Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Mismatch dot com: How Carole Markin hoodwinked America

I have been writing constantly over the past few years about how when you put the words "sex" and "offender" side by side, it kills any rationality of otherwise rational people. The recent story of Carole Markin is just another prime example of this example. Markin was formerly known as the "Jane Doe" in the Match.com lawsuit claiming the man she met online sexually assaulted her, and later discovered he was on the sex offender registry. It came as no surprise amidst the usual "kill/castrate/banish all sex offenders" comments was the typical fear mongering over internet predation. As a result, Match.com announced it will match new and existing customers against the national sex offender registry. Match.com saves face, crisis is averted, Match.com customers feel safer, and Carole Markin raises awareness of another fear. Case closed, right? Not hardly.

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I always wondered why the accuser in the lawsuit was listed as a "Jane Doe" but announced she was a Hollywood executive. So the moment she revealed herself as Carole Markin, I was interested enough to run a Google search on her. I was amazed at what popped up. The first thing I found was a press release written by Markin herself:



Information contained on this page is provided by companies via press release distributed through PR Newswire, an independent third-party content provider. PR Newswire, WorldNow and this Station make no warranties or representations in connection therewith.
SOURCE Carole Markin
NEW YORK, April 19, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Media Giants -- HMR -- The "Hollywood executive Jane Doe" in the Jane Doe v. Match.com civil suit [L.A. Superior Court Case BC458927], took a very heroic step forward this morning, as she appeared unmasked while revealing her identity on NBC's "Today" and ABC's "Good Morning America." Jane Doe's real name is Carole Markin. Ms. Markin, a Harvard College graduate, is a former executive, a film and TV producer, screenwriter and published author. She asserts she was brutally sexually assaulted by another Match.com member named Alan Paul Wurtzel, who had been convicted six separate times for sexual battery. Felony charges against Mr. Wurtzel are pending in Los Angeles Superior Court [Case # BA373188]. Today, Ms. Markin is being hailed widely as the "Erin Brockovich of Online Dating" for her valor and key role in Match.com's purported move to begin checking existing and new subscribers against the national sex offender registry within the next 60-90 days.

I thought comparing herself to Erin Brockovich was ironic, since the movie conjures images of Julia Roberts in a push-up bra using sexuality to advance her career (which is somewhat true, as Erin was a former beauty queen). Brockovich is also a shameless self promoter. Says Brockovich of herself:

Say the name Erin Brockovich and you think, strong, tough, stubborn and sexy. Erin is all that and definitely more. She is a modern-day “David” who loves a good brawl with today’s “Goliaths”.

Must just be the norm in Hollywood. At any rate, I also found it interesting that she put a resume in a press release:

About Carole Markin
Carole Markin is a producer, screenwriter and author with more than 20 years experience in entertainment. Ms. Markin served as producer on "Accumulations" and associate producer on the series pilot "Trying Times," both directed by Oscar winner Jonathan Demme. Her film, "From Harlem to Harvard," which she produced and co-directed, won a Cable Ace Award and an NEA grant. Her work in television also included the role of Manager of National Program Development for KCET. From 1989 to 1991 Ms. Markin held the titles of Vice President and then President of the Independent Feature Project/West and was also Chairman of the "Spirit Awards" nominating committee. Ms. Markin is creator and executive producer of a reality series currently optioned by Conrad Riggs, which is being sold internationally and set up in China, as a joint venture. Markin is a Magna Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Harvard College. She earned her MBA at the Anderson School at UCLA. Ms. Markin was also a directing fellow at the American Film Institute.

It is funny with all those "accolades" her work as an author was glossed over. I'm curious about her reality show, but there isn't much info on it yet. However, she has two books out in the market. Both focus on stories about dates from hell--Bad Dates: Celebrities and other talented types reveal their worst nights out, and a sequel, More Bad Dates: And Other Tales of the Dark Side of Love. It seems a little too coincidental if you ask me. Maybe I'm missing something here but how many rich Hollywood types both with internet dating? I hate to speak ill of internet dating, but most people use it out of desperation.

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While she attributes the revelations of Wurtzel's identity via a Google search, he is NOT listed on the public sex offender registry. It is odd that Markin claimed on the Today Show that now she got the info through the LA Sheriff's Office rather than the Google search (CA Megan's law does not list low-level offenders publicly). Then she mentioned she didn't have his full name later in the Today show interview. How did she Google him without a full name? There are a lot of holes in her testimony.

Markin does mention a LA Sheriff's Office investigation as a reason for not stepping forward sooner, yet the LA Sheriff's Office has made a habit of sending press releases requesting info leading to conviction of those accused of sex crimes.

A friend of mine raised a good point with me yesterday--why was she really going by a Jane Doe in the first place? Markin claims it was because of the ongoing LA Sheriff's Department investigation, yet the early reports already shed light on the accuser's background as a "Hollywood Executive." Perhaps she knew the skepticism would have come sooner if we all knew she writes stories of bad dates and is trying to get a reality show. It still reeks of Erin Brockovich-like self-promotion.

Her testimony is suspect at best. There should be an investigation into her as much as Wurtzel just to be fair. While the media is slowly revealing this information to the public, it seems modern journalism has skipped the old tenants of the trade-- check the facts, rechecking them, and after that is done check them a third time. To Markin's credit, however, it is amazing what a simple Google search can reveal about a person. In this case, two people with a questionable history.



More info on false accusations from the "Erin Brockovich of sex offender laws": http://www.oncefallen.com/falseallegations.html

6 comments:

  1. Few people know how very bad these laws have become and how the “surplus” of people being on the registry who are just NOT DANGEROUS makes the laws be much less effective in protecting children. But it sure does a good job of frightening parents and anyone who cares about kids’ safety, which is most of us, doesn’t it? The expansion of the laws in recent years just makes it harder for law enforcement to do an effective job and makes it easier for the truly dangerous to slip through the cracks.
    The combination of unscrupulous, opportunistic politicians, drama-driven, sound-bite “news” people like Nancy Grace-types plus overly zealous states attorneys wanting to make a name for themselves all came together and fed the hysteria about these laws. Then add in the mix of a few horrific child abduction/slaying cases and stir. There is no other crime where a few horrific cases that everyone is angry about could be used to change the laws so that NOW the large majority of people on the sex offender registry are not dangerous, and especially are not dangerous to children.
    The term sex offender is so diluted now, it's hard to know if the man (usually) who you see on the registry is a truly dangerous Gerrido or a guy who got caught urinating on the road, or a 19 yrs. old who have very consensual sex with his 15 yr. old girlfriend, or though sleazy, the man who had sex with an underage prostitute who lied about her age and looked and acted older. All (and more of these types) are on the registry along with the burgeoning numbers of teens or even adults who unknowingly downloaded porn that has child (15, 16 yr. old sex girls) porn included. Would most men care what age the girl is if they're looking at porn and she LOOKED of age and was enticing. There are so many of these on the registry, it is disgusting. For the religious fanatics who ASSUME that anyone who downloads porn and it has sexy 15 yr. olds (or even younger Tracey Lord types) and they are just getting prepared to rape children, I say “hogwash”, get a grip on reality. There is a huge difference between looking at a 7 or 8, or 9 year old child sexually and a teenager who looks ready and posed voluntarily. These laws need to be changed !!!
    They are just out of control.
    For anyone who wants to learn more and especially to help, go to http://www.reformsexoffenderlaws.org/
    or http://www.false-allegations-team.com/



    and/or read “Sex Offender Laws Failed Policies, New Directions” edited by Richard G. Wright
    You can also check out the film narrated and produced by Sean Penn “Witch Hunt” and see just some of the damage these laws have caused. There are too many innocent men in prison and on the registry because of the hysteria that's run rampant in the U.S. And the more who aren't dangerous who are on there, the easier it is for the truly dangerous to hide and not be paid as much attention to. This is how Gerrido escaped the attention he deserved. Not to mention the tons of money these laws have been costing us. So they cost more and do less of what they were set up to do.

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  2. it is amazing that some people will ignore the facts and immediately defend this nutjob Markin. Sorry, don't waste your time, sheeple. Markin support comments will be immediately deleted.

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  3. It's so funny, I was doing the very same thing - googling to see what her background was and before I came upon your page I found the same info you spoke of. These days, especially when a lawsuit is involved, you have to look into the background of the accusers...sad but true.

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  4. I finally had a comment from a sheeple who believes this nut is telling the truth. Before you call someone an idiot, show a little evidence to back it up. Everything I've stated here is fact. The fact is, Markin is just another liar exploiting Predator Panic for publicity. I guess if Oprah was saying it instead of me, you'd be blindly agreeing with me, you douchebag.

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  5. Any comment on his plea of "no contest", which has the same effect as a plea of "guilty"?
    Is she taking advantage of the situation? Possibly. Extremely likely, in fact. Doesn't mean he is NOT guilty. In fact, he admits the evidence is sufficient for a rational trier of fact to find him guilty.
    Or are you going to ignore that and label me a "sheeple" because I don't drink your Kool-ade?

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  6. Nolo contendre is NOT the same as a guilty plea. Look it up.

    Nolo contendre (I do not wish to contend): a plea in a criminal prosecution that without admitting guilt subjects the defendant to conviction but does not preclude denying the truth of the charges in a collateral proceeding.

    A slight possibility indeed be guilty, but if he is not, then he may simply feel he cannot prove innocence After all, in a he-said-she-said, the she-said tends to win out without any evidence. About 9 out of every 10 cases are the result of pleas because many people fear getting the maximum penalty. How do you disprove a claim with no evidence but a claim? The man can't use Markin's crazy past against her thanks to Rape Shield laws.

    Quit trying to pretend you have a firm understanding of the criminal justice system. Maybe you've been drinking too much of your own kool-aid.

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