Michael MacNeil; the Deputy DA San Diego media almost helped to get away

Michael MacNeil- sexting attorney

Former San Diego Deputy District Attorney, Michael MacNeil, continues to enjoy a general shield of protection from his conduct, courtesy of San Diego Media.  Including after he was identified by a co-worker.  

The “whys” of protection is media gets too chummy with sources. Here’s how San Diego media protected MacNeil; and a little of background on MacNeil’s conduct.  (And by the way, MacNeil worked in the same field – Juvenile Division, as the now charged, David Lamb.)

Using the District Attorney’s office as his base, MacNeil secretly,

MacNeil

• took pictures of women in court
• texted information about cases with strangers
• demeaned female co-workers to other female co-workers
• and apparently lied in a court declaration about pointing a loaded gun (one of seven he owns) at his wife
• while enjoying the protection of his friends with the San Diego Police.

This being San Diego, the wife didn’t matter.  Including the below, which I received from a tipster and forwarded to the DA, as from an individual identified as a female on a social media platform.

“…this guy’s first word was “tits” or something and he used it as a way of startin nasty conversation and immediately he started flirting and sexting.

He started bashing his wife, being as nasty as he is in the office, a tell-all kind of person who bragged about being a millionaire because of his grandfather’s inheritance. His dad has a lot of money as well, being a former DA and inheriting as well. He went as low as asking if the person he was talking to had savings account, it is all about sex and money. Then as he got comfortable he told all the abusive stories, called his wife a bitch often, told about “wanting to leave her F÷%×%€ poor“, etc

Admitted being abusive. I tried to get him to admit him pulling a gun on her but he didnt (sic). But I found out in mediation he told Patti he pulled gun on himself and his wife said it didn’t happen like that, that he pointed at her. He admitted filming her when he forced himself inside the house after separation, until she agreed to his 50/50 custody demands.”

(Mediator Patti Chavez-Fallon is often described as one of the worst mediators in all San Diego. Naturally some of San Diego’s most misogynistic judges prefer Chavez-Fallon.)

A loaded gun? Police taking his guns? Family court judges do not refer obvious criminal matters to the DA. Why?  Ask them.

Media?  Shrugs all around.  Media specializing in positioning a reporter standing in front of some drive-way behind crime scene tape announcing, “She had requested a restraining order.”

What drew the San Diego District attorney’s attention however, was not MacNeil’s behavior at home by terrorizing his wife, but sharing case information with strangers; and taking pictures of co-workers and court personnel in court

Michael MacNeil – texts case information with someone he met online

although the co-workers and court personnel had no idea they were being creeped on by a perv.  Finally!  Something mattered!

Also,  Michael MacNeil spent hours messing around snapping pictures of himself in after-five, office attire.

Meaning, naked.

(Hoping he didn’t put in for overtime. Particularly since post-five;  MacNeil was one, picture snapping, non-stop, lewd, texting machine.)

San Diego Deputy District Attorney, Michael McNeil’s, after five, office attire.

So, yeah.  ABC’s Channel 10 decided to protect that guy.  

ABC aired part of the story, but protected Michael MacNeil by not revealing his identity including when a co-worker identified him.  

This is just a wild hunch – but what do you want to bet the Scripps affiliate legal team is top-loaded with men?

Did I mention MacNeil’s father is a retired District Attorney?  Yeah.  That too. Perhaps that’s why, although MacNeil “resigned”  Michael Colin MacNeil

And now practices Family and Criminal law. So while MacNeil’s possible criminal behavior aired ever-so-briefly on Channel 10 — the ABC Scrips affiliate editors turned back-flips to protect MacNeil in one ridiculously tabloid “non-story.”  ABC focused on MacNeil’s illegal court snaps and concentrated on the “sexting Deputy DA.” Demeaning attitudes towards female co-workers, references to his soon-to-be ex wife and a gun?

¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

Please know: the same information was also sent to other San Diego media outlets.

1.  San Diego Union Tribune Watchdog:   No response. Same for reporters  Harry Jones, and Jeff MacDonald
2.  San Diego Reader:   Don Bauder – “I’ll have a look.” For 15 years, it’s never gotten beyond “I’ll have a look” – including supervised visitation people who scam for profits.
3. NBC – Tom Ford is notorious for torpedoing stories concerning how women can get Effective Restraining Orders.  (Hint: super great technology) 
4. CBS – one great story five years ago. Most recently with MacNeil’s case – the woman assignment editor turned up her nose, saying, “We’re not touching it.”
5. Voice of San Diego – Nope.  Somehow the “Voice” has mandated never taking a look at the largest court in San Diego. San Diego women have no voice.

Media’s devotion to protecting abusive men – isn’t new to media or San Diego.  But San Diego media’s ignoring female crime victims trying to get out of family court alive, is getting tiresome.

Disclaimer:  Having lived all over the U.S.,  (including in Utah, whose residents reside in a separate, reality bubble,)  I can categorically state San Diego is and remains, the most misogynistic city in the nation.  That no one suspects.  Here’s just one example from Courthouse News regarding UCSD.

Things are no better at “Campus living at USD.”
Compare  Another San Diego rape from Courthouse News.

Family court is a whole ‘mother massively ignored, and summed up below.

San Diego media norm

Burning question:  With all this going on in San Diego:  One wonders why would San Diego media choose to protect attorney Michael MacNeil?  Why would ABC air such a feeble feature?

In closing —

Funniest of all?  Because San Diego is a tourist town, San Diego anchors often begin broadcasts with their hap-hap-happy chirp:

 “Welcome to San Diego, America’s finest city!”  

At least —until a scandal breaks.

The chirping resumes after the scandal fades, either by prosecution, or interest.

Cheers!

Advertisement