24 Aug 2006 - Fundraiser for Child Abuse Prevention Fund - Milwaukee

Summer 2006 - Montel Williams update show (date to be announced)

6 May 2006 - Milwaukee Police Department Community Awareness Day from 1-4 p.m.

6 Mar 2006 - Montel Williams Show airs nationally

19 Feb 2006 - Wisconsin Association of Women Police Officers Annual Conference

22 Jan 2006 - Cut-A-Thon in Brookfield Wisconsin from 12-5 p.m. to support Child Abuse Prevention through education

5 Dec 2005 - New Affiliation with the Wisconsin Professional Speakers Association
http://www.wisconsinspeakers.com/NewSpeakerPages/Stephens.html 

15 Nov 2005 - Sugar Plum Luncheon with Children's Hospital of Milwaukee:  Jennifer will present story for this fundraising event in Milwaukee

8 Nov 2005 - Montel Williams Show airs on NBC in Milwaukee at 3:00p.m.  check your local listing for your area

14 Oct 2005 - First "official" book signing at Voss Books in the old Third Ward in Downtown Milwaukee on Water Street. 

If you are interested in scheduling an appearance or speaking engagment please contact me at wisconsinvision@aol.com or write to me at:

P.O. Box 510562,  New Berlin, WI 53151

Currently I am working on a couple of projects:

Second Edition:  (Should be at the Printers by 10 Nov 2005) Quite surprisingly to me I am already working on a second edition of Escape from the Dungeon to be released hopefully within the next six months.  My good friend in Germany is lending her editorial hand and insight to many things my mind has thankfully repressed.  She is going to add commentary to help shed light on this tragedy in hopes to make the same differences in our communities.  Also, I have thankfully recieved the support of the District Attorney prosecuting this case and Brad will supply me with a comment or two to put on the cover.  I also hope to put some photos and excerpts from the taping of the Montel Williams Show and some radio interviews I have scheduled to help share with you the success of getting the word out.

Miniseries Script writer project:  Currently we are working with scriptwriters out of California to develop a miniseries event on this life story

Audio Version:  I am working on an opportunity to make an audio version of this book where you can hear in my own voice this story with commentaries that you would not other wise get.

Presentations:  I currently have three presentations ready to discuss this story Escape from the Dungeon and how you can make a difference in your everyday life.

Follow on literary projects:  I am in the consideration stage of follow on books with some of my siblings and this will be determined on how things work out with this first book.  I am committed to making a difference every single day but as you can imagine, the emotional committment with this type of story is phenomenal at the very least.  We want to see how this project is recieved before we make more emotional commitments so we are open to many different things but we are moving slowly to best guage the needs of the community and most importantly, the needs of my siblings.

27 July 2005 –  Judge Dreyfuss was incredible, he not only allowed every child to make their statements, but said that it was critical as to the character of Linda Stephens and her propensity to abuse again and to take advantage of her children.  Each child got up there and gave their statement; each child described how they are affected today because of what mom has put us through.  Each child spun their tale of manipulation, abuse and control that mom exuded over them and how they are affected today.  Mom sat their stone faced without caring just staring ahead with her jaw clenched.  When I was the last to make a statement and when I saw the first two words on my paper in front of me, I started to tear up before I started; those two words were, “to dad”.  As I read this statement dad sat their crying.  As I told him how I felt about him and how Grandma and Grandpa Stephens felt about him in their final years of life, he choked back his emotion.  That was the hardest part of my statement because I will always love my father.   After the statements were finished the defense began their case.  Ryan and Laurie spoke on behalf of my parents and to say that they came off looking ridiculous is an understatement.  It was as if they decided at the last minute to make a statement and their words were not thought out.  Ryan attacked the New Berlin Police Department and the District Attorney with disregard for the efforts they have displayed.  He defended mom and called her “a good mother”.  The only thing I can say is that he has not come to terms with the way we grew up.  He too is clouded in his visions and overlooking the bad that has happened in our lives.  But he has that right to back them up and he was afforded that opportunity.  After they spoke mom’s lawyer tried to defend and mitigate mom’s actions.  He stated that mom has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder in the early 1990’s, Lupus and a variety of other medical conditions.  Her lawyer attacked me stating I was out for my own revenge and benefit.  It was so clear that he was simply regurgitating what mom instructed him to say.  It was clear that mom was trying to belittle us and our efforts from the defendant’s chair.  Mom’s lawyer painted a picture of such a state of mental illness that she had no control over the way that she acted in the last few years.  The way that mom sat tight jawed in her chair it was if she was smug like nothing was going to happen to her.  After that, Mom got to speak and her words were so much less than genuine.  She flippantly stated that “if” she had ever hurt her kids she didn’t mean it and she was sorry.  But it appeared that her response was a canned response and without feeling or truth.  It appeared she was telling the judge what he wanted to hear.  Then Dad’s lawyer spoke.  She said that she was in a most precarious position with a husband to her left and a wife to her right.  The mother was hated and the father was loved.  She toed the line and stated that dad instructed her that in no uncertain terms that she was not to be antagonistic and say anything bad about the kids.  No one was requesting hard time for dad and she requested that if he did get jail it would be work release jail.  Then dad spoke, I cannot wait to get a copy of the transcripts to get his words exactly.  He spoke of his parents and the good example that they set, he apologized to his children through tears, you could tell his heart was broken.  Then he talked to me, he told me that he loved me and that the time we hugged in children’s court was genuine and real and the only time we hugged in decades.  His face was red, lowered with tears as he spoke.  The pews behind the State were filled with his children in tears.  I cannot tell you if it is truth but I can only say that it felt genuine and I was so very, very grateful to hear those words from my father.  I miss him and I will always miss him.

Then the judge said his piece.  He sentenced dad first who already served nearly a year in jail with work release.  He said he was confident of dad’s partial responsibility but that he saw dad as a victim somewhat himself.  He talked about Dad’s role and how he should have changed things.  Dad was sentenced to a total of 20 months work release and with time served and good time credit because of his compliance with out incident over the last year, he would only have to serve three more months and his term would be done.  He won’t be able to talk with his minor children unless one of us older siblings other than Laurie and Ryan supervise per the judge’s order.  He will have three years of probation and then he is done with his punishment.  He can have no contact with any of the older children unless they want to and on their terms.  That put a lot of minds at ease. 

Then he sentenced mom.  He admonished her for her 35 years of manipulation and stated that she was brilliant in her schemes and manipulations.  He stated that prison can either be a punishment or to protect society.  Judge Dreyfuss stated that he didn’t feel she was threatening society but the threat she posed to her own children were too great to not recognize.  The judge referenced my statement several times, he stated that “Jennifer suggested that you get 35 years for the abuse you inflicted”  he also referenced so many of the children’s concerns from their statements.  He described in his judgment how we were all united in our feelings for our mother and would address those concerns.  Judge Dreyfuss sentenced her to 3 years in prison with no possibility of getting out early and then 8 years of extended supervision and probation.  During those 8 years she would have to get a fulltime job (which she has never had) and pay back the people she has stolen from.  She will not be allowed to have a credit/debit card, credit/debit card numbers, a computer, internet access or checking accounts due to the extent of her fraud and financial crimes.  The Judge stated that she was to have no contact with the minor children ever via any means until they reach the age of 18 (the youngest now is 13).  She was instructed to have absolutely no contact with the adult children in any fashion or form unless they wanted that contact and requested it and on their terms.  This is so important to all of us who want nothing to do with her.