STATEMENT JUDGE PAULA CASEY November 21, 1995 95-687
    I am sergeant Glenn Cramer of the Washington State Patrol, Internal Affairs Section. The date is November 26,1995. The following notes have been dictated from an Interview Lieutenant Dan Eikum and I conducted with Superior Court Judge Paula Casey at 10:00 a.m. on November 21, 1995.
    Judge Casey said she was the Administrative Judge for Thurston County and the Juvenile Court Judge Liaison. She was contacted by Corinne Newman, the Juvenile Court and Detention Administrator. Corrine expressed her point of view to Judge Casey concerning the physical and sexual abuse going on at the OK Boys Ranch. Judge Casey told us she read an investigative report by the Olympia Police Department, then came to the conclusion that something needed to be done. She felt this needed to be brought to the attention of someone at DSHS. She also told Lieutenant Eikum and I that she was personally familiar with Jean Soliz. On October 15, she called Assistant Secretary Soliz of DSHS. Judge Casey told Soliz of her concerns and indicated something needed to be done. In her opinion, a complete personnel re-alignment needed to be done; Tom Van Woerden, Collette Queener, and Laura Rambo needed to leave. She asked Soliz to investigate this, and based on their conversation, Soliz left her with the  impression she would look into the matter and get back with her. Approximately one month went by when Judge Casey did not get any return calls from Soliz.
On November 17, 1992, Judge Case called Soliz again. She reiterated her concerns about the staff and at that time Soliz said there was a stop placement order on the OKBR. Soliz implied to Judge Casey that her staff was recommending her to lift the stop placement order. This concerned Judge Casey, so she voiced her opinion to Soliz.  Soliz said she too was concerned and wasn't sure if she was going to lift the order.
Judge Casey went on to tell Lieutenant Eikum and I that anyone reading the OPD investigative report would've been concerned about the boys at the OKBR. When she called Soliz she got the impression Soliz knew there was a problem. Still not getting a response, she called Soliz for the third time on December 1, 1992, to express her concerns again about what was going on at the ranch. At that time Soliz told her she had a meeting set with the board of directors. During that same day, December 1, 1992, Judge Casey called District Court Judge, Sue Duibisson and voiced her concern about the ranch. We asked her what Judge Dubisson's reactions were and how she replied to her concerns; Casey said she couldn't remember.
    We asked Judge Casey if Brian Fischnaller ever contacted her about the OKBR. She told us Mr. Fischnaller was a local attorney who came in on several occasions to have common business papers signed by her. He was always very interested in what she thought about the OKBR. She said he wanted her to intervene by going to a board of  director's meeting of the Kiwanis and voice her concerns. She didn't feel it was proper for her to go without a formal invitation from the Olympia Kiwanis Board of Directors. She also mentioned Mr. Fischnaller was not very well respected by the board members, and felt if she went it wouldn't have the impact it would if she was formally invited.
We asked her if Mr. Fischnaller ever contacted her in regards to Corrine Newman's communication to DSHS and the Olympia Kiwanis Board of Directors voicing her concerns for the safety of the boys. We also asked if he (Mr. Fischnaller) had ever asked her to get Ms. Newman to back off. (After a long pause) She responded saying that never occurred, and that Mr. Fischnailer was always concerned about what was going on at the OKBR. We told her we'd already interviewed Ms. Newman who told us about the telephone conversation with Casey. Ms. Newman reported Judge Casey told her she had been contacted by Mr. Fischnaller and asked her to have Ms. Newman back off on her complaints to DSHS. Casey said she could not remember that, and again said she was not known for her memory.
She then said, whatever Ms. Newman said was probably true because she documents everything and has a very good memory. Judge Casey told us Ms. Newman met with OSI and that she too expected to hear from them. She didn't hear from OSI for quite some time when they finally called to schedule an appointment. She doesn't remember who made the appointment, but they never showed up. She said she was contacted by Linda Dalton, the State Attorney General's Office. Ms. Dalton reassured Judge Casey that she wouldn't be a witness. Judge Casey said she'd met with Ms. Dalton several times because it was very common for her to be at the court house taking care of business. Judge Casey said Ms. Dalton called and made an 8:30 appointment on the morning she had a 8:45 trial scheduled. It was at that time when Ms. Dalton reassured Judge Casey she was not going to be a witness and would not be contacted by OSI. Judge Casey couldn't remember the exact date but thinks it was around late 1994 or early 1995. Judge Casey thought Ms. Dalton contacted her out of professional courtesy because she knew OSI was coming to  speak to her. 
    Judge Casey indicated that Mr. Fischnaller asked her to come to a board meeting; he wanted people to investigate what was going on at the OKBR. Again, Judge Casey emphasized she was never formally invited by an official person with the authority to have her come to a board meeting. However, some board members did come to her office to talk to her about the ranch and the police investigation conducted there. She indicated these people were Jeff Lane, Jane Skinner, and Bob Denning. At this meeting Judge Casey said the board members had a different point of view than she did about the OKBR. Their view was focused towards the administrative problems, however, Judge Casey had reviewed the police reports and was concerned about the physical and sexual abuse. She thought a complete overhaul of the staff needed to be accomplished, and each one of the boys should've been dispersed throughout other group homes. From what she'd read, there were too many incensetious relationships going on between the boys. No matter what staff people were there this activity would still continue. Therefore, she felt the overhaul of the staff and dispersement of the boys needed to be done in order to eliminate the problems.
    Judge Casey insinuated that when she reviewed the OPD investigation in October, she was apprehensive about allowing anyone to read this report because it was still an ongoing investigation. She was not sure if the dissemination of this report to people outside the law enforcement was proper. We asked Judge Casey about the situation where this report, prior to being charged of any criminal activity by the prosecutor's office, was released to the members of the OKBR directors. (Long pause) She said it was a highly unusual practice to release a criminal report prior to any decision of charging for a crime. We also asked her what her opinion was of Pat Sutherland and his involvement with the Olympia Kiwanis . (Long pause - she didn't answer the question.) She said the only people she trusted were officers of the court meaning herself and Ms. Newman, and the only person she trusted outside the officers of the court was Mr. Fischnailer. (who's dead)
    On November 22, 1995, Lieutenant Dan Eikum and I met Corrine Newman to verify her statement when she said Brian Fischnaller had contacted Judge Casey asking her to have Corrine back off on her communication and correspondence with DSHS and the Kiwanis Board members. Ms. Newman emphatically said she had talked to Judge Casey over the phone, then reiterated her statement again about the conversation with Judge Casey.
    During the time we met with Judge Casey she was concerned about being misquoted, so she had her court reporter  Michael Jay record our conversation. He recorded our conversation up to the time when we asked her about her opinion of Pat Sutherland and his involvement with the Olympia Kiwanis . The conversation concluded by her telling us she would have her court reporter make a transcript, and have the court pay for Michael's copies then provide them to us.

Below is an e-mail I received from a former Olympia, Washington resident.

From: ~~~~~~~~@aol.com
To: Louis Bloom manaco@whidbey.net
Sent: Wednesday, July 28, 1999 11:34 AM
Subject: OKBR
Just came across your pages and felt the urge to respond... In the early 80's (81-83) I was at the OKBR frequently as a young kid walking to/from school, I became friends with some of the boys. At one point a small boy confided to me that he was being raped by another boy in the home. The abusing boy talked about it openly!
Days later I walked the victim to OPD where we both gave statements. Later that evening I began to receive these incredibly threatening phone calls from a woman employee of the ranch who's name I believe was Paulette at my home. She kept calling over and over screaming at me calling me names. It was horrible. I thought I was helping someone. Nothing came of it. Then all these years later, it all comes out ... one of the boys that I had known there left as a young adult and still couldn't get it together, he eventually killed himself. As an adult now I don't often think back to those times but it still saddens me. All those boys that needed a safe nurturing place to be, and how many of them were better off for having been taken there? It's not about money. It cost these boys their lives, their souls, their trust. Those people who knew, who didn't care, they should feel such shame. Just my opinion.

From: louis a bloom manaco@whidbey.net
To: ~~~~~~~@aol.com
Sent: Wednesday, July 28, 1999 7:30 PM
Subject: Re: OKBR
thanks for your e-mail. from what i've read, dshs, the olympia police department, and other "authorities" didn't consider child on child rape to be against the law. it was considered "normal experimentation". The "paulette" you mention, may have been Collette Queener who was an assistant director at the OKBR. Collette, OKBR Director Tom Van Woerdan, and OKBR counselor Laura Rambo Russell were ineptly charged by Wa. St. with "criminal mistreatment for failing to stop abuse". The charges were dismissed by Thurston County Judge Daniel Berschauer on technicalities. The lawyer who represented Collette Queener said, (Nov. 14, 1996 Olympian), that it was a "witch hunt", and that " a more innocent person (than Queener) you could not have for a client. She's an ex-nun ..... I don't see how you could view her in an evil or negative light."
I congratulate you for doing the right thing, when all those adults looked the other way. I repeat on most pages that the " OKBR has cost the Washington State taxpayers over $35 million dollars (so far)", because I think most people don't care about the kids involved, but they may care that it has cost them (taxpayers) money.
louis bloom

manaco@whidbey.net