DragonCon founder finally able to leave house after 7 years of house arrest.
Edward Kramer has spent more than seven years awaiting trial under house arrest, but a recent ruling has given him new freedoms. Labels: court drama, dragoncon, local news, shota
Gwinnett Superior Court Judge Richard T. Winegarden ordered that Kramer, accused of molesting three teenage boys, no longer has to be tethered to his home by an electronic monitoring system.
The judge's May 21 ruling allows Kramer to move freely as long as he avoids contact with witnesses and anyone under 16. Kramer also must check in daily with the Gwinnett District Attorney's office concerning his whereabouts.
Kramer is a science-fiction author who founded DragonCon, a sci-fi, fantasy and gaming convention that brings thousands of visitors to Atlanta every year.
Prosecutors agreed to the new conditions of bond in part because Kramer needs to leave home for doctor appointments in and out of state, said Gwinnett County District Attorney Danny Porter.
"He's got to have some mobility because of his medical condition," Porter said. "The thing we're most concerned about is we don't want him in a position where he's in contact with children."
Kramer's attorney, Edwin Marger, could not be reached for comment at his office Monday afternoon.
As long as Kramer complies with the conditions of his bond, they will likely remain in place until his trial, Porter said. No court date has been set. However, prosecutors expect the trial could begin in early fall.
Kramer has been awaiting trial since early 2001 under house arrest in Duluth. His lawyers asked a judge to dismiss the case last year, citing his right to a speedy trial. However, the Georgia Court of Appeals ruled that the delays were mostly caused by Kramer.
Prosecutors successfully argued that Kramer had filed repeated requests for continuances and scheduled medical treatments that conflicted with trial dates.
In an October 2007 interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Kramer said he suffers debilitating back pain, the result of spinal injuries he suffered in jail and in a subsequent car accident. The spinal injuries caused a partial paralysis of his diaphragm, which makes it difficult to breathe.
Kramer's mother also has been diagnosed with breast cancer, and he wants to assist in her home health care, court documents show.
0 comments
Email?... Permalink?
100 Days Until DragonCon
Memorial Day is just around the corner which means that Summer is almost unofficially here. And at the tail end of that hot season comes one of the hottest conventions in the world: DragonCon. Labels: dragoncon
Memberships are currently 75 dollars for the four day event and go up to a fanboy heart attack inducing 90 dollars after July 15th. So if you're thinking about coming to Atlanta, GA this Labor Day Weekend, you really need to make plans as soon as possible.
This will be my 13th DragonCon attendance!
For more information, you can always visit dragoncon.org.
2 comments
Email?... Permalink?
Not News: DragonCon Founder Still Untried in Molestation Case
With his monotone speech, robotic movements, and a plastic tube snaking from his nostrils to a battery-powered oxygen source, Edward Kramer is beginning to resemble the science fiction characters he writes about. Labels: court drama, dragoncon, local news
He's well-known as an author and the founder of DragonCon, a sci-fi, fantasy and gaming convention that brings thousands of visitors and millions of dollars to Atlanta every year.
Yet Kramer is also known for something else: Investigators say he molested three teenage boys.
Police first arrested Kramer on Aug. 25, 2000, but the case has not yet gone to trial.
Kramer says he's innocent.
Legal experts say a seven-year delay is unusual and potentially damaging, as memories fade and evidence deteriorates. Former U.S. Rep. Bob Barr, a former federal prosecutor, decries "an overwhelming sense of injustice" toward Kramer, but prosecutors say Kramer has mischaracterized his illness and orchestrated delays to stave off a possible 60-year prison sentence.
"The amount of time here raises eyebrows," said Ron Carlson, a criminal law professor at the University of Georgia.
Kramer argued the delay violates his right to a speedy trial, but the Georgia Court of Appeals ruled last week that the delays were mostly his fault. Kramer's lawyers are appealing.
Meanwhile, two brothers who were teens when police charged Kramer with molesting them have grown up and enlisted in the U.S. Army. They are prepared to testify against Kramer, their mother said. The Journal-Constitution isn't naming her because doing so could identify the victims of sexual abuse.
"They want to see him in jail," she said.
Speediness is variable
Legal experts say a delay of seven years is exceptional, but the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that each speedy trial case must be evaluated on its own merits, Carlson said.
District Attorney Danny Porter of Gwinnett County acknowledges that his office is to blame for early postponements. First the lead prosecutor's father died. Then prosecutors appealed a decision to suppress evidence seized from Kramer's home.
Kramer's lawyers filed a motion to dismiss the charges and blamed the delays on prosecutors, the judge — even Kramer's former defense attorney. However, the Georgia Court of Appeals rejected that argument last week.
"The record strongly indicates that Kramer either sought or knowingly acquiesced in the great majority of the delay and did not want a speedy trial," the court said.
McNeill Stokes, Kramer's attorney, says he will appeal.
Tethered to home
Kramer has been under house arrest in his two-story home in Duluth since 2001.
He has paid more than $250,000 in legal fees, according to a Web site his supporters maintain, and he says he's running out of money. He no longer has an active role with DragonCon — Kramer said he didn't want to saddle the event with negative publicity.
"I'm a whole lot weaker now than I was before," Kramer said in an interview as he sat tethered to an oxygen tank under the shade of a patio umbrella.
He said he suffers from spinal injuries that affect his breathing.
"It's like my life has essentially halted for seven years waiting for this to end."
Kramer dated mother
The lives of two brothers also have changed. They were 13 and 15 when Kramer began dating their mother.
Kramer dazzled them with his action figures, sci-fi memorabilia and celebrity connections, their mother said. The boys told police Kramer took advantage of them during sleepovers.
Now the brothers, in their early 20s, serve in the Army. One is in South Korea; the other may soon go to Iraq, according to their mother.
"They do not want this to happen to anyone else," their mother said.
A third victim came forward a few years ago to say Kramer molested him for four years. Investigators charged Kramer with child molestation in that case, too.
Jail allegations
Questions about the delay are clouded by Kramer's allegations that he was hurt in state custody and that the delays are therefore the state's fault.
Kramer says that a masked deputy slammed his head into a wall in Gwinnett's jail. He sued the county, citing the spinal injury and the medical staff's "deliberate indifference" to his medical needs. A federal judge dismissed the claim of indifference but threw out the alleged assault, court records show, because Kramer's attorney didn't present any supporting evidence. Kramer said he plans to refile with a new attorney.
Porter, the district attorney, says there was no evidence of a jail assault, and that Kramer's injury stemmed from a car wreck.
Meanwhile, supporters raise money for Kramer's defense at www.edkramer.org. Barr posted a YouTube video titled "The legal persecution of Ed Kramer;" he also filed a legal brief supporting a motion to have the case dismissed.
A friend of 20 years, Linda Bruce, expects about 40 people to rally on Kramer's behalf at the Gwinnett County Justice and Administration Center on Oct. 20.
"We hope to let people know how bad his health is, and that this really needs to be stopped," she said. "I think they're hoping he'll die before they get it to trial."
2 comments
Email?... Permalink?
DragonCon 2007: Pixie's Pictures
I decided to post the pictures on both the blog and yaoi boi pages since nearly twice as many people come to that page than the main blog page. Naughty naughty! Less pictures than last year, but that's because I was using real film and was running out the roll. Labels: dragoncon, Elf, loli, movies, music, personal, shota, television, trap
As always, click on the small images for the full size ones.
A darling shot of Elf who actually wasn't at Con.
A trappy angel named Cyril that was handing out Cruxshadows fliers.
Sirius Black, Hagrid, and Snape cosplayers.
Drunk Sora.
Shota Sora.
Chick Sora.
Star Fleet Academy students.
Friends Jackyl and Drew.
Shota Mulder and Loli Scully.
Kari, Grant, Tori, from Mythbusters and PIXIE!
Loli who works for the Umbrella corporation.
Shota zombie! Aauuuggghhh! 
Not sure who this is, but I thought he looked like a RP character of mine. Hee!
5 comments
Email?... Permalink?
10 Things I Learned at DragonCon 2007
1. Sometimes leaving the main hotel is a bad idea. Especially in the later parts of the evening, the Fire Marshals in all their grapefruit swaying glory, seemed to rather enjoy shutting off entry to the Hyatt. If you weren't already in, you were locked out for a period of time. Labels: dragoncon, Florida, personal, shota, television, yaoi
2. Going up a few levels in order to catch an elevator up even further is generally not a bad idea. Of course, you run the risk of finding one that is completely full no matter what. The odds do seem to run a bit more in your favor though.
3. Con Suite is cool and all your first few cons, but quite honestly, unless you get there at a random time when they actually have something of substance, just ignore it except for drinks. Do not drink the Energy Drinks however cool their names may sound. Too many of those puppies and you'll be out for the count.
4. "Stars" that charge for autographs are absolute assholes. Ignore them.
5. Furries are annoying overall, but the real obnoxious pieces of shit are those who are in full fursuit and sit in the front row of a panel and mime their over exaggerating expressions completely throughout the hour. Terry Brooks should have come down there and smacked the bitch. I don't care that he's an old man!
6. The Mythbusters Build Team are probably some of the coolest celebrities I've ever had the pleasure of meeting at DragonCon. I got a shirt and they all signed it. Hopefully a picture of the four of us will turn out. *crosses fingers*
7. The Yaoi Panel may not have had much discussion going on during its length, but they did show Level C, parts of Boku No Sexual Harassment, and parts of an uncensored Legend of the Blue Wolves. Apparently the latter is now on DVD. Wow! Sadly, the girl running the panel is also not down with the shota. But she did serve us free booze.
8. If the panel you're waiting for has a line that lasts more than two hours, you probably are into something too mainstream. This may affect your geek-cred. Ghost Hunter programs, I'm talking to you!
9. Even with programming and other things to do spanning three hotels, 40,000+ people is alot of fucking people. And with so many making this their very first DragonCon, I wonder how much bigger this thing is going to get? (It was my 11th Con myself.)
10. Despite attempts to quell such a thing, I did end up having my friend from Fort Lauderdale spend one night with me. Saturday night, he was locked out of his room and I offered him a place to stay. Chemistry reignited and your faithful webmaster played his Seme role once more. While there may be Ye Old Drama™ fallout, I am almost completely sure that this was something that fate had created. We were just merely playing our respective roles.
2 comments
Email?... Permalink?
Posting schedule. -- subject to change --
Later tonight: 10 Things Learned from DragonCon 2007 Labels: dragoncon, fan mail, secret stash, shota, yaoi
Wednesday: DragonCon 2007 photos!
Thursday: Fan submitted artwork
Weekend: 26 new yaoi pix + public posting of August's Secret Stash
Next Tuesday: Next part of September's Secret Stash
Sept 16-22nd: 7th Annual Yaoi Boi Week Celebration!
0 comments
Email?... Permalink?
Back, but dead
Wow, DragonCon was yet another huge exhaustive undertaking again this year. But I survived pretty well. I did manage to post the new secret stash, buttons, and banner. A review of the convention will come as well as pictures once they're developed. And yaoi postings will commence in another day or so. I'm so tired. Labels: dragoncon, personal, pixiesticks, secret stash, yaoi
0 comments
Email?... Permalink?
Off to DragonCon 2007
I'm off to DragonCon 2007, so don't expect any updates until next Tuesday at the earliest. But when I get back, this month I'll bring you a new Secret Stash that won't please everyone. More Mitsui Jun by request. More fan submited artwork. Photos from DragonCon. A preview of Anime Weekened Atlanta. And we'll be celebrating our 7th Annual Yaoi Boi Week! Labels: anime, Candy, controversial, dragoncon, epic, fan mail, harry potter, manga, personal, pixiesticks, secret stash, shota
Have a great Labor Day Weekend, now I gotta go get ready to molest the Weasley Twins.
PS: This means I also won't be able to approve post comments. So if you make any, they won't appear until Tuesday.
1 comments
Email?... Permalink?
Labor Day Weekend is sooner than you think.
DragonCon 2007 big named guests that I recognize. (full list at link) Labels: celebrity news, dragoncon, epic, harry potter, local news, movies, music, personal, television, vampires
Sean Astin -- Lord of the Rings
Tory Belleci -- Mythbusters
Terry Brooks -- Shannara Series of books
Kari Byron -- Mythbusters
Crüxshadows -- Goth band
Peter David -- Star Trek, among others
John de Lancie -- Star Trek
Emerald Rose -- Celtic Band
Erik Estrada -- SeaLab 2021
Fat Mama -- Who Wants to be a Superhero
David Faustino -- Married with Children
Lou Ferrigno -- Hulk
Bill Fogarty -- Netherworld Haunted House
Jonathan Frakes -- Star Trek
Gil Gerard -- Buck Rodgers
Louis Gossett Jr. -- Stargate
Richard Hatch -- Battlestar Galactica
Virginia Hey -- Farscape
Grant Imahara -- Mythbusters
Sherrilyn Kenyon -- Dark-Hunters series of books
Gail Kim -- former WWE now TNA Wrestler
James Marsters -- Buffy/Angel
Todd McCaffrey -- Pern series of books
Gates McFadden -- Star Trek
James & Oliver Phelps -- Harry Potter
Katee Sackhoff -- Battlestar Galactica
Michael Shanks -- Stargate
Marc Singer -- Beastmaster
Kevin Sorbo -- Andromeda
Brent Spiner -- Star Trek
Voltaire -- Goth one man band
Margaret Weis -- Dragonlance series of books
0 comments
Email?... Permalink?