Idaho Senator's Wife Draws Ire of U.S. Judge

Idaho Senator’s Wife Draws Ire of U.S. Judge

In an order issued Monday, U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill suggested Renee McKenzie, wife of lawyer and Idaho Senator Curt McKenzie, may have violated Idaho Code by practicing law without a license.

The judge characterized Renee McKenzie’s dealing with a prison inmate as a “side show” for the court, a “serious security risk for the prison,” and “not a professional relationship.”

While not an attorney, she presented herself to prison guards as, “Renee McKenzie of McKenzie Law Offices” and was granted “unfettered access” with convicted murderer, kidnapper, and rapist Lance Wood. Wood is being housed at the Idaho Department of Corrections facility south of Boise and represents himself with no attorney in a civil case against a DOC worker before Winmill. He is a Utah inmate, serving his time in Idaho which is common when security issues arise.

Judge Winmill denied four motions from Wood for protective orders and a contempt hearing.

However, the interesting reading is how Renee McKenzie talked her way into the prison and had multiple unmonitored visits with Wood as well as 91 hours of phone calls. Prison officials allowed the visits at first, but eventually became suspicious and launched an internal investigation. That’s when Winmill rescinded the attorney-client arrangement on February 14. The McKenzie law firm does not represent inmate Wood according to court records.

Winmill went on to explain in his order,”Even more troubling, the prison learned that Ms. McKenzie attempted to circumvent the monitoring of her calls from Wood by having the calls routed from the telephone line at McKenzie Law Offices – a non-monitored line because it is associated with a law firm – to her cell phone.

The prison also learned that Ms. McKenzie set up a P.O. Box to receive “legal mail” from Wood, but Mr. McKenzie indicated that the P.O. Box was not associated with his firm.

This was the P.O. Box Wood used to send the returned personal letter sent to Ms. McKenzie. This underscores the attempt by Wood and Ms. McKenzie to have unmonitored communication under the guise of legal communication. Under these circumstances, prison officials determined that, at the very least, there was a strong infatuation between Wood and Ms. McKenzie, and that it would be dangerous for them to meet in isolation as they had been mistakenly allowed to do previously.”

In conclusion the court said, “Under these circumstances, the Court finds that IDOC has simply followed reasonable security measures by separating Wood and Ms. McKenzie. Accordingly, Wood has not demonstrated good cause for the Court to issue a protective order.”

Here's a link to Mr. Wood's murder and please be aware it is really graphic in what happened to the victim  http://www.trendsinhate.com/hatedates/NovemberHateDates/November21.html