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Woman Charged After Mailing Sticky Threat (http://apnews.myway.com//article/20050817/D8C1R3401.html)

Aug 17, 5:52 PM (ET)

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) - A 24-year-old dental student who sent a note and a wad of bubble gum with her fine for a speeding ticket is on trial in federal court.

Rosemary Ho of Phoenix is charged with two felony counts of mailing a threat. She faces up to five years in prison on each count if found guilty.

Ho is accused of mailing a note to the Santa Fe Motor Vehicle Division office in 2003 that read: "Caution Touch at your own risk or use gloves. Ha-ha." The word caution was highlighted in pink.

The letter also contained an $80 money order to pay her traffic ticket.

Despite the payment, the MVD called the FBI, getting Hazmat teams, physicians drawing blood and analysts looking at DNA and comparing handwriting involved.

The MVD employee who opened the envelope, Juanita Rowley, did not think Ho's note was a joke, Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Sirignano told the jury Tuesday.

Sirignano argued in court pleadings that in the post-9/11 world, Rowley reacted "the way any reasonable public employee would." Blood tests later showed Rowley was not contaminated.

Ho's attorney, Alonzo Padilla, said Ho told agents she chewed the gum and placed the items inside the envelope.

Padilla said Ho may be guilty of bad taste or poor judgment, but she is not a terrorist.

This was "the stupid act of a young girl, but it was not a threat," he said.

Sirignano argued in court pleadings that in the post-9/11 world, Rowley reacted "the way any reasonable public employee would."

Woman Acquitted in Sticky Threat Case (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050818/ap_on_fe_st/sticky_threat;_ylt=AmTHWU3uXPPrUqNh8P8AipXtiBIF;_ylu=X3oDMTBiMW04NW9mBHNlYwMlJVRPUCUl)

Wed Aug 17, 9:45 PM ET

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - A 24-year-old dental student who sent a note and a wad of bubble gum with her fine for a speeding ticket was acquitted Wednesday of two felony counts of mailing a threat. A federal jury found Rosemary Ho of Phoenix not guilty following a two-day trial and a few hours of deliberation.

Ho was accused of mailing a note to the Santa Fe Motor Vehicle Division office in 2003 that read: "Caution Touch at your own risk or use gloves. Ha-ha." The word caution was highlighted in pink. The letter also contained an $80 money order to pay her traffic ticket.

Despite the payment, the MVD called the
FBI, getting Hazmat teams, physicians drawing blood and analysts looking at DNA and comparing handwriting involved.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Sirignano told the jury Tuesday that the MVD employee who opened the envelope, Juanita Rowley, did not think Ho's note was a joke.

Sirignano argued that in the post-9/11 world, Rowley reacted "the way any reasonable public employee would." Blood tests later showed Rowley was not contaminated.

Ho's attorney, Alonzo Padilla, said Ho told agents she chewed the gum and placed the items inside the envelope. He said his client may be guilty of bad taste or poor judgment, but she's not a terrorist.

This was "the stupid act of a young girl, but it was not a threat," he said.

After the verdict was read Wednesday, Padilla again said he was disappointed that federal authorities pursued the case and that the resources spent could have been used for more pressing matters.

But Sirignano said authorities have to take such things seriously because they don't know whether it's a real threat or a hoax.

The sun shines on a dog's ass some days.