Miranda Prather
Encyclopedia
Miranda Prather is an American
woman who gained national attention in July 1997 after police arrested her for faking a hate crime
. A lesbian
, Prather was a graduate assistant and president of the campus gay and lesbian support group at Eastern New Mexico University
. She works as the executive director for PublishAmerica
.
The following day, Prather reported to Portales police that she had been attacked in her home by two masked assailants, and the investigation began. A surveillance tape obtained from the laundromat where one of the posters first appeared seemed to solve the case: the person placing signs was Prather herself. A search warrant
was executed on her home. She was arrested and charged with seven counts of harassment and one charge of tampering with evidence, which she vehemently denied. She claimed that a woman named "Jessica Forrester" who looked just like her and was obsessed with her was the true culprit behind the crimes. Prather claimed Forrester forced her to circulate the posters, and suggested Forrester got plastic surgery to make herself look just like Prather. Police were unable to find anyone by that name or description.
Shortly before a second trial was about to start, Prather agreed to a plea bargain
in which she would plead guilty to three charges of harassment in return for the other four charges being dropped and no jail time. On August 18, 1999, State District Judge
Robert C. Brack of Clovis
accepted the deal and sentenced Prather to three years probation. The court allowed her to return to Maryland
where her parents resided.
. The company describes itself as a "a traditional, advance- and royalty-paying book publisher." The company has been described by critics as a print on demand
vanity press
. Prather has stated that "Nobody has come to us with a true breach of contract. [Claims] have run the gamut of individuals complaining about the prices, the editing or the marketing." Later that year, PA did lose in a breach of contract arbitration hearing to author Philip Dolan.
In 2004, PA under Prather published over 4,800 titles and had nearly 11,000 authors under contract. As of 2009, PA indicates they have published over 40,000 authors.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
woman who gained national attention in July 1997 after police arrested her for faking a hate crime
Hate crime
In crime and law, hate crimes occur when a perpetrator targets a victim because of his or her perceived membership in a certain social group, usually defined by racial group, religion, sexual orientation, disability, class, ethnicity, nationality, age, gender, gender identity, social status or...
. A lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
, Prather was a graduate assistant and president of the campus gay and lesbian support group at Eastern New Mexico University
Eastern New Mexico University
Eastern New Mexico University , frequently called Eastern, is a state university in Portales, Roosevelt County, New Mexico, USA...
. She works as the executive director for PublishAmerica
PublishAmerica
PublishAmerica is a Maryland-based print-on-demand book publisher founded in 1999 by Lawrence Alvin "Larry" Clopper III and Willem Meiners ....
.
The hoax
In July 1997, posters began appearing in various locations on ENMU campus, as well as in a town laundromat, that read: "Are you sick of queers polluting this great land with there filth? I thought so. Want to do something? Join the Fist of God. With his might, we can ride the world of there sickness. Ask around. We'll find you." and "Take us seriously, or we'll begin executing one queer a week following this list." The poster listed eight graduate students and professors, and accused them of being gay or lesbians. Prather's name was at the top of the list. Threatening emails were sent to all on the list.The following day, Prather reported to Portales police that she had been attacked in her home by two masked assailants, and the investigation began. A surveillance tape obtained from the laundromat where one of the posters first appeared seemed to solve the case: the person placing signs was Prather herself. A search warrant
Search warrant
A search warrant is a court order issued by a Magistrate, judge or Supreme Court Official that authorizes law enforcement officers to conduct a search of a person or location for evidence of a crime and to confiscate evidence if it is found....
was executed on her home. She was arrested and charged with seven counts of harassment and one charge of tampering with evidence, which she vehemently denied. She claimed that a woman named "Jessica Forrester" who looked just like her and was obsessed with her was the true culprit behind the crimes. Prather claimed Forrester forced her to circulate the posters, and suggested Forrester got plastic surgery to make herself look just like Prather. Police were unable to find anyone by that name or description.
Trial
The case went to trial in March 1998 but quickly ended in a mistrial on the second day after Charles Plath, Prather's public defender, announced he could not properly defend her due to a piece of evidence that the police claimed was missing that they produced during the trial.Shortly before a second trial was about to start, Prather agreed to a plea bargain
Plea bargain
A plea bargain is an agreement in a criminal case whereby the prosecutor offers the defendant the opportunity to plead guilty, usually to a lesser charge or to the original criminal charge with a recommendation of a lighter than the maximum sentence.A plea bargain allows criminal defendants to...
in which she would plead guilty to three charges of harassment in return for the other four charges being dropped and no jail time. On August 18, 1999, State District Judge
Courts of New Mexico
Courts of New Mexico include:State courts of New Mexico*New Mexico Supreme Court**New Mexico Court of Appeals***New Mexico District Court ****New Mexico Magistrate Court****Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court...
Robert C. Brack of Clovis
Clovis, New Mexico
Clovis is the county seat of Curry County, New Mexico, United States. Its population was 32,667 at the 2000 census; according to 2010 Census Bureau estimates, the population had risen to 37,775....
accepted the deal and sentenced Prather to three years probation. The court allowed her to return to Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
where her parents resided.
Career
Since returning to Maryland, Prather has been the executive director for PublishAmericaPublishAmerica
PublishAmerica is a Maryland-based print-on-demand book publisher founded in 1999 by Lawrence Alvin "Larry" Clopper III and Willem Meiners ....
. The company describes itself as a "a traditional, advance- and royalty-paying book publisher." The company has been described by critics as a print on demand
Print on demand
Print on demand , sometimes called, in error, publish on demand, is a printing technology and business process in which new copies of a book are not printed until an order has been received...
vanity press
Vanity press
A vanity press or vanity publisher is a term describing a publishing house that publishes books at the author's expense. Publisher Johnathon Clifford claims to have coined the term in 1959. However, the term appears in mainstream U.S...
. Prather has stated that "Nobody has come to us with a true breach of contract. [Claims] have run the gamut of individuals complaining about the prices, the editing or the marketing." Later that year, PA did lose in a breach of contract arbitration hearing to author Philip Dolan.
In 2004, PA under Prather published over 4,800 titles and had nearly 11,000 authors under contract. As of 2009, PA indicates they have published over 40,000 authors.