By Scott Rensberger
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At some point we all need to wake up and smell the BS.
Recently, I went to the District Court House in Easton to watch my friend Will Cawley take on Cheryl Lewis and the Town of Oxford over a water bill. But what I saw was a tragedy in justice. Will Cawley grew up in Oxford and recently built a home on Tilghman Street. The Town charged him 15-hundred bucks for an old water meter that didn’t work. After three months, the first quarter reading was listed as zero. That’s right, the Town’s water meter actually said that Cawley and his family used zero water for three months. So, Will Cawley, a former Navy man, did what any good resident would do — he reported it to the town office. I personally remember him doing so. But the Town did nothing about it.
Three months later the Town’s water meter recorded another zero. So, in six months the Town of Oxford told Will Cawley that he used no water. None. So, Cawley brought it to the Town’s attention again. After three more months the Town sent Cawley another bill for quarter three. This time it was for 6-thousand gallons. Cawley thought that number looked odd. How could his family use exactly 6-thousand gallons of water? So once again he went to the town office and asked more questions. The Town manager Cheryl Lewis looked at the bill and changed it from 6-thousand to 60-thousand gallons. Let’s pause for a second. Has anyone in Oxford ever use 60-thousand gallons of water in three months? Keep in mind Will Cawley doesn’t have a swimming pool.
After nine months of water readings — things just didn’t add up. The fourth quarter also looked suspicious — it came in at a perfect 12-thousand gallons. At this point, Will Cawley opened up his wallet again and went out and purchased another water reader that he connected between his house and the Town’s broken water meter. And, as you might imagine — Will’s new meter had completely different numbers than the Town’s meter.
Now, let’s fast forward to last week. Will Cawley took his mountain of evidence to the District Court in Easton. He asked Cheryl Lewis and her administration to reimburse him around $500-bucks. Friends and family, including myself, came to witness the event. And, let just say it turned out to be a moment of shame for Oxford, Talbot County and America.
Everyone stood as Judge Karen Ketterman walked into the courtroom. Once seated she threw a knuckle curve ball straight at Will Cawley’s head. It was a “conflict of interest” bombshell. Judge Ketterman stated that she was a “good friend” of Cheryl Lewis’s lawyer’s wife. On this special occasion of fighting Oxford resident Will Cawley — Cheryl Lewis, replaced the normal Oxford Lawyer, and brought in Curtis Booth who’s the top lawyer at Booth, Cropper and Marriner. Booth’s wife is Brynja Booth. And, if that name sounds familiar -- Brynja Booth used to work under Lewis as the Town Lawyer in Oxford. Today, Brynja Booth is on the Maryland Supreme Court. It’s a small “conflict of interest” world. Let me say this again in pure English — Will Cawley lost the case before he even put on his pants.
Everyone involved in the courtroom was like the “good old boys” of the old South. Will Cawley, the one Oxford resident who was simply trying to find out why the Town’s administration kept sending him irregular water bills was being blocked by a pathetic system of justice.
At that moment Will Cawley could have asked for another court date. He could have told the judge that her conflict of interest was just too great. But, Cawley made the mistake of looking back at his supporters, who took the time to be there, and he looked at his mountain of evidence that was all ready to go — just like a Navy ship inspection. Cawley knew that a grade school child could prove this case so he went forward and represented himself. But, in a real way he was representing every resident in Oxford who has questioned their water bills.
For the next half-hour everyone in the courtroom witnessed Will Cawley completely annihilate Cheryl Lewis and her “top” lawyer Curtis Booth. If I was Mr. Booth I would contact Washington and Lee University and ask for my money back. Cawley had all the facts. He had so much paperwork he started to look like Erin Brockovich.
When Cheryl Lewis testified she kept using words like, “I believe” and “I had to recreate history.” When Lewis said these unbelievable weasel-ass words the judge never interrupted her and said excuse me — “You believe?” “You had to recreate history?” Perry Mason was spinning in his grave and the American justice system ran to the corner of the courtroom and wept like Jesus. I did everything I could from throwing-up into my mouth.
Will Cawley asked Cheryl Lewis about all of the broken water meters in town and Lewis acted like she had no real data on the such problems. She played totally uneducated about this situation. Will Cawley asked her how many water meters are currently being replaced in Oxford. Lewis said she didn't know. And she did all of this under oath. Keep in mind, Cheryl Lewis collects a handsome salary for overseeing Oxford's water department.
At this point if you’re an Oxford resident keeping score — here’s what’s going on in black and white. Cheryl Lewis and the Town of Oxford sold Will Cawley a defective old water meter that didn’t work. Cawley asked the town to give him around $500 bucks for the many false readings and inconsistencies. But, instead of giving Cawley a simple apology or admitting any wrongdoing on behalf of the Town’s Administration — Lewis chose a different path. Cheryl Lewis had the taxpayers of Oxford pay for a top Talbot County lawyer to take on a resident who simply wanted to learn the truth. Cawley didn’t care about the money — he was in court to find answers. But, it’s impossible to find pure justice when the courtroom is filled with conflicts of interest.
Judge Keren Ketterman, Curtis Booth and Cheryl Lewis all knew before the court date exactly what the playing field looked like. Lewis walked into Court Room 16 knowing she had a royal flush. The only person who was blindsided by what he was dealt was Oxford resident Will Cawley. Cawley never stood a chance.
Cheryl Lewis, a person who has never lived in Oxford, would rather have the taxpayers of our small town pay a high legal bill than admit to a mistake.
However, in the end, Will Cawley actually won. He showed all of us what Cheryl Lewis is made of and he also showed us who really lost the case -- the taxpayers of Oxford.
Someone needs to do a PIA to find out what Cheryl Lewis paid Mr. “Top Lawyer” Booth to defend a $5-hundred dollar water bill. The only thing for certain is -- Cheryl Lewis will not be paying one dime of it.
In closing, I think it’s important to note that Will Cawley has spent countless hours cleaning up dozens of dangling cables from our street poles throughout every corner of Oxford. He purchased 15-hundred dollars of trees and planted them to beautify the pump house on Banks Street. Cawley used his own truck and drove to Baltimore to pick up the trees. Will Cawley then donated a Norwegian Spruce to the Town Park and then purchased even more trees to make our town more beautiful. It was Will Cawley who oversaw the painting of the crosswalk lines on Morris Street so that the people buying ice cream at the MEWS can safely walk to the Park. As a result for all of these wonderful deeds — the Town of Oxford has yet to thank him publicly or privately. But, as a proud resident of Oxford I’d like to personally thank him for all that he’s done.
When Josh Coder becomes the next Commissioner we need to end this Booth, Copper and Marriner relationship. We need a Town Lawyer who looks after the entire Town.
