The Angela Michael Story

The $150,000 lawsuit uncovered

By Steve Wetzel
director, MTTU News

June 11, 2007
 

This is a personal story long overdue. Five plus years in fact. I have been hesitant in telling it as good pro-life work was still being accomplished. That being said, I would be negligent not warn other pro-lifers to be on guard when dealing with Angela Michael of Small Victories. Currently, there is a battle of two differing pro-life groups in Granite City, which  makes this article timely.

I have learned that when involved in legal entanglements, people often change. Just because one is a Christian does not change this fact.  Job 2:4-5 says,

"And Satan answered, and said: Skin for skin; and all that a man hath, he will give for his life. But put forth thy hand, and touch his bone and his flesh, and then thou shalt see that he will curse thee to thy face."

It is the nature of man to protect ones own flesh - regardless of whether someone else pays the price.  It is repugnant to be sure, but whether one is a Christian or not, does not change this fact.

As believers, we assume that because we have the same "family connection," we all have the same dedication and endurance to fight the good fight. To assume such is folly as I have discovered.

 I recall my father once telling me, "It does not pay to be a liar." He explained that a liar must have a perfect memory. When one tells a lie, it must be supported with other lies - and those lies supported with even more  lies. He told me, "No one has a memory that good, so don't go there." That was wise counsel, that I have heeded.

This saga began in 2001 with a lawsuit, myself, and Daniel & Angela Michael. Angela Michael and I met through a pro-life friend, and thus began a friendship that included numerous trips to Granite City, IL., and the many "street reports" that followed.

After posting numerous "street reports" written by Angela Michael, I received an article (via e-mail) from Angela about a botched abortion. I also received a blurry inkjet picture of a woman in a wheel chair in the mail, and two copied documents. I scanned the image, and posted her article - exactly as written - as I had done many times before.

The woman in the blurry photo was made aware of the article, and a lawsuit ensued. The three of us were sued for $50,000 each, though we never revealed the name of the offended party. Personally, I thought the lawsuit to be frivolous as no identities were ever revealed, and the picture was of such poor quality, that it could be barely be recognized as a human figure. The article in question was later banned from the Internet by a local judge, but the legality of that ruling still remains in question.

I believe the lawsuit was settled with a promise to not republish the article, which I have not. The dirt lays in the 5 year legal battle, and the Angela Michael deposition.

Linked below, I pick up Angela's deposition after all the preliminary nonsense. I am only showing the part of her testimony which pertains to me, but left no gaps. Though I was definitely stabbed in the back by Angela Michael, our "contact" was in much greater jeopardy. That person could have lost their medical license, gone to jail and bankrupted.

It is important to note the Michaels maintained contact with me even after her deposition, the contents of which I had no clue. For eight months I was told by Angela Michael that we ALL were being represented by attorney Rick Nelson based out of Florida. This was not the case, and when you read the deposition, you will understand *why* he could not represent me.

The Liberty Counsel then went to bat for me, and my attorney was shocked after obtaining a copy of the deposition, because I had spoke of the friendship I had with Angela and Daniel Michael. I was equally shocked when I read what she testified under oath about me!

Let me be clear, this is about Angela Michael alone. Her husband Daniel is as honest as the day is long. He is a heck of a nice guy, but Angela clearly wears the pants in the family. Daniel would disagree with me.

This knife job by Angela Michael, by itself, would not be an issue with me. Unfortunately, she is continuing the same lies to other people - such as Flip Benham of Operation Save America - who thinks he knows me because of what Angela Michael told him. I am a man of integrity, and without my integrity, I am nothing. I will defend my integrity.

Well let's read what Angela Michael said, and see how well it held up under the scrutiny of two attorneys. I know where the truth and the lies are, but I will let you figure that out.

Repeated attempts for comment from the Michaels went unanswered - as I expected.

These documents are unaltered with the exception of some highlighting I did for my attorney, and some necessary resizing and sharpening for ease of reading.

Craddock is Angela Michael's lawyer.

The other two lawyers doing the questioning, are for St. Elizabeth's hospital, and the abortionist's lawyer Mark Levy. Levy actually became my advocate in this deposition, digging out the truth.

Deposition links

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