Why Didn't Pam Ott get bail? I've asked the Department of Justice for a month. Please?

I was wearing red, white and blue

Since the moment, Pam Ott, former CEO/Administrator at the Kern Valley Healthcare District came charging out the court room doors where she plead innocent to eight counts of elder abuse, unencumbered by any jail type gear, I have been asking the question "why?"

(Free advertising for Yusef and his bail bond business. And of course, for those still left at KVHD, who might need his services...)

Now the first three defendants in the elder abuse case, spent time in jail, wore orange jumpsuits, and were given some steep bail amounts to pay.

I came home from court and called the Department of Justice press office and asked why Ott seemed to be given preferential treatment, which is not what she gave to the KVHD hospital residents or employees.

They were going to call me back. Then they did call me back, but left a message. Then we spoke, then we decided an email would be good. No email. It's the dance of the press and the keepers of information.

Week after week I have called and patiently waited to hear why our old perpetrator was given the "drive thru" treatment when it could be easily argued that she was the one who would most likely take flight.

Ott came into court, had her five minutes, and out she went.

Then her attorney, criminal defense guy, Jim Faulkner has been quoted as saying Miss Ott is "completely innocent," these charges are basically a bunch of unsubstantiated nothing.

Oh Jim.

I don't know if Faulkner has any idea the seriousness of these charges and the amount of witnesses there are against his client, but if I were him, I'd tone it down a bit until the whole story comes out.

But did Mr. Faulkner somehow influence the state to take it easy on his client?

Really, Ott sped out of town in May 2007, (that video is going to come up this week, and there are some really prophetic quotes in there) or at the end of May, there was some business to forget about before the departure...bzzzzzzzzz, whirrrrrrr, "you're fired."

So, I guess my naivety about these matters is apparent again.

There's been so much talk here that Ott "will not go to jail" or even be convicted, it seems like there's not much faith in our system to carry out its obligations.

And certainly allowing her the privileged, almost private, courtroom plea, didn't help to make believers out of us.

You know people need something to hang on to, see something done right with the right intentions. We have the chance now to make changes in this valley and at this hospital which will directly influence the character of this community.

We could use some help from above, in Sacramento, and prayers would be nice too.

Really, I was wearing my American ensemble from the Sears kid's department as I've shrunk, and the clothes are still hanging over the chair I left them on that day, waiting, for our government to live up to its end of this bargain.

I'll keep calling and get back to you that have inquired about the bail issue...