On Friday, August 10, 2012, Connecticut Superior Court Judge Thomas Corradino awarded $52,666 in damages to Madeline Gleason, the former girlfriend of missing person and presumed murder victim Billy Smolinski. Gleason had sued Smolinski’s family members for severe emotional distress, claiming that they had posted missing person posters about Billy near Gleason’s home and the bus route that she drove. That the Judge agreed with her is nothing less than a travesty of justice.
One of the proven techniques for recovering missing runaway children and adults is to post flyers of those children in neighborhoods where they are thought to be hiding out, and at venues where they are known to hang out: places like malls and fast food outlets. The goals are many: to acquire credible leads; and to hopefully flush out the missing person and encourage them into returning home. An objective of this technique is to see if the flyers are removed from a particular location. If so, you may be closing in on the missing person or the person responsible for their disappearance.
Jan & Bill Sr. with their son’s missing flyer
When your child is missing, you want to get the word out. You talk about it, you post flyers and you beg for television time. If you can make enough people award of a missing child, you have a greater chance of affecting a recovery, whatever that means. In fact, that is the theory behind the Amber Alert program.
That is why missing person flyers are ubiquitous in our society. They are in storefronts in communities where children are missing, and they are a staple on cable television shows like Nancy Grace and Issues with Jane Velez Mitchell. Broadcast television features missing persons regularly on shows like Dateline, 48 Hours and 20/20. Missing person profiles, discussion groups and real crime forums have proliferated in social networking communities in recent years. Even Walmart features missing persons in all of their facilities through the United States. In fact, it is difficult to avoid missing persons in modern society, so for a judge to legitimize the convoluted claims of an ex-girlfriend, who was caught on camera tearing down those flyers, is unconscionable.
Of course, there is more to this story than missing person flyers. We know that Madeline Gleason was cheating on Billy Smolinski with another man, a married local politician, and that Billy disappeared shortly after finding this out. We know that a multi-jurisdictional law enforcement task force believes that Madeline Gleason’s son killed Billy Smolinski. Unfortunately, we also know that the Smolinski family continues to grieve and search for their beloved son.
Billy Smolinski and his dog Harley
I’ve known Jan Smolinski for many years. She is an honorable woman who is heartbroken that her son has been missing and presumed dead for nearly 8-years now. Like me, or the family of Sierra LaMar or any of the other parents of missing kids who stare teary eyed into the camera and say that, “We will never give up hope,” and defy stark realities, Jan Smolinski is a crime victim. The state should be protecting her, ensuring that she has the right to maintain her dignity and be treated with respect. Instead, because of the actions of Superior Court Judge Thomas Corradino, she and her family are being re-victimized by the power of an entire state. They have not only lost their son, but are in jeopardy of losing their life savings.
Madeline Gleason holding Billy Smolinski missing flyer
One of the fundamental functions of government is to protect the innocent and shield victims of crime. Instead Connecticut has chosen to pile indignity upon loss. This is heartbreaking and should not be allowed to happen. When a culture choses to devour the downtrodden, than that culture has lost its way.
Posting missing person flyers is protected by the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. Or is it? What kind of message is being sent if one can become liable to legal action for simply posting a flyer of a missing person, regardless of whose neighborhood or bus route it is posted in?
Dear Mr. Klaas ,
The date for Appellate Court has been announced. It will be on November 20 @ 2:00 PM New Haven, CT.
As supporters of the Smolinski Family we feel that the media should re-engage and highlight the injustice done to this family prior to this hearing in hopes of overturning such a dismal ruling that will effect how the public will forever seek information on their missing loved ones. We are hoping you can help. Thank you in advance, Valerie Parkhurst ,Florida
This is all my opinion: I ask that prayers,meditations and positive good thoughts go out to that poor family, who did nothing wrong, and have already suffered through a frivolous lawsuit , a long, drawn out “kangaroo” court proceeding full of lies and character assassination against them and their son, and finally a completely wrong verdict. (I have attached a previously document from scribd outlining the actual Appeal grounds). Something is blatantly wrong when virtually everything said by Madeleine Gleason’s side can be questioned, disproven or even shown to be possible perjury)
Madeleine Gleason’s very expensive lawyer, John Williams, who has represented Connecticut’s worst mass murderer and also trumpets his commitment to “Civil Rights” cases on his website, in my opinion has done nothing except try to deny the Smolinskis their own Civil Rights. From day one , in my opinion he has built his case on the premise that the Smolinskis’ search for their missing son Billy caused his client Madeleine Gleason intentional “pain and anguish” ( Never mind the fact that their one and only goal was to find their beloved son and brother )He even states that on the popular video made by Discovery ID about Billy’s August 24, 2004 disappearance called Disappeared: Favorite Son. In it, he talks about Gleason’s “pain and anguish” and he smirks, chuckles and equates Billy’s case to that of Jimmy Hoffa’s. “Pain and Anguish”. Huh. The words Pain and anguish ” do not even begin to describe a father sitting in court and telling what it felt like to find piles of his son’s Missing Posters in shreds on the ground.”Pain and anguish” are words appropriate for a mother reciting a very long list of authorities she begged for help and then being cut off and criticized by yet another person in Authority, a Judge who was supposed to be impartial and fair. A Judge who allowed Ms Gleason to ramble on about all her supposed defamations and slights and yet cut off, interrupted or silenced the Smolinskis every time they tried to speak or offer evidence in their favor. “Pain and anguish” is a sister testifying about looking for her brother who is presumed murdered and having to listen to conflicting stories about an incident at the Woodbridge Police Station , an incident described differently by Gleason and her self-described “very good friend” Frances Vrabel. So differently in fact that in court, Ms Gleason felt compelled to say that “Fran isn’t remembering it right”. Pain and Anguish. Yes, it’s abundant here. Not the “pain and anguish” of someone who didn’t like seeing Missing Posters, but the pain and anguish of a family looking daily for their loved one and persevering despite everything being done to hurt them, to stop them.The Smolinskis have suffered more pain and anguish than anyone deserves to suffer in ten lifetimes, and all they want is their son back. They deserve to win their appeal. They are the ones who should be getting compensation , and apologies by all in authority who failed them.
http://www.scribd.com/doc/136982243/Smolinski-Appeal-of-Civil-Judgment-for-Madeline-Gleason
If you have the freedom to post flyers, then others have the freedom to take them down. That’s just the way it works.
Let me tell you, if an ex beat me up and disappeared, I would be tearing down the posters as well.
who said he beat her up and disappeared. he’s presumed dead. there have been no sitings or credit card use noticed. she may have a right too tear them down but she has no right too harass or sue the vicitims family. you hesrtless bitch.
Bob, you are so right. The heartless person who made that comment has a long history of making unfounded “hit and run”-type comments against that most emotionally vulnerable of all groups, the families of the Missing .The comments, especially the most egregious ones are never followed up with hard fact or proof.There are monsters among us, Bob. Pray , meditate or send good thoughts, and work for good, not evil.
This is an injustice to this family and I hope it will be overturned as this woman should not get one cent.This is a wonderful family and has gone thru so much.I pray for Justice to be served
I so agree with everyone that this is complete injustice to the Smolinski Family and this Judge is so wrong and should not be on the bench.This is a slap in the face to this family and sends a very bad message to all families missing a loved one.Shame on this and thanks for writing this Klaas Kids.
Thank you for this wonderful and honest blog! To watch him this wonderful family go through 8 years years of heartbreak and then be sued for hanging flyers and losing the case shows how corrupt and a waste of time and taxpayers money is being spent on this insane court case. The time and money should be spent on finding Billy! What a horrible thing to do to this grieving family!!!
You are so right Marc! Judge Corradino has made a dreadful mistake and it needs to be righted in the court system ASAP. This ruling must not stand. Thankfully the Smolinski family will fight this to the end. I sincerely hope to see their efforts rewarded. That woman does not deserve to see a penny of that award. Her son likely murdered their son and it is simply not right for her to come out ahead – financially or otherwise. My prayers go out to the Smolinski family each and every day. Jan is an amazing woman, mother, and fighter for advocates of missing families. God Bless her.
Why was the burden of proof so very low in this case ? Why were good people forced to sit and keep their composure while listening to (in my opinion) lie after lie? For example, the judge(so called ) was willing to believe that the Smolinskis posted 20 flyers on one telephone pole in front of a house where Madeleine Gleason-Sodins was staying. (and really…..so what if they did ????) The “judge” was willing to hear and believe Madeleine , who was looking for $$$ , and her “very good friend” Frances Barra- Vrabel and her “best friend”, Melissa Depallo, without any proof of same.The “20 posters on one telephone pole” were supposedly put their to “harass” Madeleine.. but I mean, come on , 20 posters…where would they fit? Did the Smolinskis stand on each others’ shoulders to put them all up? …. The “judge” believed Madeleine, not Paula Smolinski, who was obviously, sincerely angry, and said, (not verbatim)”of course not! The posters are expensive”…in my opinion it looks ike the judge either has no common sense or was paid off.
Where was the photograph to prove it? If it was true, 20 Posters, don’t you know she would have taken a picture! But who believe that even if she did take a picture because she had torn down at least 20 posters and could have staged a picture with all of them. So where is the proof? No proof? That is an easy one, it is not to be believed and nothing but self serving statements and propaganda!
EXACTLY! And why was the issue of PERJURY not addressed? Starting with Madeleine saying in court that the Smolinskis fabricated a love triangle and that she and the married politician had broken up long before Billy disappeared..when a police report from the waterbury police Department directly contradicts all of tat.
Everything today goes to the killers and criminals..
That is the truth spoken!
What a travesty of justice! If we cannot post the faces of our missing without worrying that we may be sued what are we to do?
That judge is part of this country’s problem. What an idiot. This is wrong.
agree 100%. I pay an obscene amount in tax money to the state of Connecticut. I don’t want any more of it wasted on ridiculous lawsuits that this “judge” is either too stupid or too corrupt to dismiss outright (IMHO)
This is absolutely outrageous. A travesty indeed. That judge should not only be ashamed of himself but should be thrown off the bench. This family deserves some compassion. They didn’t do anything wrong, and yet they are the ones who get punished. I hope the governor is paying some kind of attention because if he is I don’t see how a ruling like this could ever be upheld. My heart goes out to this suffering family.
Thank you so very much for writing this! We all support Billy’s family!!
Too much focus on what Smolinskis might have done and no attention to what Gleason did/might have done/has done. Wallpaper my house with flyers – Saturate away. I have nothing to fear …
Thank you Marc for writing this blog. We’ve all been so sick over everything that has happened in Billy’s case but this latest slap in the face to the Smolinski family basically just slapped all families of the missing in the face. When I first heard of this news and in tears I just kept asking myself “How much more can one family take?” But in my heart and knowing Jan so well I know that nothing will stop this family from all the answers they deserve no matter what they are put through.
With Jan’s Smolinski’s permission we have a Facebook page called Support Team Smolinski if anyone would like to leave comments and thoughts and show support.
Maureen Reintjes
NamUs Volunteer Victim Advocate – Kansas
2 petitions need to be started to address this outrage; the first to put pressure on the judge or the appeals court to overturn this ruling as it is patently ludicrous. The second should be a petition to start an effort to recall or impeach this judge as it is obvious that he is out of touch with reality and completly blind to victims rights issues.