Tuesday, October 15, 2013

AL Lobbyist Liberty Duke Saw Her Marriage Dissolve Under Unusual Circumstances In Early 2006


Liberty Duke
Alabama lobbyist Liberty Duke, who has political ties to former Governor Bob Riley and his associates and family members, saw her marriage dissolve under unusual circumstances in early 2006.

Duke and Rob Riley are suing my wife, Legal Schnauzer, and me, claiming that my reporting on certain topics is false and defamatory. Court filings in the case include an affidavit from Duke in which she states, "To the best of my knowledge, I have never even been alone in a room with Rob Riley." These are among the documents that Riley and Duke have sought to have sealed in Shelby County Circuit Court.

What is unusual about Liberty Smith Duke's divorce from William Joseph Duke? For one, court documents show the couple lived in Chilton County--at 1155 County Road 368 in Verbena--but the divorce case was filed in Talladega County. Sources tell Legal Schnauzer that Talladega is known as an Alabama jurisdiction where divorces can be obtained quickly. Filing a divorce action in Talladega County also can keep sensitive information away from prying eyes in the home county.

Public documents in the Duke divorce do not include any inflammatory information, but that likely is because the case was resolved so quickly. Our sources say that someone was at risk of having dirty laundry revealed if the case did not reach a quick resolution. Given that William Duke initiated the divorce as plaintiff, the party in a weak position likely was Liberty Duke. Why was that?

Liberty Duke did not contest the divorce, and she did not even hire an attorney to fight it.


Rob Riley
How quickly did the Duke divorce reach a conclusion? William Duke filed the complaint on February 27, 2006, and a final divorce decree was issued on April 5, 2006. The whole thing was over in little more than a month, even though the Dukes were married for 14 years, they had two children, and a fair amount of property.

As a comparison, the Rollins v. Rollins case that we have covered extensively was litigated for three years in its proper jurisdiction, Greenville, South Carolina, before being unlawfully moved to Shelby County, Alabama, for more litigation.

Liberty Duke now is claiming that our reporting on certain subjects is false and defamatory. But she passed on multiple opportunities to answer questions on the subjects, and court documents show that she got divorced under duress. Her husband initiated the divorce, she did not contest it, and she clearly had no bargaining power--for some reason.


(To be continued)






52 comments:

ttowntruthseeker said...

Talledega -- known for its fast cars and divorces?

Anonymous said...

A friend advised me to view the contents of this website blog.

I am stunned. I can plainly see that the material on this site is not manufactured. The fact that Riley is suing you in the manner chosen proves to an intelligent person that he will not be able to prove that he DID NOT have an affair. I am certain that a simple deposition of Mr. Duke will affirm this. Although he may be gagged by the machine that runs things.

Come to think of it, this whole thing, coupled with the silence of the press, makes me want to gag.

I guess the membetrs of the press are "Christian" also?

Anyone in the press should ask themselves: What would Jesus Do?


I will pray to the real Jesus tonight and moving forward to keep you and Ms. Schnauzer same during this trying time.

Thank you Roger Shuler

What you do takes guts, but people fail to realize that heroes are born all the time. Often, they are cowards with their backs to the wall.

Keep fighting them. At least until next year's elections. Hubbard, Riley, Strange-Strange, Governor B. ... all of for re-election. I am afraid without an independent press they will all gain re-election.

Anonymous said...

LS, for your sake, I hope that your proof of the TRUTH of Riley affair is more than LIBERTY got a quick divorce.

TRUTH is the absolute, and only, defense to a defamation claim.

You better bring the TRUTH or they are going to put you under the jail. Your LIBERTY is at stake.

Anonymous said...

Wonder if Luther has been showing up for work since the shut down? Thats what this shut down is about! Keeping the crooks safe from authority! I would hope that the good guys havent stopped the fight and fallen for this bogus shut down! Thats not to say Luther is a good guy.

Anonymous said...

Lady Liberty did not even hire a lawyer to fight the divorce?

Sounds like the husband had a pretty open and shut case for divorce.

Anonymous said...

You are correct Ttown. I've heard for many years that Talladega is the place you go if you want your divorce to be finished in a hurry--and you want things kept on the down low.

Anonymous said...

Legal Schnauzer: vanity blog or gossip column? Sure isn't journalism.

Anonymous said...

Here's the strategy behind filing for divorce in Talladega. You are essentially telling the straying spouse, "We will do it here, in a nice, quiet environment, but if you don't agree to a quick resolution that is favorable to me (the wronged spouse), all hell is going to break loose for you."

Sharon said...

For your sake, @8:40, I hope you learn a thing or two about the law one of these days.

I'm not a lawyer, but I know that the burden of proof in a defamation case is on the plaintiff to show that the publication is false.

Also, defamation is a tort, not a crime, so it doesn't involve jail.

Other than that, you gave us a very thoughtful comment. Thanks.

Anonymous said...

I find the timing of Lady Liberty's divorce to be quite interesting. This all took place in Feb.-April of 2006, just as Big Bob Riley was looking at a re-election campaign later that year.

Would news about his son's scandalous affair have derailed the Riley re-election train? I think so.

Anonymous said...

Hey, 11:08, thanks for showing us you are a Mormon--I mean moron.

How many gossip columns run multiple court documents to back up their reporting?

What a dolt!

Anonymous said...

If I'm you, LS, I can't wait to depose Mr. William Joseph Duke in Ms. Liberty's lawsuit.

Anonymous said...

More big-time reporting, LS. Court documents are powerful stuff.

Anonymous said...

Here is an article about why one lawyer files cases in Talladega County:

http://www.divorceinfo.com/whytalladega.htm

Anonymous said...

I have three lady friends who were the victims of flagrantly cheating husbands. As I understand it, they filed for divorce in Talladega, giving the bad guys a chance to resolve the matter quietly and quickly. If the bad guys objected, the venue was going to be moved back to Jefferson County, where all three couples lived, and where prying eyes easily could get a load of damning information.

All three husbands chose to settle quietly in Talladega.

Gerry with a G said...

The most interesting thing to me here is that the husband filed for divorce, and Liberty Duke chose not to fight it in any substantial way.

That says a lot to me about who was in the wrong with this divorce.

Anonymous said...

You raise a great point, @11:19. I bet the governor's office was following all of this with great interest. Riley Jr. was heavily involved with "Diddy's" administration, and a scandal back in 2006 could have been devastating in the upcoming election.

Anonymous said...

Liberty Duke worked for Matrix in this same general time frame, and they dumped her at one point. I hear it was because of the Riley affair and other "indiscretions."

legalschnauzer said...

Thanks for sharing that info, 11:55. Lee Borden wrote that, and he's the attorney who handled the Duke divorce.

legalschnauzer said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

Compared to what, after Murph and Shu having "Let The Sunshine In";


allowing for the public to see what they have paid for, where others, "journalist", fear not tread having kept Alabamians in the "dark";


the people's government having been made mockeries of for others personal ladder climbing, self-serving protections from public accountabilities, holding "due process" hostage in attempts to derail equal rights claims, etc...


All home grown Alabamian stuff! But of course time to time having links to Washington's stables of experienced corruptors and crooks
wining and dining on a lot of poor old slobs hard earned dimes paid into taxes.


So, from the array of elected choices having been exposed by Murph and Shu beginning with; Baxley, Sessions, Pryor, King, Riley, Strange, Riley, name all those you believe based evidences presented supported by public records/affidavits/etc,


Wouldn't it feel better to know, even if nobody else knew, that you
supported honest and trustworthy Alabama government?


Anonymous said...

Since Liberty's never been alone in a room with Rob Riley, does that mean they "did their business" outside, in the back of a van, in a tree house?

The public has a right to know!

legalschnauzer said...

I agree that 11:19's comment provides much food for thought on the political front. This could have been a major problem for the Riley re-election team.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for that URL, 11:55. It's filled with a bunch of interesting information. Here's why one lawyer files uncontested divorces in Talladega County:


"If you know my practice well, you know I file all my uncontested divorces in Talladega County. I do this because Talladega County is a model of simplicity and efficiency, where there is a refreshing consistency about the competent handling of divorce cases. I wish I had a nickel for every case where I have prepared the documents for an uncontested divorce, where the spouse who is not my client has asked another lawyer to review them, and where that lawyer has solemnly informed his or her client that what I propose to do is illegal. No, it’s not. It’s just fine for people to choose the county in which they file uncontested divorce, even if neither the husband nor the wife resides in that county.

"How can I say that? As we’ve already discussed, Ala Code § 30-2-4 is specific about where divorce can be filed, and it says nothing about couples choosing a county where neither of them lives and where they did not live while they lived together. How can they file in a county not permitted by § 30-2-4? The answer is simple, and it flows from the simple principle that venue can be waived. Ex parte AAMCO Transmissions, Inc., 897 So. 2d 285 (Ala. 2004).

"If the plaintiff files for divorce in a county not permitted by Ala Code § 30-2-4, the defendant can object to that county and file to remove it to one permitted by the statute. But if the defendant simply answers the complaint, the case can proceed in the county where the plaintiff filed. No objection, no problem with venue.

Anonymous said...

I'm starting to think the word "tramp" might be an accurate description for Ms. Duke.

Rob Riley needs to choose his flings more wisely.

Anonymous said...

Wasn't Rob Riley his daddy's campaign manager at one point?

Anonymous said...

@ 11:08 A.M.

from 12:12 P.M. sorry bout that

Anonymous said...

Nice digging by the Schnauzer. I feel certain Riley Jr. and Lady Liberty thought sure her divorce documents were stored away in a nice, out-of-the-way place.

But look who found them!

Anonymous said...

Rob Riley claims he had a vasectomy, and Ms. Lib claims she didn't have an abortion.

Filing subpoenas for their medical records in this lawsuit should produce some very interesting reading.

Anonymous said...

Funny stuff there, @12:12. Made me guffaw.

You have to consider the possibility that the Riley family is capable of an immaculate conception.

They all seem to think they can walk on water.

Anonymous said...

A divorce in about a month? Holy cow, I didn't know that was possible.

It takes me longer than that to go through the check out line at the grocery store.

Anonymous said...

As usual Roger, you have taken a little bit of information and wildly extrapolated and twisted it to fit into your view of the world. This was an uncontested divorce. Uncontested divorces in which the parties have already agreed to all issues of custody and division of property routinely take this short amount of time to resolve, and it is not unusual for one of the parties to proceed without a lawyer. In addition, Mr. Duke did not raise infidelity or adultery as a ground for the divorce. While you conclude that this must mean that he was holding that over his wife's head, it is much more likely that he didn't alleged adultery because it didn't occur. Both Duke and Riley have sworn under oath that no affair occurred. What evidence do you have that it did?

legalschnauzer said...

You call me, Roger, but I don't know who you are, @1:43. Why don't you share that information, and perhaps we can have a legitimate discussion?

You are attacking my "view of the world." Well, who are you, and what is your view of the world?

My readers and I are entitled to know that. Without that information, your comments aren't worth much.

Anonymous said...

A lively exchange between blogger and/or commenters sometimes brings to the surface facts otherwise unknown of.

I'm not a Mormon, But I'm offended that the people's religion has to be made a part of these comments, when the topics are not on religions. I've never met Shuler; I was referred to this website for blogger's facts.

To those who would use any forms of religion for detractors in such arena as this; maybe needs some personal soul searching. The bible teaches; beware of those who approach you, appearing as sheep, but inwardly are wolves.

How many longtime, always believed untouchable, officials bellied-up to tax-payer's trough while at same time hand over heart for pledge to flag, head bowed for prayer; things taken away from same tax payers.

And who is it, has it been that at least has attempted to make a difference; a few faithful, yes human prone to error, not perfect, individuals with little or no public appreciation[s].

Anonymous said...

Maybe you are late to the party, @1:43, but LS has been writing about the Liberty D/Rob R affair for six or seven months, at least. Today's post about the divorce documents is just one part of a much bigger picture. If you care to educate yourself, here is a link to all of the posts on the subject:

http://legalschnauzer.blogspot.com/search?q=liberty+duke&max-results=20&by-date=true

Anonymous said...

You seem to be kidding yourself or whistling in the dark or something, @1:43.

If you think it's standard for a 14-year marriage, involving two children, to be ended in about a month, you are delusional. There is nothing standard about that, and I'm quite familiar with how the divorce game usually goes.

Also, the language in this complaint is the usual boilerplate stuff that you see in most divorce complaints. That adultery is not listed as grounds for divorce does not mean it wasn't present.

I know it interferes with your "view of the world," but these documents are powerful evidence that Liberty Duke was in deep doo-doo on the home front.

Anonymous said...

media??? do journalists exist in Alabama? cromagnon times...no journalism without humans willing to write the truth.

Anonymous said...

Your comment made me LOL, @1:43. You seem to be shocked that you willingly came to a blog written by Roger Shuler and found material that reflects . . . (now get this) Roger Shuler's world view.

I certainly can understand how that must have been a shocking development for you.

Whose world view did you expect to find here--Rush Limbaugh's?

I realize Rush and Roger are both from Missouri--a fact that probably embarrasses Roger to no end--but come on.

legalschnauzer said...

Did you have to bring up the fact that Rush Limbaugh hails from my home state, @3:31? Isn't that hitting below the belt?

I can only take solace from the fact that Rush is from the SE corner of the state (Cape Girardeau), while I am from the SW corner (Springfield). Neither corner, I'm afraid, is a bastion of progressive thinking.

Sad to say that Rush probably is more of a standard-issue Missourian than I am.

Anonymous said...

Hey, @1:43, where has Rob Riley sworn under oath that he didn't have an affair with Liberty Duke? I haven't seen that.

When has Liberty Duke taken questions about the affair, under oath or otherwise? I haven't seen that either.

Regardless of your answers, are you so naive as to think people state the truth in affidavits. Good Lord, go to any courtroom in America, on any weekday, and watch witness after witness lie under oath.

Perjury should be the new American pastime.

Anonymous said...

I promise you I have read every one of Roger's posts on this subject and not a single one of them cites any evidence to prove that any affair took place. Anonymous sources who repeat rumors are not evidence, so I repeat my question that Roger and some commenters (who are probably also Roger) conveniently ignore: what evidence do you have that there was actually an affair?

Anonymous said...

Americans have been programmed. The programming is falling apart.

The video Roger had of the Alabama stooge, Garrison, made coo coo somehow or another - she fired Roger and the video was surreal.

Reminds of that old screen weird static and other strange visuals with warning that the interruption to our 'media' is controlled.

Careful Schnauzers, great source of power such as you share to keep the people in Alabama understanding the truth is what has to happen - everyone knows this is the truth.

But, the truth isn't exactly a feather when the sword is double edged and cutting quickly.

Those disgruntled about facing the real society break down in culture, sooner or later have to get understanding.

May as well get healthy in the spirit and mind, the bodies are not getting the idea that boundaries are simply the truth about genuine self love.

That is the Tao teaching about Jesus, his message was self love because this means then, the simple truth - do unto others.

Speak spoken words but, actions talk louder.

Shame is an energy that can do whatever the person feeling the 'vibe' does with changing, a negative into the opposite.

Self love is the alchemy of shame.

Blame is the projection of self loathing. Harming others is obviously the psychopathy unbridled.

LS lets the people know who can and can't be trusted. This is self love and love for others.

Jesus approves.

Anonymous said...

Roger, I sure hope you filed your notice of appeal in the Rob Riley/Liberty Duke case yesterday.

Anonymous said...

Hey, 4:34, I seem to recall that you were asked to provide your identification, so we call could have a better idea about YOUR "world view."

Doesn't look like you've provided it. The usual coward's way out.

Anonymous said...

I seem to recall a little story called "Watergate" that was broken with anonymous sources "repeating rumors."

I guess, in @4:34's world, Watergate never happened?

Anonymous said...

I'm confused. Why would Roger be filing an appeal in the Riley case yesterday--or today or tomorrow, for that matter?

Anonymous said...

Because Roger had 14 days to appeal the entry of the preliminary injunction.

Anonymous said...

She likes married men. She tries to call and text mine all the time.

legalschnauzer said...

Interesting, @11:46. If you feel comfortable sharing more, you can contact me at my private e-mail: rshuler3156@gmail.com.

My sources say there is quite a pattern here, and it goes back many years.

Anonymous said...

Can you cite a rule, @8:54, that says Roger or anyone else has 14 days to appeal a preliminary injunction?

Anonymous said...

Read Rule 4 of the rules of appellate procedure

Anonymous said...

Liberty and I worked together. We had our babies together often went to lunch and work functions together, I've stayed in her home. We drifted apart as people do, but I have a hard time believing what has been posted.