday May 10th. The trip over went well with the exception of our little excursion through Chicago. How those who live there manage to keep their sanity while driving on the Skyway, I do not know. Construction, rude drivers, tailgaters and people who either through ignorance or design refuse to merge from a lane that is clearly (a warning sign every ½ mile) ending. What a *$%#@!! mess.

We started our day Monday at the Harley Davidson museum. Steve Johnson who has tirelessly advocated on Mikeys behalf had arranged a guided tour of the facility for us. Some of the women did not go on the tour but joined us for lunch. All of our chapter members that where with Mikey that day were in attendance, the Consiglios, the Betzs, Bill Stein along with Mike’s cousin Dora and her sister Lisa.

After our lunch we went to the rivet wall to see the markers. I have to tell you that this affected me emotionally more than I normally would admit. The rivets for Mikey and Tom are up and are next to one another which I found to be fitting as we lost them both the same summer. We spent a few minutes there with the news crew hovering around and I presented Steve with a certificate of appreciation from the chapter for all his efforts. When we could not be in court for Mike, he was. I can not think of many people who would do what he has done for people he did not know.

At about 12:30 we left for the Courthouse In a memorial procession of about 10 – 12 bikes under the watchful eye of yet more news cameras. Once we where all settled into the court room I looked around and was gratified to see so many bikers on hand to show support. Wisconsin Abate members, HOG members, Blue Knights and others. We pretty much took up more than half of the gallery.

As all courts go we were not on time and at the last second it was decided that no one would be able to give a victim impact statement. A cousin did not meet the definition of a relative under the law and I guess that friends just don’t count. Very disappointing. Once the procedural stuff was through the prosecutor started his remarks and I was having trouble figuring out whose side he was on, as he came across as if he might be sympathetic to Boland. The defense then had their opportunity to make a statement and came up with what you might expect “she went to the bar and had two or three beers about three times a week. Never more then just enough to get buzzed” of course except that day. Give me a break. I am a big guy and can hold my own, but if my BAC was what hers was while she was driving that car, I would have been out cold. She was no three or four beer drinker. Boland then made a statement. She was tearful and apologetic but I had difficulty discerning whether she was remorseful or was just crying because she was going to go to prison.

The Judge was the man who had to make the decision as to what her sentence would be. He seemed to be a tough one and did not seem to buy into the story that the defense had tried to sell. Nor did he seem too concerned with the prosecutor’s weak performance. He placed significant weight in the letters that he had received from many of us. In the end he decided that she would get a fifteen year sentence. 10 years incarceration with no early release and 5 years of supervised release there after.

This trip for me has brought back the realization that our Hog family suffered to many sad losses last year. Some too young, some too unexpectedly and some so needlessly. I sincerely hope that this riding season will find us having only good rides and good times so that we can all gather at the next winter party to reminisce about the rides and not about someone who is no longer with us.

Memorial Day

2009-05-25T21:54:00.003-05:00

Up to now this website has only had news about Mikey's case, well that has come to a close and the future of this site is still a work in progress. The website will continue to honor the one we all love Mikey just not sure how we will do that at this point.

As many of you may know I have purchased Mikey's motorcycle and restored it to it's pre-crash condition. For me it is a great honor to ride this bike in Mikey's honor. This past weekend with Mikey watching over from above I attended "Rolling Thunder" in Washington D. C. well there I ran in to some of my Ann Arbor family Grant and Nancy from the HOG chapter, they then introduced me to a few more of Mikey's friends. It just shows how small the world is running to each other so far from home.

With the close of a powerful Memorial Day weekend I got the message below in a email and felt that this would be a great place to share it.

REMEMBER

It's the SOLDIER - not the reporter,
who gives you freedom of the press.

It's the SOLDIER - not the poet,
who gives you freedom of speech.

It's the SOLDIER - not the organizer,
who allows you to demonstrate.

It's the SOLDIER - who salutes the flag,
whose coffin is draped with the FLAG,
who allows the protester to
BURN THE FLAG !!!

THANK YOU TO ALL THE SOLDIERS, LIVING AND DEAD,
AND THEIR FAMILIES, FOR THEIR SACRIFICES.

Mikey's Killer gets 15 Year Sentence

2009-05-11T21:29:00.004-05:00

I am at a loss for what to write. Not that I don’t have thoughts to share, its just that I am not sure how to say it.

This weekend, the riding party returned to Milwaukee to remember Mikey and attend the sentencing of Ms. Boland. Well, as time is short right now, I think it is best summed up with this statement: “Our immediate family grew to Michigan this weekend with eight of the best people you could meet.” Actually, it is even larger as many could not make the trip and we plan on meeting them this summer at Mikey’s Memorial Weekend ride - details to follow.

Ok, now the facts of the sentence. The judge sentenced Boland to a total of fifteen years with ten years in prison, another five on extended supervision. He also ordered no early release or challenge program to reduce the prison time.
We had about 40 bikers present in the courtroom to show our support for Mikey. The ride to the courthouse from the museum had fifteen to twenty bikes lead by Mikey’s bike newly restored after the crash. Video of the ride leaving the museum was posted in the CBS 58 link below.

Rather than go into every detail of the sentencing I feel the local media covered things well so those links are listed below.

ABC Channel 12 WISN (the video on the link when posted was from the night before sentencing)
http://www.wisn.com/news/19431851/detail.html

NBC Channel 4 WTMJ
http://www.todaystmj4.com/news/local/44749297.html

FOX Channel 6 WITI
http://www.fox6now.com/news/witi-090511-boland-sentence,0,6471990.story

CBS Channel 58 WDJT
http://www.cbs58.com/index.php?aid=7439

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
http://www.jsonline.com/news/crime/44745867.html

Details of Mondays Sentencing including Free Bike Parking

2009-05-10T12:52:00.004-05:00

Well the justice system has done its work and on Monday morning the killer Kathleen Boland will be sentenced. I am asking for your help! We need as many people in the courtroom on Monday at 1:30PM, we will be there to both support Mikey’s family who are in from Michigan and send a message to the judge and let him know biker’s are watching.

What: Sentencing for Kathleen Boland Biker Killer

When: Monday May 11th at 1:30PM

Where: Safety Building 821 W. State Street, Milwaukee 53233
Room 502 Judge Konkol

The sentencing has been moved to a larger courtroom to allow for the biker community to show its support at this important even. It would be great to have people standing in the back with all the seats full!

Right after the sentence is delivered we will hold a press conference outside were the family and riding party will answer media questions. If you have time and would like to please join us, the more people present the better!

If you will be riding your bike down the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Department has invited us to use the wall along the loading dock at the Criminal Justice Facility (the jail) for free motorcycle parking. We will have a few bikes from Michigan joining us as well.

Free Motorcycle Parking
Criminal Justice Facility 949 N. 9th Street, Milwaukee 53233 Loading dock along wall. Park anytime after 12:30PM

For anyone interested Mikey’s family and friends are gathering at the Harley Davidson Museum for a private tour Monday morning at 9:00am, we will then have lunch at the restaurant on site and leave for a group ride to the Safety building and parking area at 12:30. Everyone is welcome to join us. Only charge is for museum admission and lunch if you chose. Mention the friends of Mike Fleming group and get reduced admission of $12.00.

If you have any questions you can call Steve Johnson at 414-455-4935

For our supporters from all over who will not be in the courtroom Monday check back here for all the details of what happened.

Write a Letter to the Sentencing Judge

2009-04-09T11:23:00.003-05:00

The court has scheduled May 11th at 1:30PM for a sentencing hearing in room 502 of the Safety Building. If you can attend to show your support for Mikey that would be great! This is the date it is important to have as many bikers as possible in the court room to both show support and let the judge know as biker’s we are watching!

The Judge is only allowing one member of the family and one friend of the victim to speak at sentencing. Therefore we are asking everyone to write a letter to Judge Konkol asking he sentence Ms Boland to the max existent that the law allows, in addition we would ask that annually after her release from custody that she be required to visit the site of the crash with her probation officer and leave flowers or spend the weekend of the crash in the county jail. These letters do have a great effect on the Judge and what he does it is important to get as many letters sent as possible!

If you would like to write such a letter it will need to be written addressing Judge Daniel Konkol, however it will need to be sent to the Victim / Witness Specialist District Attorney’s office as all parties in the case need to receive copies of all letters before they are forwarded to the judge you will find the address to mail the letter to below.

Please note the last date to send letters and get them forwarded to Judge Konkol is May 1st.

Write your letter to:
Judge Daniel Konkol
Case number 2008CF00430

Mail letters to:

Lisa Maggiore
Office of District Attorney
Safety Building RM 615
821 West State Street
Milwaukee, WI 53233

Killer remains in Jail new Sentencing Date May 11th

2009-02-25T15:45:00.003-06:00

This afternoon the court heard the killer’s motion regarding advancing the sentencing date. The Judge started things out by letting her attorney know the reason sentencing date was set so late was due to his schedule. All the attorney’s were able to settle on a new sentencing date of May 11, 2009 at 1:30PM.

There was no discussion about her complaints that the Milwaukee County Jail being too uncomfortable for her. The Judge did the right thing once again and left her in Milwaukee County Jail to wait her sentencing.

Killer Files Motion "Jail Uncomfortable"

2009-02-19T15:39:00.003-06:00

On Monday of this week a motion was filed by defense titled “Motion to Advance Sentencing date or In the Alternative Reinstate Bail. I have in my hands a copy of the said motion and have listed the major points below well providing my thoughts and comments as well. However the Readers Digest version is the killer is not comfortable in the Milwaukee County Jail and wants out.

The mater has been set for a motion hearing before Judge Konkol on February 25th at 1:30 in room 502 of the Safety Building, I of course will be in court room in person to bring you all the details.

Now here is the text of the motion:

“That as was made known to the Court, the defendant suffers from a medical condition known as syringomyelia, a chronic disorder involving the spinal cord that includes as symptoms muscle weakness, motor impairment, problems with balance, incontinence, scoliosis headaches and constant pain;”

“That the defendant is suffering all of the aforementioned symptoms at this time and given the pod conditions of the Milwaukee County Jail and a lack of any available treatment fears she will be left crippled;”

“That the defendant understands that while the Court has not predetermined her sentence, she recognizes that there exists a very real possibility that she could be incarcerated for a significant period of time and that her time in custody now would count towards any imposed incarceration.”

“That despite this fact, the defendant submits that the Milwaukee County Jail is unable to meet her needs vis-à-vis her medical conditions which is causing her much pain, discomfort and embarrassment to the point where it is reaching a level of cruelty not suffered by other defendants similarly situated.”

Wow did they really say her staying in the jail is at a level of cruelty? How about the pain and cruelty suffered by Mikey in the crash were Ms Boland’s criminal actions took his life?

Then they go on to talk about her suffering embarrassment and discomfort. So if I understand her attorney she is embarrassed by her medical conditions and how the other inmates view her? First off you don’t get to spend time in jail for doing things correctly! Secondly were is any remorse for the life of Michael Fleming who she killed do her chronic drinking problem!

“That if she is sentenced to a term of imprisonment in the Wisconsin State Prison System, upon information and belief, the available prison system would be better suited to meet her specific needs.”

All they are saying here is prison time is easy time and more comfortable than the Milwaukee County Jail.

“Accordingly, the defendant respectfully requests that her sentencing date be advanced from June 5, 2009 to a date as soon as possible consistent with the Court’s and counsels’ schedule and with the timely preparation of the Court ordered presentence investigation report.”

That’s fine but set the sentencing as soon as possible!

“In the alternative, the defendant respectfully requests that the Court vacate its order remanding her and reinstate here bail in the amount of $20,000.00 an d order her to home confinement with the of scheduled medical visits to await sentencing.”

This is a real problem! In the time she was out on bail before she did NOTHING to address any needs for treatment for her chronic drinking problem, now she wants out as a convicted felon killer? No way! The citizens of Milwaukee would be in danger of this women and the risk of her fleeing to avoid prison is real as well!

Judge Konkol did the right thing when finding her guilty and ordering her held in the Milwaukee County Jail tell sentencing. Let’s make sure he continues to do the right thing and keep her behind bars!

Killer pleads guilty and Judge did the right thing!

2009-01-30T16:41:00.003-06:00

Thursdays court date was a long and busy one. Once again we have a new Judge presiding over the case it is now before Judge Daniel Konkol. The case was transferred due to a conflict that Judge Conen had, the good news is we were able still have the plea hearing in the new Judges courtroom the same day.

The killer Kathleen Boland, pleaded guilty to a charge of homicide by intoxicated use of a motor vehicle. This is what we wanted to her she in court owned up to what she did she told the Judge that she drove drunk and killed a man! The judge then dismissed a second charge against Boland based on prosecutor's recommendation. Just a note on the dismissed charged due to sentencing rules in Wisconsin the dismissed charge in no way affects the maximum sentence that she can receive.

After she plead guilty the court found her guilty and based in part upon the large number of letters written on Mikey's behalf she was remanded to custody and taken to the Milwaukee County Jail to await sentencing which is scheduled for June, originally it was to be the 5th but after checking the court website it now looks to be set for June 9th at 8:30am.

Here is the media coverage:

WTMJ Radio 620 AM
http://www.620wtmj.com/news/local/38650257.html

NBC Channel 4 WTMJ
http://www.todaystmj4.com/news/local/38650622.html

Thurday's court date still a go!

2009-01-28T15:39:00.003-06:00

Everything is still a go for Thursday's guilty plea scheduled for January 29, 2009 in room 506 of the Safety Building.

Again it is our understanding from the District Attorney’s office that no plea deal has been made, Ms. Boland will plead guilty to the charges in the criminal complaint and the all sentencing decisions will be left to Judge Conen.

If you can attend to show your support for Mikey that would be great!

As always if you are unable to attend you can count on all the latest information being posted here shortly after the court hearing.

Call for your help, write a letter to the Judge

2009-01-16T10:35:00.005-06:00

The court has scheduled January 29, 2009 at 1:30PM for a plea hearing with a project guilty plea in room 506 of the Safety Building. It is our understanding from the District Attorney’s office that no plea deal has been made, Ms. Boland will plead guilty to the charges in the criminal complaint and the all sentencing decisions will be left to Judge Conen. If you can attend to show your support for Mikey that would be great!

We do have one concern that we are asking people to address with a letter to Judge Conen. Ms. Boland is currently out of custody on bond this is her right as being innocent until proven guilty, that is how our system works. However, it is our strong feeling that at the time she pleads guilty to the charges she should no longer be afforded that freedom after all our brother Mikey is no longer free as a result of her actions. We are asking everyone to write a letter to Judge Conen asking that at the time a guilty plea is entered in this case that she be immediately remanded to custody and take to the county jail until sentencing.

If you would like to write such a letter it will need to be written addressing Judge Jeffery Conen, however it will need to be sent to the Victim / Witness Specialist District Attorney’s office as all parties in the case need to receive copies of all letters before they are forwarded to the judge you will find the address to mail the letter to below.

At this time we are asking people to only address the issue of being taken into custody at the time of plea. We will have the opportunity to address sentencing issue and a later date and will let you know when to send those letters. Please note the last date to mail letters and get them forwarded to Judge Conen is January 19th. letters written late still could make it but the 19th insures your voice is heard for sure!

Write your letter to:
Judge Jeffrey Conen
Case number 2008CF00430

Mail letter to:
Lisa Maggiore
Office of District Attorney
Safety Building RM 615
821 West State Street
Milwaukee, WI 53233

Any questions can be emailed to MikeysLastRide@gmail.com

Breaking News from Court Friday January 9th

2009-01-09T11:05:00.007-06:00

As reported here there is a new Judge over seeing the case Judge Jeffrey Conen. Judge Conen was unable to be in the courtroom this morning so court was not officially is session and scheduling maters were handled off the record by the attorneys and the Judge's clerk.

Today's court appearance was scheduled for a final pretrial, this was to be the latest date any motions to limit or throw out any evidence or testimony could be made. In fact the district attorney's office was set to move forward with a motion, however it looks as if that may not be needed now as the defense attorney has asked that the mater be set for plea hearing. The court is showing in it's one line records that the mater is now set for a plea hearing with a projected guilty plea for January 29th at 1:30PM.

It is my understanding that the defendant Ms. Kathleen Boland will plea guilty to Homicide by Intoxicated Use of Vehicle and to Homicide by Use of Vehicle with PAC both class D Felonies. Sentencing will be left completely to the judge with no recommendations being made as part of any plea type deal.

We are currently working on a couple of issues that we would like to address prior to January 29th court date and will need your help by writing a letter to the Judge. Please check back at this site by Monday January 12th we will have complete detail on how you can help Mikey by writing a letter. These letters need to be done fast as they need to be in the District Attorney's office at least one week prior to the court date on January 29th.

Again be sure to check back here on Monday January 12!!

Breaking News on New Judge

2008-11-19T08:09:00.002-06:00

It looks like we know who the new Judge will be presiding over Mikey's case. I received a call that several judges had been reassigned and that Judge Jeffrey Conen would now be assigned to felony homicides.

This information was then confirmed on the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's blog Proof and Hearsay:
http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/news/34699774.html

At this point we have no details as to how this will effect the current schedule of our case. It is something I am checking into and will keep you up to date on. However, I have hearing from a couple of people that with the reassignment the goal is to keep all the cases on their current schedules which would be a good thing!

As always when news breaks in the case you will see it here first!

Judge watch now on

2008-11-08T08:57:00.002-06:00

As reported here on Thursday the judge on our case Judge Franke is leaving the bench for private practice effective likely January 1rst, 2009.

Well this is not the only seat going to be vacant on the bench in Milwaukee County there will be a total of three seats open. It's not that there are not lawyers that are interested in running for the seats or being appointed it is the time it takes to get them through the process.

In a recent post on the Milwaukee Journal's blog Proof and Hearsay (a blog that has covered our story and this blog well) we get a look how the District Court Administrator is saying the open calenders of the three courts maybe covered.

Jsonline's Proof and Hearsay blog:
http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/news/34116824.html

With three vacancies in Milwaukee County, who's going to be hearing cases here?

District Court Administrator Bruce Harvey said he hires retired judges by the day to handle the court calendars. Finding enough for two -- and soon to be three -- isn't always easy, he said.

"They are all qualified to do the job," said Harvey of the reserve judges. "But for the long term judges should be elected by the people -- or appointed by the governor."

A spokesman for Gov. Jim Doyle said no decision has been made on whether he will appoint to fill Michael Brennan or Franke's seats.

Like I said judge watch is on! I know with three open seats on the bench it is all but impossible to just move the cases to other branches. However, in this case we are talking about Felony Homicide this is not some civil issue over a leaky roof! It is about the crime of Homicide were a great man was taken from us!

Now is the time for our Governor Jim Doyle to step to the plate and make sure Milwaukee County's Circuit Court Bench seats are filled by judges that will stand election and not by reserve judges that answer to no one!

Again all the latest news on this and other issues will be right here as soon as it breaks!

Breaking News Judge to Leave Bench

2008-11-06T10:37:00.002-06:00

This is truely Breaking News just released with in the last few minutes...

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentel website: http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/34027344.html

They are reporting that two Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judges John Franke (our judge) and Michael Brennan are leaving the bench to join a prominent local firm Gass, Weber & Mullins. It is reported that they will join the firm as of January 1rst. This is a true loss to the bench in Milwaukee County as both Judge Franke and Judge Breenan are two of Milwaukee's best and brightest judges.

With this news it will clearly impact Mikey's case as both of the next court appearances are set for after January 1rst when Judge Franke leaves, however at this time it is to soon to tell what will happen. Clearly a new judge will be assigned to the case and we will have to wait and see how it is scheduled into their calender.

As always keep watch here for the latest updates in the case.

Report from Court Date Tuesday Oct 28th

2008-10-28T10:02:00.002-05:00

As reported here before there was a court appearance for a motion hearing for modification of bail this morning at 8:30am. The purpose of the hearing was just to make clear in the bail paper work the conditions of release the court order at the hearing on October 2nd.

The case was called on the record and under agreement by both parties a new Bail / Bond form was filed and signed the Defendant, the Surety (one who posted the bail) and the Judge. Attached to the agreement was a page with the following conditions clearly listed:

1) The defendant shall not drive or operate a motor vehicle, and,
2) The defendant shall maintain absolute sobriety meaning the defendant may not ingest or consume alcohol, and,
3) The defendant shall not ingest or consume any controlled substances or prescription drugs with out a valid prescription.

What was done to day did not change any of the conditions of the bail, it just dotting the I's and crossing the T's to make sure if some thing happens there are no loopholes.

Then next court appearance is scheduled for January 9, 2008 at 8:30am for a final pre-trial conference.

Court Update Appearance set for Tuesday Oct 28

2008-10-26T08:05:00.006-05:00

The court has scheduled a motion hearing for Tuesday morning October 28th at 8:30am. The hearing is listed on the court website as a hearing for modification of bail. The purpose of this hearing is to correct an error that was made when bail was posted in the amount of $20,000 cash on October 2nd. bail was posted by Sandra Coffin who at this time we do not know the relationship she has to the killer.

The bail was posted by:

Sandra Coffin
1730 N Arlington Pl
Milwaukee, WI 53202

Allow me to explain what change is needed, back when on the court appearance on September 10th the Court Commissioner set bail in the amount of $20,000 with the following conditions: 1) that she not drive and that she maintains absolute sobriety, 2) no use of any alcohol, no use of any controlled substances without a valid prescription. As part of watching over Mikey's case besides making sure we have someone at every court date to monitor what is said, I also check the official court file anytime something is added to insure it has been done correctly. During a routine check of the court file it was noticed that the bail paper work filed did not contain the Conditions of Release ordered in court. The transcripts of the appearance were reviewed to make sure what I heard in court was correct, then we then notified the District Attorneys office who has scheduled Tuesday's appearance to correct the issue.

As she is now out on bail, I would like to make one thing clear for my Michigan friends as our bail system works differently from yours. To get out of jail she had to have someone post $20,000 in cash. Wisconsin law will not allow bond to be posted by a bail bondsman were only a portion needs to be posted like in Michigan.

Things have been busy over on this side of the lake but let me tell you nothing and I mean nothing slips by in this case! I am just one of many of Mikey's angels watching over everything that happens! We are well organized and the network communicates fast when anything happens. Often I have been the one to follow up on issues but there is no way we would be able to be as effective as we are with out the many eyes and ears of the Mikey angel network that report everything that they see. Though the blog might only have activity when major things are happening the watch is always watching.

This morning I am off to Madison to work with ABATE of Wisconsin at a Grassroots Lobbyist Training session. On Monday I will be in the halls of our State Capitol working with our legislators to make our roads safer. Then Tuesday morning I will again be sitting in the front row of the court room watching over things for Mikey at the killers court appearance. Details of the court appearance will be posted here Tuesday morning.

Ann Arbor American HOG Chapter Memorial Ride Oct 8, 2008

2008-10-26T07:33:00.008-05:00

Mikey's Memorial Ride Ann Arbor October 8, 2008

On Sunday, Oct. 8th, 2008 the Ann Arbor American Chapter of HOG conducted a motorcycle ride to honor our long time member and friend, Mikey Fleming. Mike lost his life in Milwaukee during the Harley-Davidson 105th celebration after being run down by a drunk driver. Mike was loved by all in our chapter and loosing him was like loosing a member of the family. The ride which was put together by member and friend, Jerry Bibbs went from the restaurant where we have our Chapter meetings on the west side of Ann Arbor, to the Plymouth Chili Cookoff, in Plymouth Michigan. Total length was about 74 miles. Mikey always enjoyed the Cookoff. That is why it was chosen as a destination.

We all lined up after the Chapter meeting in 4 groups. We always keep the size of the groups to ten or less unless we have a police escort for safety reasons. I would estimate that we had 35-40 bikes total that went on the group ride. Not bad concidering that it was 31 degrees when I left my house that morning.

Rick LaValley, the husband of Dora, Mikey's cousin, joined us as a honored guest. This was his first group ride, and he did just fine thank you. Jerry had set up a very nice, scenic route that went south from the restaurant, swung around to the west catching the edges of the towns of Chelsea and Dexter, then followed one of the area's favorite biking roads, North Territorial Rd., into the city of Plymouth. After parking in Plymouth, we all broke up into smaller groups to have some chili, view the bike show or listen to the bands that were playing.

We were fortunate enough to have a beautiful, crisp fall day to take a great ride, to pay our last respects to a wonderful man, Mike Fleming. He is greatly missed by all of us in our Chapter and for those of us who were very close to Mikey, his passing has left a huge void in our lives. Farewell Mikey. We miss you!

Ken Garrott, Director, Ann Arbor American Chapter

Report from Thursdays Court Appearance

2008-10-09T09:47:00.003-05:00

This mornings court appearance was a scheduling conference to set dates for how the case will progress through the court and it's calender. The killer was in the courtroom this time as she was released on $20,000 cash bail over this past weekend.

The court set the following dates for the case moving forward a final pretrial date of Friday January 9th at 8:30am, this is the latest date any motions to limit or throw out any evidence or testimony can be made. A trial by Jury has been set for Monday February 2nd at 10:00am.

Like the last court appearance the judge called the case on the record and informed both attorneys that he knew a person that was quoted in the paper regarding the case. That person is not set to be called as a witness and will not create a need for him to remove himself from the case. The judge went over this information again this time because the defendant was in the courtroom and he wanted to be sure she understood and had no issue with it. Her attorney said he talked to her about it and she agreed that his knowing the person quoted in the paper should not be a problem.

A Truly Remarkable Man!

2008-09-26T07:35:00.002-05:00

Last Friday I received the following essay in my email, it comes from one of Mikey's many close friends who like all of us now struggle to understand so much of this great void that has been left. Each time I have read this I come away with something new, I hope you do as well. Katie, thanks for sharing.

A truly Remarkable Man!

On September 14th, the family and friends of Mikey Fleming gathered to share memories and bring comfort to each other as we try to sort out this tragic, unspeakable loss we all feel. How better to fill that void than with the company of people who knew him best and loved him most? As I looked around the room that day, and saw so many old friends, new friends, and complete strangers all come together to celebrate the life of one man, I felt an overwhelming sense of joy in knowing that each one in some way had been touched by Mikey, enough to brave the ugly weather and come share in the healing process.

The stories I heard were funny, touching, loving and kind. They reflected a man of great humor, both at himself and at life in general, a man with a huge heart, ready to reach out and help others in need and a gentle soul who loved children and animals. He was also a family man, who despite the loss of his immediate family, reached out to extended family members to keep the connection close and know the love only another family member can offer. A man who reached out to his extended network of friends to help fill the days with good times and happy memories, a man who comforted neighbors by his very presence in the home next door. The kind of man who appreciated a warm welcome or a hug from anyone willing to offer one up with open arms. A TRULY REMARKABLE MAN!

Not to say that our friend Mikey was perfect….. His human imperfections were a part of the joy in knowing him. He was a candid talker, who would let you have it straight up, good or bad. You never had to wonder where Mikey might stand on something, because it was usually made apparent with a certain type of sarcastic bluntness and honesty that only Mikey could carry off. He was a man that enjoyed the good natured bantering that goes with an argument and would sometimes take an opposite point of view, just to enjoy the dialog that went with it. That bantering I think, other than the boyish grin, is what I will miss the most.

Sometimes this process of reflection gathers steam and continues on and you start to look around and take stock, count your blessings and give thanks for all that you have. Yesterday, before attending the gathering for Mikey, I had read a comment on this blog created for Mikey, to follow the court case, and create awareness of the need for harsher drunk driving laws in the State of Wisconsin and elsewhere. The comment was obviously from an acquaintance of the woman charged in causing Mikey’s death. It stated that she was “Altogether an unremarkable woman, up to that fateful Friday”. And I just can’t help but think what a pitiful statement that is of a person’s life. To be unremarkable to your friends and family until something so unspeakable happens that it becomes your defining moment. And what a stark contrast to what I saw and heard about our friend Mikey, a few hours later.

So what makes a person remarkable and how is it measured? Is it the fortunes you make, or the discovery of something great? Is it how well known you are or how many good or foul deeds you’ve done? And how sad it would be for anyone one to come to a point in life or in death, where you are described as altogether an unremarkable person. I came away on that day, thinking, that, what truly makes a person remarkable is the impact you have on the lives of others, and how they reflect upon you as a friend, family member, neighbor and human being.
That impact doesn’t need to be large scale or life changing. It can be a small wave from the driveway, a weekly phone call, a shared meal, spending the day at the local Harley dealer shooting the breeze with friends, or forwarding funny emails to your buddies online. It’s about the respect to you give to yourself and others and the genuine happiness you feel at seeing someone whether is been two years, two months, two weeks or two hours. It’s about reaching out and being the best person you know how to be. It’s everything about the man that Mikey Fleming was and will always be in our hearts. A TRULY REMARKABLE MAN!

Now my upbringing and life lessons have always taught me to try and be kinder than necessary because everyone seems to have a personal battle they fight. And I really find it a struggle in this situation, because, if not for the thoughtless, careless actions of one person, our friend Mikey would still be with us today. It’s been said that this incident was the first offense for the driver charged in his death, yet we hear from a perfect stranger that it would be a surprise if she’d ever been sober during the last 20 years. Not that surprising, as I am sure that we all know one or more people with a drinking problem, who have not been caught or killed anyone while driving intoxicated. But why would this being a first offense make any difference in how this crime is judged? Is causing a death any more serious the second or third or fourth time? Why would we even want to allow someone a second chance to kill? If this person had stood on that street corner, intoxicated, with a loaded gun and fired randomly into the street – would this be handled any differently? If this person had been driving under the influence of an illegal substance – would the outcome be any different? What if they had been standing on an overpass and dropped a brick into the traffic below? Would it have been worse if she had also taken out a family with young children on the sidewalk that she drove over before running Mikey down in the street? These are all thoughtless, heinous acts! So why would knowingly drinking yourself into oblivion and then getting behind the wheel of the 4000+ lb WEAPON and causing some ones death be any less heinous?

We’ve also heard that the driver charged, is the type of person that this incident would “weigh on her mind” everyday (and rightly so), but what would that result in? How likely would she be to drink more to alleviate the pain, in a never ending, vicious cycle? And if not incarcerated and provided the opportunity to become clean and sober, how long would it be before she randomly selects her next victim? And then we would all be shaking our heads and lamenting, “What was she doing out of prison, my God, she’s done this before!” This is a common story played out all over the United States far too often. The buck needs to stop here, in Wisconsin, and all over the United States.

So here is my kindest wish for the driver, when convicted of Mikey’s death: A mandatory prison sentence for the maximum number of years allowable by law that also includes an intensive alcohol treatment program. If by chance, she is paroled before she dies, than that release should include a lifetime probation, that includes absolute sobriety (or she returns to prison), weekly testing for alcohol or other drug use for the first 3 years of probation at her expense and monthly testing after that for life. She should never be permitted to obtain a drivers license or operate a motor vehicle again. She should also be required to attend weekly AA meetings as long as she is physically able. And before all else, she should be required to issue an apology to the living victims of her actions. To the friends that traveled with Mikey that day, and were witness to his death, as they will never be able to erase that horrific scene from memory. The innocent bystanders who also witnessed the carnage and were so moved that they now feel compelled to attend every court hearing on Mikey’s behalf and lead the fight to change drunk driving laws in the State of Wisconsin and elsewhere. To the family members and friends who will never have the opportunity to grow old with Mikey, and make more fond memories. And finally to Mikey’s family who have now suffered not one, but the loss of two family members at the hands of a drunken driver.

Drunk driving is a hideous crime because there is no way to protect ourselves against it. It’s time to stop the insanity. It’s time to make people own up to the responsibility and feel the pain of their actions. It’s time to honor and value the lives of all victims of intoxicated drivers. It’s time to honor and value the life of my good friend, Mikey Fleming - A TRULY REMARKABLE MAN!

Respectfully yours,

Kathleen McCollum

Comments from a family member of Ms. Boland

2008-09-24T17:06:00.003-05:00

In the days that followed Mikey's death news reports flew through the Internet at a lighting speed as they do today. The AP, UPI and other wire services posted the headlines every were. Some of those sites allowed comments on the stories they run. I don't know what it is but when people are in an anonymous virtual world. They often loose what our mothers taught us that if you don't have anything nice to say don't say it at all.

I read much of what people posted, a lot of good and sadly also a lot of hate. Well in the sea of comments two stood out too me. They were written by a relative of Ms Boland and until recently I have held off publishing them as I could not verify they were legitimate. I now know the comments to be authentic and will let them speak for them self.

The first comes from the website the topix and can be viewed at this link:
http://www.topix.com/com/hdi/2008/09/woman-in-cyclists-death-was-drunk-complaint-says

"My heart breaks for Michael Fleming and his family and friends. My Aunt was the drunk driver who took his life. My parents are riders who came down from up north to enjoy the celebration. Our family is devastated by her careless, thoughtless and selfish decision that took this man away from his loved ones. I cannot apologize for her behavior nor would I. My thoughts and prayers go out to Mr. Flemings family and friends. " Posted by 2sad4words

The second was posted too the Free Republic and reads:

"To: BraveMan
I wanted to respond to all who posted regarding the issue of Michael Fleming wearing his helmet or not. As the niece of the woman who killed this wonderful man I place the blame solely at her feet. My aunt chose to drink and drive without any regard for others on the road. As the daughter of parents who rode in this celebration I am outraged. I love my Aunt but believe that she needs to be held accountable for her actions. Please don’t put any responsibility on Mr. Fleming. People should be able to ride a bike,cycle, go for a walk or even drive a car without fear that someone will run you down. Our family has Mr. Fleming and his family and friends in our prayers. Thank you"
50 posted on Thursday, September 04, 2008 8:46:23 PM by 2sad4words

The only thing I am left to wounder is why when one is anonymous do they feel the need to say things they otherwise would not say in public??

However, it is the posts like the two above that bring me back to that point I know that many of us still remember and use what our mothers taught us.

To 2sad4words thank you for coming forward and sharing how you felt, and standing up for what is right the virtual world needs more like you.

Mikey's Memorial Ride was a Success

2008-09-20T20:17:00.017-05:00

Mikey Fleming Memorial Ride

Memorial Ride to be Sponsored by Hupy and Arbraham s.c

2008-09-17T22:01:00.004-05:00

The law firm of Hupy and Arbraham s.c. http://www.hupy.com/ has come forward as the official sponsor Saturday's Memorial Ride. Hupy and Arbraham are using this event as a follow up to their 105th anniversary "WATCH OUT FOR MOTORCYCLES" campaign which contributed to make the celebration over all very safe.

From day one when we started our fight for Mikey, the law firm of Hupy and Arbraham s.c. has been working hard in the background behind the scenes. They have provided insight in to the legal process, research and guidance in an area that I had little experience. Their guidance added greatly to the information and comfort we were able to provide to Mikey's family and friends.

Through their generous sponsorship of this event we will continue to be able to expand and grow this website to it's highest level and provide that in our fight for Mikey we will make a difference in the future to prevent this type of tragedy!

It is with a great thanks that I welcome Hupy ans Arbraham s.c. officially to our team as sponsor of this event!

Memorial Ride Milwaukee Area Update

2008-09-17T09:14:00.006-05:00

There will be a group of motorcycle riders leaving from the Milwaukee area riding out to Oconomowoc to meet the main ride.

What: Milwaukee area group ride out to Oconomowoc

When: 6:30am Saturday September 20, 2008

Where: Batteries Plus Parking Lot (Hwy 1oo and Greenfield Ave.)
10724 W Greenfield Ave, West Allis WI

We will need to leave the Milwaukee location by 6:45 to get to Wisconsin Harley Davidson on time to be escorted in to the run and walk area by the Oconomowoc Police Department. Complete detail of the whole Memorial ride can be found in the post below.

Report from Tuesday Court Date

2008-09-16T13:37:00.005-05:00

This mornings court appearance was a scheduling conference to set dates for how the case will progress through the court and it's calender. The killer was not in the courtroom just the attorneys were present. Her attorney informed the court that he has not had time to completely go over all of the evidence with the killer yet and asked that the scheduling conference be adjourned (postponed) to a new date. The judge let both attorneys know he wants this case to move quickly through the process and get a trial date set as soon as possible, he did however agree to adjourn the scheduling conference tell October 9th, 2008 at 8:30am.

The judge also called the case on the record and informed both attorneys that he knew a person that was quoted in the paper regarding the case. That person is not set to be called as a witness and will not create a need for him to remove himself from the case. Both attorneys agreed that his knowing the person quoted in the paper should not be a problem.

Memorial Motorcycle Ride Sept 20, 2008

2008-09-11T23:17:00.007-05:00

Come out and join us for a great morning ride and a petition drive to change the drunk driving laws. On September 20th we have asked to join in and be a part of "Biggest Fundraising Run Ever" a 5K run and walk to benefit Courtney Bella and Jennifer Bukosky who were also killed by a impaired driver, thousands of people will take to the streets to raise money for the Courtney Bella/Jennifer Buskosy Fund to support student education on substance abuse.

Here is a news report on the Bukosky case:
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=744282

Read more about the "Biggest Fundraising Run Ever":
http://www.livinglakecountry.com/UserStory?id=287

To register for the Run / Walk:
www.parkersfitness.com

After the speeches at the start of the run walk our motorcycles under a police escort will lead the runners and walkers through the 5K course. Upon returning to the starting point those who would like to will greet the runners and walkers and work to pass petitions to change the lax drunk driving laws.

What: Memorial Ride for Mike Fleming

When: 7:30am Saturday September 20, 2008

Where: Wisconsin Harley Davidson
1280 Blue Ribbon Dr
Oconomowoc, WI 53066

Contact: Steve Johnson – Editor MikeyLastRide.com 414-455-4935

Email: MikeysLastRide@gmail.com

Note that there will be no costs for motorcycles to participate we just ask for your time and support by riding the ride for this great cause!!

We will meet at Wisconsin Harley Davidson between 7:00am and 7:30 leaving for the start of the run walk at the High School at 7:40. By 8:00am we want all the bikes lined up in formation to lead the run which starts at 8:30am.

We need you presents at this event to honor Mikey and to send a message about Drunk Driving and Sharing the Road with Motorcycles. This event is going to be heavily covered by local television stations they will all be there the more bikers we have the stronger the message we send!

Following the run / Walk and passing the petitions lunch will be provided at a local restaurant compliments of Tony Coffaro.