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Writer's pictureAlex Baker

This White Woman Gets Away With Forgery

Top handwriting experts confirm forgery, but Los Angeles police and white judges openly allow it.


The death of George Floyd has sparked national outrage, and rightfully so. On May 25, 2020, Minneapolis police arrested Floyd on allegations of forgery. Although video footage shows that Floyd was cooperating with the arrest, officer Derek Chauvin pinned Floyd to the ground by kneeling on his neck. At least three other officers stood by and did nothing, despite Floyd's desperate plea:

"I can't breathe".

George Floyd was pronounced dead shortly after being taken to the hospital. Riots in Minneapolis and Los Angeles ensued. Even if the allegations of forgery had ultimately been proven, the vast majority of Americans agree that police had no cause for any brutality at all, let alone lethal force. Shrieks of racism echo throughout the land. Would a white person accused of forgery be treated this way? The answer is "no".


This white person is Clair Marlo, a former singer / songwriter, who forged numerous documents, including multiple music production contracts, credit card applications, and a music publishing company formation. The total value of the forgeries is in excess of $200,000.

This white person is Clair Marlo, a former singer / songwriter, who forged numerous documents, including multiple music production contracts, credit card applications, and a music publishing company formation.


Two independent, highly-credentialed handwriting experts - Beth Chrisman and Bart Baggett - have each analyzed the signatures on the questioned documents and come to the same conclusion: they are forgeries and that Clair Marlo is the likely source. The full reports and sworn declarations of the experts can be viewed here.


A police report regarding Clair Marlo's forgeries was made to the Pacific Division of the Los Angeles Police Department. The police report, which included the expert handwriting analysis, indicates that Marlo is "white". For unstated reasons, the L.A. police have declined to investigate the matter further, and declined comment on this article.


Civil litigation has also transpired around Marlo's forgery. A federal lawsuit was brought in downtown Los Angeles before the Hon. Virginia Phillips, the Chief Judge of the Central District. Judge Phillips dismissed the victim's case, finding that it had to proceed in state (rather than federal) court, but allowed Marlo's counter-suit to go to trial. Marlo's counter-suit sought only a declaration that the forged music contracts were "accurate". The forgery victim sought to defend by proving that what purported to be his signatures were forgeries.


Judge Phillips, who is white, disallowed the testimony of handwriting expert Beth Chrisman on dubious grounds.


Why would this white judge disallow the testimony of a bona fide handwriting expert, if not to protect a white forger?

The victim did indeed bring the civil lawsuit into state court, where it was set for a jury trial in May 2020. But another white judge, Samantha Jessner, inexplicably dismissed the entire case on the eve of trial.


To recap: Police brutally arrest George Floyd - a black man - and end up killing him, on allegations of forgery. And yet, the entire system - police, district attorney, the lawyers and the judges - blatantly allow Clair Marlo - a white woman - to get away with forging documents worth over 200 grand. Why?


Perhaps the double-standard on forgery tolerance has something to do with the influence of Marlo's defense attorneys - Joe Yanny and Mike DiNardo - both of whom are white, and who have ties to organized crime. Joe Yanny is the notorious attorney for the Mongols Nation, a criminal RICO Racketeering operation, while Mike DiNardo is Yanny's protege.


Through her attorneys, Clair Marlo declined to comment.








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