Greetings from Tammy Thompson

[Tammy Thompson (Jaques)]

Hello, everybody! I have had such a blast tonight reading about the good old days!

So, let's see .... what did I do after leaving dear old Central High? I got away as far as my parents would let me ... University of Central Florida in faraway Orlando. I got my degree, got married, got some kids. And then decided to do it all over again!!!

I married my husband Chris in 1995. He had 3 kids, I had 2, then we had one together. Some of you might have met him at our 10 year reunion. We were both working as probation officers when I decided I was bored and applied to law school. We packed everyone up and moved to Gainesville (my adopted home town - gosh, I love that place!!!). I graduated from the University of Florida College of Law in 2000.

Now, I am lead trial attorney for the prosecutor's office here in Volusia County (Daytona Beach/DeLand). I think I saw that my girl, Tammi Hershberger, works for the SAO down in Ft. Pierce. My husband is a major case detective ... we are quite the crime fighting team. There is no greater thrill than having your husband on the stand ... under oath!!!! You can google me to see some of the cases I have prosecuted. It is a fun job. I get to put abhorrent, career criminals behind bars for the rest of their lousy lives. I prosecuted drug dealers for 2 years, then I was our Sex Crimes prosecutor for 2 years, now, I primarily prosecute the violent crimes and firearms cases although I still keep some of the other high profile stuff (drug traffickers and perverts).

We live out in the sticks on acreage and keep horses, goats, and chickens. I like the quiet, though. It is a pleasant departure from our high stress day jobs. The kids are 18, 17, 17, 16, 14, and 11. Oldest and youngest are girls, boys in between. The oldest is in college at UNF. Next in line has been accepted there. For the most part, they followed my path and became band geeks! But they were also blessed with athletic ability and rock star aspirations so they have their own bands, run track, and play soccer, too.

Although I believe that I look relatively the same as I did in high school (except I keep my hair long), you wouldn't likely recognize me ... I exude confidence and there isn't much now that I won't do if appropriately dared. Big personality compared to my meek persona in high school. I think only a few of you ever saw me let my hair down. Oh, if I could only do it all over again!!! I love to put on a show which is why my job as a trial attorney suits me.

I don't know about you guys, but it seems like only yesterday I was taking breaks from work at the Orange Blossom Mall to go play Dragon's Lair at Diamond Jim's (and getting dirty love letters from the creepy old dudes at the piano store)!! Or fighting with Mike Stanco and David Davis in Mr. (Put-a-dash) Negoro's class about how much better the Dolphins were than the Giants or the Jets. Or skipping out of 4th period to go play taps for funerals as the "Official Bugler of the VFW", trying not to get shot by the drunken 21 gun salute guys or dragged back to dance on the bar at the VFW, so that I could get milkshakes for everybody from the "Rax"! (I don't remember that World History teachers name but gosh, she was so gullible! 2 or 3 days a week, I would bring a note in asking her to excuse my absence because I had to attend a funeral ... she actually called me up to her desk to apologize and let me know I could come to her if I ever needed to talk about it.) Or stealing flower arrangements from MacDonalds on US1 (Tammi). Or mastering the fine art of diverting Mr. Ralphie Boy Meyers into discussing the physics of the golfing putt for an entire 50 minutes so everyone could finish their homework. Or trying to fix up Mrs. Stein with just about anybody so she could get laid and not be so mean to her students. Or rearranging all of the furniture in Ms. Taylor's class when the substitute left the room. Or wearing dresses on test days so that I could pass Mr. Hylick's Anatomy & Physiology class. (It worked in my College Biology class too!!)

I can't wait to catch up!

[tammi86]

Wow Tammy! That is awesome that you are a prosecutor!!! Rock on girlfriend Funny how we both ended up working for the guys in the white hats, and ending up with guys in law enforcement. My fiance' is a Detective for St. Lucie County who is a 22 year veteran (even though he is only 40), so law enforcement has been his only career. He used to do persons crimes solving murders, rapes, sex crimes, etc. but now does mostly economic crimes, lately unscupulous contractors preying on the elderly post hurricane repairs...although he did work on the turnpike murders last year. Our "clueless" world history teacher was Mrs. Burnstein...I remember mostly taking all 3 lunch periods though and only coming to her class on test days...I think we had Beppe, Patrick Loudone, and some others in that class with us. Fun times. We also had Negoro's class together, and correct me if I'm wrong, but Ms. Big Bad Bonnie Baker as well for AP English along with Terry Green, Paul Lambertson, Lisa Bisol, Lisa Brancaccio, Kurt Rinear, Ricky Rogus, and those guys. And I can't believe you actually remember the flower arranging expedition at McDonald's...lol Rax milkshakes rocked by the way!!!

[Tammy Thompson (Jaques)]

Okay ... an update from me.

I took a huge leap, left my government job, and opened my own practice. Being your own boss is very freeing ... but can be scary, too. Things are going well despite our non-recession. I guess crime and divorce are pretty recession proof!!

We have been building our house for the last year. By building, I mean literally being out there with power tools and raw materials putting in the blood, sweat, and tears. Thankfully, mostly just blood and sweat. We just hired a sub-contractor to do the drywall ... the only part I refuse to do ourselves ... so we anticipate finally moving in in about 2 months. Exciting!

Our oldest 3 kids have graduated from high school. Sarah is applying for nursing school, Ben is going into the Navy on January 6, Ryan is working on his band, Spencer will be a senior and hopes to graduate early and go into the Air Force, Michael will be a freshman and hopes to run track, and Haley is going into 7th grade and is the wittiest kid ever. Not the smartest (they don't call my brunette girl "Blondie" for nothing) but probably the funniest!

I may be in PSL next weekend. I think my brother is travelling from Greensboro, NC to play a concert with Heather Williams. The last time I was there was for a deposition and the whole place looks so different after the hurricanes.

For those of you on Facebook, add me (Tammy Jaques). I am in 2 FP related groups; "Addicted to Dale's BBQ" and "You know you're from Ft Pierce when ..." Hope to see you guys on there, reminiscing about old times.

[Clark]

great to have you kicking around, I'm trying to finish my house this week too, added a room when my Girl was born, she just turned three, house still isn't back together

where does the time go??

[Lisa]

Tammy, hey! Thanks for the update!

Sounds like you are one go getter lol...

I loved to read about your adventures in HS and swear I don't remember you, hmmmm. I was Lisa Picklesimer back then.

Course it WAS big school but so many of the names you mentioned were in my social circles too...as were all the teachers you talked about.

Thanks for listing the two other FP forums, I'm going to go check them out now!!

[Tammy Thompson (Jaques)]

Lisa,
I can't believe you don't remember me ... get out your yearbooks!
We had many classes together from middle school up. You even rode my bus for gosh sakes!!
I went to Lawnwood 1-3, White City 4-5 (my uncle was principal), SLE 6, Dan McCarty 7, Lincoln Park 8, FPC the rest. I was in gifted and band. I usually sat with Angie McLeod on the bus in middle school ... but you were usually too busy mooning over the boys!!! I think you went out with Terry Green most of 8th didn't you? I usually got in trouble for talking in class.
C'mon ... think ... you'll remember!!!

[Lisa]

Hiya Tammy!!

I DID get out my ole Hamadryad (from our Freshman year) and found you that very day!! And yep, I remembered you once I saw your pic from then (shorter lighter hair lol).

Okay, yes, I ADMIT I was guy crazy but you weren't supposed to tell on me lolol!!

Terry was my main squeeze through 8th and you remember Jeff Justice? He was my 7th grade crush, hear he went to jail for faking his death (eaten by shark/insurance scam many years ago). I could be wrong but thats what I heard from someone.

When you scanned down all those schools we went to it reminded me to remind my kids how lucky they are to go to a K-12 school here in Ohio....literally everyone knows everyone and so on.

My youngest son, Danny Boy leafed through my yearbook yesterday and kept saying, 'did you know him? did you know her?' and I kept saying, 'No Danny you don't understand, there were like a thousand in the high school total (exageration).'

This is compared to their school of less than 600 which covers every single grade! His graduating class is (so far) around 60 tops!!!! So, its hard to explain to my kids how I COULDN'T have known everyone!

Hey, do you have any of those Google links to your cases? I'd love to read them.

Take care!
Lisa

[Tammy Thompson (Jaques)]

Found a Sr. picture at my mom's house. Check out my gi-normous earrings!! Not to mention my "girl mullet". Eek gawds. My yearbooks are in storage ... I need to get them out!

[Tammy Thompson (Jaques)]

Lisa,
Here are some links to one of the more memorable trials ... I will try to find more but the less memorable ones tend to drop out of archives.


www.local6.com/news/6887123/detail.html (with video)

Prosecutor: Evangelist posed as father figure
Attorney wants past accusations of sex abuse heard at trial
By PATRICIO G. BALONA Staff Writer Last update: October 29, 2005 News-Journal Online DELAND -- Charles Balfe, a self-described Internet evangelist, sought out women who had children and used his "father figure" authority to sexually and physically abuse the women and children, a prosecutor said Friday. In a day of wrenching testimony from young witnesses, Assistant State Attorney Tammy Jacques argued before Circuit Judge S. James Foxman at an evidentiary hearing that Balfe carefully orchestrated his move to get close to people with children. Jacques wants the court to accept the testimony of two people from Oklahoma who say they were sexually abused by Balfe. Jacques argued the Oklahoma case -- which she says occurred in the 1960s and 70s -- is relevant because of similarities to the sexual attacks Balfe is charged with here. "The defendant was a father figure in each of the cases," Jacques said. Balfe was arrested in April by DeLand police, accused of raping a child younger than 13. He was charged with capital sexual battery on a child younger than 12, lewd and lascivious molestation on a child younger than 12 and domestic violence. He remains in jail; his trial is scheduled for Dec. 5. Balfe's attorney, Jay Crocker, challenged the prosecution, saying the Oklahoma witnesses' testimonies are remote and not relevant to the DeLand case. "The state is trying to get in evidence of other crimes my client is not charged with," Crocker said. "We are contesting the admissibility of that evidence." Witnesses who testified Friday portrayed Balfe as a man who ruled his home with physical violence, death threats, Bible lectures and extreme discipline to keep children quiet about his sexual attacks. He beat the children with walking sticks, shoes and stomped on them when they fell to the floor, a witness said. Reports show how one child suffered a ruptured eardrum when Balfe hit him. He punished them by sodomizing them with popsicles and made them wait until it all melted and then ordered them to "clean up the mess," a witness testified Friday. He always carried a gun and had a closet full of rifles, handguns, shotguns and knives, witnesses said. A woman, who said Balfe started molesting her when she was 13 years old, said Balfe quoted verses from the Old Testament, explaining that men back then had more than one woman, "so it is quite OK" in God's eyes for her to have sex with him, she said. Another witness, a boy, said Balfe began molesting at age 9. After Balfe forced him to perform oral sex on him, he threatened he would kill him if he told on him, the boy testified. "He said that he would have someone kill me and that no one would know," the boy said. An Oklahoma woman said her nightmarish experience of sexual abuse by Balfe began when she was 6 years old. She stood up in court pointing a finger at Balfe, saying he would make her sit on his lap and he would rub his privates against her and say "she was his special one and that is what fathers do." "He told me it was OK, that he was preparing me to be a woman," witnesses said.

[jhelms]

Wow, take a few days away from the forum and things really start to happen! It's great of you to share your life with us Tammy, sounds like an adventure!

Oh, and I see we have a new member, too! Awesome!

[tammi86]

Hey Again Tammy! Don't feel bad girl, I had a she-mullet too! LOL