Mike Webb sentenced: felonious punk

It didn't take long, once justice got up on its feet. In the end, not even Warren Buffett could change Mike Webb's legal destiny.

In a bench trial before Judge Julie Spector, the former talk host and liberal KIRO night time personality  finally got a verdict and sentencing for his bungling, nearly transparent attempt to defraud Geico Insurance into paying for a car accident he'd

had with an uninsured driver before he bought a policy.

Prosecutor Nancy Balin called it an "attempted theft." Judge Spector said, said the evidence clearly showed that Webb "blatantly and with arrogance" defrauded the insurance company.

(After his completed trial in September was declared a mistrial, after a melee in front of the courthouse that landed Webb handcuffed in a police car to a Harborview rubber room).

This time, both parties agreed to a "stipulated trial, with the facts of the case presented in the original trial, and heard by Judge Spector and considered without a jury or re-calling witnesses.

The prosecutor and the defense attorney, Mark Larranaga each made a statement and brief rebuttals; the judge made her judgment shortly thereafter.

Her verdict: guilty as charged. "Only one person made things difficult for Mr. Webb," she said, "and that it was Mr. Webb."

She found Webb's credibility, "totally lacking," and went through a laundry list- a "continuum of falsification," of bank records and lies told investigators by "no other than Mr. Webb."

Webb, 51, finally humbled, stood at the bench before the court with his attorney, as his mental health and his future was discussed. After the mistrial, he'd been ordered into 30 days of mental health inpatient treatment.

(Famously touchy about having his picture taken- in the first trial, Webb ran out of the courtroom when he saw a Seattle Times photographer aiming a lens at him. Today he didn't freak as a P-I photog sat in the jury box snapping frontals).

Balin asked for 60 days jail time with half in community service and the rest in home detention or custody; plus fines and restitution. Standard sentencing is 0-365 days in jail with a 5-year max).

Larranaga told the court that Webb's clean criminal record and that since the crime wasn't all that serious, he should get no jail time. He also lauded Webb's promulgation of "political, social awareness, community awareness," while on the radio. That opportunity, he said- and his very livelihood were finished- even though, he admitted, much of that is "due to his own actions."
( Mike was never involved in the community, if he had Larranaga would have trotted out the specifics. As for political activism, local progressives don't know him...)

Balin noted that it was indeed a serious crime- a felony; and his actions were willful and deliberate as hell.

The judge then asked Webb if he wanted to address the court before she sentenced him.

He, of course did, and speaking in an uncharacteristically soft voice, he said he was, "Mystified and overwhelmed. I didn't do it!"

Webb acknowledged that he is "guilty of arrogance," but implied if he were to do fraud, he would have done it better. "I can add," he said. (This was in reference to the bad job his novice forger did falsifying bank documents that he stupidly gave Geico and the cops. Balin showed that the columns didn't add up, the type was all hinky, and the fonts were wrong and mismatched).

Web repeated his claims (never argued court by his attorney) that someone- a kid, a blogger (guess who!) who "had it out for me, interrupted my Internet" and framed him. "It's the elephant in the room," he said, "The bloggers scoff at it, but no one has ever addressed it in court."

In a lighter moment and one that pointed up how truly bizarre and out of touch Webb is was when Balin read a letter that Webb wrote tWarren Buffett  who is the CEO of Berkshire Hathaway of which GEICO is a subsidiary. He complained to the Omaha billionaire that his life has been "turned upside down" because of all the Geico employees who testified against him. Prevailing upon Buffett for we're not sure what, he wrote, "I've never asked for or received a dime from Geico."

Judge Spector, unmoved, gave Webb two days credit for time already spent in jail, then sentenced him to 30 days with the time to be served in community service in a non-profit such as the Food Bank.

He was fined $1000; assigned the day;'s court cost of $443 plus an additional fee of $100; $500 for the victim compensation.

There will be a restitution hearing later to determine his part in paying for the original trial which included over $1100 for the police investigation; and over $10,000 for flying in and housing the Geico employees who were witnesses.

Webb is to continue with his long term mental health treatment and follow all treatment recommendations, including medications. This will be monitored by the court.

As a convicted felon, he'll lose his civil rights- including voting rights, and gun wnership for five years. (Knowing his past threats to others and himself, and his bragadaccio with his licensed-to-carry gun, the judge inquired if he had any guns. He said he did not, he'd gotten rid of it. "This is outrageous," he said angrily, I never used that gun!"

With that, the trial ended;  Mike gave BlatherWatch the finger on his way out- a gesture of hope and reconciliation.

   

 

Comments

[pugetsound]

sez coiler:
"Are you his lover? I won't jump to anything, its ok with us"

once again you nailed it. just don't tell my spouse, i'm trying to live on the downlow. you know the deal...

[Steve]

Peasant Sparky, that was the lamest joke ever. Keep trying, practice makes perfect and making an ass of yourself seems to be natural for you.

[Just Bad radio]

I think the Styblhead will be back on tonight from 10:00 pm to 1:00 am. So Iam sure you will be hearing the Styblehead breathing heavy on the mic , So Iam thinking he will be chasing the cleaning lady around again and remember styblehead crap crew get that finger ready for some Styblehead radio fun!!!

[adc]

Sparky, the light bulb joke is a perfect illustration of how this administration operates!

I believe it was Karl Rove himself, who years ago arrogantly proclaimed to a reporter, that because they had so much power, "this White House creates our own reality"

Delusional indeed.

[Tommy008]

I agree with your assessment as to why Mike was so awful on the air, with two exceptions- the only air of friendliness I ever heard him adopt was when one of his fellow bitch queens called in , usually from San Francisco, or when the very rare guy or gal called in who Mike thought was as hip , slick and cool as he was. This latter type of event wouldn't happen more than once every two years. Mike really thought he was "too cool for school", and the coolest guy in town. Not even in the running.

[shoreke]

If you are a Mike Webb fan his internet radio show is a gift from heaven. Three hours of Webb...five nights/week...no commercials. Liberal talk radio at its best.

[Steve]

I think he meant Liberal fudge packing at its best.

[noyb]

steve, please, take the jar of icy/hot away from your hands and pull your pants back up. We know all these gop scandals really make you hot!

[Stephen Schwartz]

What a crock!

What DO you want on the radio? Pablum? Ignorance? Passionless Platitudes?

At least Limbaugh is a talented character!

[Bob Dole]

Thanks "Martin R. Howell" with the pseudo-believeable email addy: "howellmartin@hotmail.com"

Bob Dole thinks your full of doodie

[mercifurious]

Stephen's Schwartz:
At least Limbaugh is a talented character!

Sportscaster? Yes
Entertainment? Yes
Information? Hardly
Source for a thesis? Yeah, right.

One of these days a wingnut might actually make it into college (after Carlson) and turn in a paper with Limbaugh/Hanndjobity/O'Reilly as a source. Then we'll all have a big laugh.

[Martin R. Howell]

No one cares what either of us think, Mr. Dole. Minds were made up long ago.

You will listen to his show when he is back on KIRO in less than three months, won't you?

Everyone else will.

[shoreke]

Mike Webb claims to work for Progressive Networks. How come nobody in the known universe has any information on this so-called "network"? Webb is a pathological liar.

[Martin R. Howell]

Shoreke wrote:

"Webb is a pathological liar"

Why you haters are looking better by the moment. You all must be very glad to have Mr. Webb to compare yourselves to.

[Stephen Schwartz]

Mercifurious

I didn't say i liked Limbaugh. But in a universe where folks are obsessed with Webb's minor felony, Limbaugh is a big time bad guy with a big time talent.

I wish he were back on the air, even nationally, and Limbaugh were the one sitting in the funny wards.

[Tommy008]

Webb has been proven to be a felonious sleazebag and a pathological liar. All you posters who want Webb back on KIRO, at least those of you who aren't Mike Webb in disguise, just listen to his little internet show, OK? No one needs or wants that conceited creep back on KIRO, besides a handle of Webb diehards, and he is not going to be back on KIRO. So forget it, and listen to his crap on the internet.

[lukobe]

ryder wrote Remember the week of 9/11? Every Seattle talk show was demanding all out war. Then came saturday night. Out of all the local voices demanding war there came Mike Webb proclaiming what many of you proclaim now.

People right now are against the war in Iraq. I don't think there is nearly as much of a call for us to get out of Afghanistan--which is where our post-9/11 anger was directed.

[joanie]

Damn, Ryder! Fremont and I want to know your playlist! We're of a similar music set, sir.

[joanie]

BTW, if you're including Dusty Springfield, forget it.

[Stephen Schwartz]

How about branding Mike Webb on the forehead and then letting him do the TV news on Q13? Best of all worlds. The Webb haters could get off on the brand, the freak show viewers would have another reason to watch a Faux station .... sort of a local version of Bill OReally.

BTW what DID happen to the charges vs. Bill of sex abuse?

[KING1090]

You miserable Seattlelites, you all can't see the forest for the trees, as usual. Look folks - get in touch with reality. 99 percent of listeners and potential advertisers HAVE NEVER heard of Webb's legal issues. Never. And they never will, ever. EVER. Probably only one tenth of one percent of KIRO listeners read these RADIO blogs.

Webb says that he is innocent. He is appealing his case. Given Webb's 30+ years in radio and his high ratings, professionalism, and integrity, then WHY do you folks all question his credibility? A good PD would conclude that Mike's probably telling the truth.

Look folks, this is the RADIO biz. Radio managers are looking for talent and ratings all the time. It's only a matter of time, folks, before some liberal station in another market hires Webb.

You see, in radio, you need ratings NOW. If talent is out there, grab it right away. You don't put your own ratings "on hold" for some private legal case to unfold over 14 months. Why Clendening is doing this I have no idea. KIRO ratings are in the toilet. Why Fredricks and Trapp at 1090 are waiting, I have no idea. Isn't the Entercom non-compete over by now? My goodness.

Last Friday's court case essentially doesn't change anything here, since Mike is appealing it. So far, no jail time, no fines, nothing. Deal with those issues later. If Webb's given a leave of absence from station no. 2, well, just worry about that later. Getting short term ratings comes first in the RADIO biz.
Just because you're a convicted felon DOES NOT mean that you are never employable again!

Clendening or 1090 should hire Mike before it's too late for them. Some other liberal station will hire Webb to replace air america hosts. Maybe Kris Olinger at KKZN/Denver will get Webb on?! I hope so, then I'll be able to hear Mike on AM 760 at 50,000 watts!

WOW! I SEE THE FOREST FOR THE TREES!

[sparky]

yes, Mike, move to Denver, and take Erin with you! That is an excellent idea!!

[Tommy008]

Let me be the first to take the Post-conviction Mike Webb Pledge- I, Tommy008, hereby pledge that Mike Webb, disgraced former KIRO talkhost, and generally unpleasant fellow, even before his legal problems, will no longer be the subject of any of my future messages, short stories, or novelettes. I take this action, due to the number of recent suspicious Blatherwatch handles and posts, which suggest they are coming from Webb himself or one of his confederates. Since Webb thrives on attention/martyrdom, I believe further justice for him would be, as a disgraced Seattle resident, to shun/ignore him on this website and to urge him to leave the state after he fulfills his court obligations.

[Tommy008]

Apparently not satisfied with the presentation to him of a gold-plated jockstrap plaque at a local restaurant KVI soiree, Brian Suits had to play his "macho card" again yesterday when he questioned to her face (well , over the phone) a retired woman Army Colonel how she ever made colonel, with her type of thinking (she's pro-Watada), with the follow up cheapshot ("are you a full colonel, or er.."..). p.s. the part about the jockstrap was a joke, for the humor-impaired.

[blathering michael]

problem for Mike
Webb is- it 's not the listeners or the people who don't read radio blogs who hire talk hosts. It's the programmers and radio execs who do. Many radio people read this blog- and many, many more read the Seattle daily papers, who have covered the sad deteriation of a once medicore talk host who'd reached the level of his incompetence. BlatherWatch will be also taking the Tommy 008 pledge. The fork is in Mike Webb, unless he does something newsworthy- and there's always a possibility of that...

[sparky]

sounds good to me....

[MIKE WEBB]

don't flatter yourself, michael. you haven't had the "pleasure"of hearing those programmers laughing at the inanity and inaccuracy of your so-called 'blog'. NOW THE BOARD OPS...yes, they love ya. But once they get into SIXTH grade, watch out, ya might have to use spell check or something.