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Posted March 25, 2010 By admin and has no comments yet.

An interview with Michael Mehas, Author, film producer, and lawyer, child theft

Stolen Boy is a work of fiction, but based on the case of Jessie James Hollywood … Michael Mehas what the author says can make the difference between Hollywood's life and death.

Stolen Boy is powerful stuff. How do you Interested?

One day in April 2003 while he was tending to my dying dog, Sadie, I received a call from an old friend, Nick Cassavetes, who said he wanted to make a film about Jesse James Hollywood, the youngest man ever on the FBI's Most Wanted List. As I lived near Santa Barbara, where the crime took place, I had read all these articles about this incredible crime involving all these young people. Children accused of committing crimes against children. It's an incredible story. One that I wanted to know more about.

For anyone who does not know what is working on a film Cassavetes, is one of those rare occasions in life that just do not want to reject. Make a Cassavetes film is not so much about fame or fortune, as it is experienced a slice of life. And that was a piece of life I did not want to lose. So a week later, after Sadie had taken, I asked Nick where I could register. Set up a meeting with the Santa Barbara District Attorney, and the rest is just kind of story, as they say. All this had in this life itself – taking all these turns before becoming incredibly crazy in the movie (Alpha Dog), my book, and then the madness of my legal involvement in the death penalty case.

Certainly it is unusual for a "casual outsider 'to be part of a trial, however, you have been summoned twice to appear before the court. What are your thoughts?

In fact, I have been cited three times in the case of Jesse Hollywood. So far, I have declared twice and suffered the misfortune to have the court order him to give me all the notes and tapes of my interviews. Early in the process, on two occasions with the very real possibility of going to jail for not complying with subpoenas, which initially had seriously considered doing.

In the beginning, after Hollywood was captured in Brazil – after one of the hunts more generally in human history – completely turned my life upside down. I met the famous trial lawyer in Hollywood, James Blatt, several times, and he asked me to testify in the case. He wanted to help him save the life of his client.

While Hollywood has been in flight, Santa Barbara County District Attorney, and other security forces, he was completely demonized by the media. You basically had tried and sentenced in absentia. As a result, public sentiment was severely against Hollywood. People wanted to see him die a violent death for a crime he had not even yet appeared in court. The prosecutor wanted him to death. The victim's family requested ten eyes-for-two types of justice. Customer sincerely believed Mr. Blatt lagged little chance to get a fair trial. I think in due course any jury would have dictated a quick sentence followed by a faster justice, even – that is the death penalty.

I am a criminal defense lawyer at heart and by trade. I'm also a humanist. And I sincerely believe that all living beings have this right inherent in life. It is not our job to make the final decision on the other. I'm not a fan of government-sanctioned murder. So I wanted to do everything possible to help customer save Mr. Blatt.

And I knew that the family of Jesse Hollywood. Jesse had a little brother who was very protective. There were parents who loved his son. I do not want to die. And neither did I, but the problem with the request of Mr. Blatt is that if I finished testifying, my testimony could be used as the cornerstone criminal prosecution against Ron Zonen, the prosecutor in the case – and also from office – for potential unlawful misconduct in their dealings with me. I have a lot of information prosecution. Much of this – you probably should not have given me. It was not until the California Attorney General decided not to prosecute him or his office that finally agreed to testify. And then when I did, the court ordered to turn over my notes. If they fail, I would go to jail. So, finally, I agreed. I was really interested to stay in the Gray Bar Hotel. I had a life to live. I had a book to finish. So I turned the notes and tapes more. But I was not very happy with the way the situation has materialized at all.

Maybe I got it wrong, but when I compare his writings on the Mickey's fictional of Jesse James Hollywood I see a difference. Mickey is the devil, but I feel that his real feelings are nothing Jesse. Am I right?

The real Jesse James Hollywood is far from the devil incarnate. He's actually a very smart kid. When you think he was very successful what he did. But Jesse was not bad. He was a hothead arrogant, maybe. And I was scared, definitely. He lived in a very tough company in time. But throughout this, Jesse James Hollywood, despite the reputation of his name implies – is a human being. And while he did whatever he actually did, was just a kid. Was a twenty year old kid trying to play the game the great man, and left him. But, like his co-defendants, does not deserve to die as a result. If you do get the death penalty, and if we as the state of California, agree to kill her, what does that make us? People who kills to avenge a murder? Is this really what it means to be a member of the human race is all this? Taking justice into our own hands? I know it is what I do. I believe in life, and not try to put my energies toward the creation of death. So I'll do whatever I can to help someone who is in serious trouble. To help raise awareness of any who is interested. To try to change the world around us devote our collective conscience to life, improve measures, not death.

Are you still involved with the case? You have clearly established a link with the father of Jesse.

These are two very different questions. First, yes, I'm still involved in the case where I suspect that the prosecutor and defense attorney has not yet finished with my services. The new prosecutor in the case have tried to cite me. From what I understand, is a very nice boy. But he wants more information from me, and I think that is totally uncool. What could she know, or that at this point that might need? He's trying to kill Jesse Hollywood. And I'm not going to help you do that, even if it puts me at risk of going to jail. It's that simple. That's why I sent my lawyer in court last June, and speakers discussing the subpoena. The judge, in his wisdom, said the prosecutor and my lawyer would not to decide the question of the validity of the subpoena until the case went back to the California Supreme Court.

The Supremes are set to decide a very important issue in this case. As I understand, this is how prosecutors should or should not be able to cozy up to the media treating the cases of high profile. Similar to the whole debacle with the Duke lacrosse team. The District Attorney in this case, basically, tried and condemned to poor children through the media before they ever had the opportunity to defend himself. The same thing happened here. The prosecutor wants Jesse James Hollywood in the death row. I to do whatever I can to help ensure that does not happen. We have to change things around here. I think if we put our energy in life to improve the measures that will benefit as a whole. We are all interconnected, you know. We all benefit when the rest of us do well. We must stop killing our brothers. And certainly not the work of our government to do that for us.

As regards the father of Jesse, Jack,. I could totally empathize with the man. Here is a man who felt very bad for their involvement in raising his son. His son was looking to be sentenced to death, and this guy somehow felt responsible. Jack told me a story about bodies of law enforcement time raided his home and served a search warrant on him, not long after Jesse was gone. One of the officers of the law, a supervisor of the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Department, told Jack that he expected to be to find Jesse, because he wanted to be the one that killed him. Can you imagine someone saying that about your child? Jack devastated. He did not want his son was killed by a member of the sheriff's department. At the time, I think everything I really wanted was to be able to keep your child in his arms, knowing he was going to be fine.

Generally the sequence of events is the first book, the movie later. In this case the order is reversed. As for the two works, which is his favorite, and what are your thoughts about this sequence?

Loved it! the film. I thought Nick (Cassavetes) did an outstanding job with it. It was raw. Some of the performances were raw. This was a really unusual blend of pure, hot for power to tell a convincing story, an important story that needs to be told. The book says much the same story, but in a completely differently. And I'll tell you why.

In October 2003, Nick had a reading project that has influenced me greatly when it comes to the version of the story to tell through the book. There was much in this story. So much information. There were so many people involved. It is difficult to decide exactly what arguments follow. When we started the project, we wanted to tell a truthful version of history as possible. That's why Nick hired me. He knew he would find a way to get the information we needed. So this reading had Cassavetes with many of the top young talents in Hollywood. Large young actors and actresses. This was the first draft of the script with Nick, when Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey McGuire were established to produce it. Tobey read part of Hollywood, while Leo read the part of his main antagonist, the brother of the victim. Since reading reached deep into the script, you could feel the excitement building. The room filled with tension. And as he neared the climax, that literally could feel the anxiety to step on the actors. It was like – No way, this does not going to happen. They're really not going to do this. There is no way these guys are going to hurt this kid. And then, suddenly, the room fell silent. This massive collective gasp escaped. It was like a huge ball had burst. Everybody fell back, totally deflated. They could not believe it could happen that way. It was like – no way for these kids, who had spent all this time partying with this guy, who … And suddenly, committed the worst act imaginable. The actors were devastated. And I knew that's how my story had to end.

About the Author

Simon Barrett is an adult educator in Calgary, Alberta. With the 11 months a year of winter, he reads a lot of books! He is also a contributing editor for
Blogger News
and maintains a personal blog at
Simon B

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