Justice gone crazy: Letterman restrained from stalker

Some true stories are just abso-friggin'-lutely impossible to believe, and yet there they are in all their true glory, or at least reported true glory.

David Letterman, yes, that David Letterman, host of the CBS Late Nite show, former host of NBC's Late Nite show, failed host of the Oscars, Oprah groupie (just kidding, but he did recently have her on his show as part of the "superbowl of love" ;) ), perenial top-ten list-er, and also frequently targetted by some pretty whacked out stalkers is now legally restrained from one of his own stalkers.

That part would seem reasonable enough, until you read the details of the story below and you realize that the woman that got the restraining order is apparently more than just a few bricks short of the full load (or whatever other cliched term that equates to "not all the way there" you wish to use).

I don't mean to make light of the mentally challenged, and with this lady, I better be very careful of the words I chose, 'lest she decide that I'm now targetting her (though I'm sure my real live wife wouldn't let me do such things).

Anyway, read the original story for the complete details. I'm including a snippet, but there is just too much here to not point you back to the original.





Letterman Restrained by Tormented Fan

By Sarah Hall
E! Online

David Letterman has been temporarily restrained by a woman who believes that he torments her over the airwaves using a secret code.
New Mexico resident Colleen Nestler filed court documents late last week, alleging that Letterman has been using code words, gestures and "eye expressions" for more than 10 years to convey his desire to marry her and train her as his cohost.
As a result of Letterman's alleged methods of torture, Nestler claims she has suffered from "mental cruelty" and "sleep deprivation," and has been forced into bankruptcy.
She was granted a temporary restraining order by Santa Fe District Judge Daniel Sanchez, who signed off on her application and set a Jan. 12 court date to determine whether to make the order permanent.
In her six-page letter to the court, Nestler requested that Letterman stay at least three yards away from her and that he not "think of me, and release me from his mental harassment and hammering."
Letterman's lawyers have claimed Nestler's complaints are "without merit" and have asked Sanchez to quash the order.
"The claims made are obviously absurd and frivolous," Jim Jackoway, Lettermans attorney in Los Angeles, told the New Mexican. "This constitutes an unfortunate abuse of the judicial process."
Albuquerque attorney Pat Rogers contended that the Santa Fe District Court lacked jurisdiction over Letterman, that Nestler never served Letterman with restraining order papers and that she failed to follow other procedural requirements.
It's unclear from Nestler's complaint when her "relationship" with Letterman began to sour.
In her letter to the court, she claims she began sending Letterman "thoughts of love" after he began hosting The Late Show with David Letterman on CBS in 1993.
"Dave responded to my thoughts of love, and, on his show, in code words & obvious indications through jestures [sic] and eye expressions, he asked me to come east," she wrote.
Letterman upped the ante, she claimed, when he asked her to be his wife shortly before Thanksgiving in 1993.
In a teaser for his show, Letterman jokingly said, "Marry Me, Oprah," which Nestler rapidly deduced was a message intended for her.
"Oprah had become my first of many code names," she wrote. "...[A]s time passed, the code-vocabulary increased & changed, but in the beginning things like 'C' on baseball caps referred to me, and specific messages through songs sung by his guests, were the beginnings of what became an elaborate means of communication between he and myself."
Nestler did not reveal why she waited for so many years to take action against her tormenter. (We're guessing she was motivated by the recent revelation that she's not the only woman Letterman calls Oprah.)
She told the Associated Press Wednesday that she had no comment regarding her pending request for a permanent restraining order, other than "I pray to God I get it."



... more at linked article


Again, totally un-friggin'-believable.

Some people are just not right.
16,373 views 9 replies
Reply #1 Top
Shameless forum bump to get this one listed for all to see.

(And please, none of you people out there think I'm targetting you with thoughts of love! I don't need any problems with the court myself!)
Reply #2 Top
That is the most ridiculous pile of crap I have ever heard.
I can't believe that she was deluded enough to think Dave had the hots for her. I don't think Dave will have any problem keeping himself from coming within three yards of her.

Paul Shaffer on the other hand, he's a crafty devil. I think it was him.
Reply #3 Top
Paul Shaffer on the other hand, he's a crafty devil. I think it was him.


I was thinkin' it might be Biff Henderson, or perhaps Rupert Jee, that would be the trouble maker.


Agreed though on Letterman remaining 3 yards away from her. Now if only the Judge would be smart enough to require the poor gal to keep her TV turned off so as to avoid getting any of Dave Letterman's secret messages. Either that, or the Judge can require her to wear that pointy tin foil hat to protect herself from any telepathic messages she fears receiving.
Reply #4 Top
Oh, man...

In at least one sense, it benefits Letterman. Since restraining orders are double-edged swords, this also keeps her away from him. But since it's not good to have such a thing on one's record, I can see why he's fighting it, and I hope he's also seeking a restraining order against her.

She's a good example of just how messed up some people can become in their beliefs and perceptions. It's sad. Too bad she didn't go bankrupt from buying antipsychotic drugs.

Reply #5 Top

I have a restraining order here to restrain Terpfan from trrying to send me thoughts about the Maryland Terapins!

I heard about this on the news driving in this morning.  While the mental condition of the woman is not really in doubt, the mental condition of the judge has to be highly suspect to issue such a pile of crap!

Reply #6 Top
I heard about this on the news driving in this morning. While the mental condition of the woman is not really in doubt, the mental condition of the judge has to be highly suspect to issue such a pile of crap!


Agreed on the pile of crap ruling.

Why some people are allowed to abuse the justice system and clog the courts with worthless lawsuits like this is beyond me. It's not like we don't have enough other legal issues to be working on.
Reply #7 Top
Probably the judge was trying to placate the woman by saying, in essence, "that's all right dear. I'll issue your restraining order and all the bad stuff will go away."
But it's one thing to make a frivolous judicial ruling. It's another thing to have a judicial ruling that you know nothing about come down upon your own head, like it now has with Letterman.
I can totally see why he's fighting this thing. He's thinking to himself, where did this come from?

(Guy - come with me to Bermuda. We will be together always.)
Reply #8 Top
That judge should be disbarred!
No question about it.
Reply #9 Top
Here's an idea...why doesn't she just change the channel??? I think she has misplaced her meds. The judge...is he a REAL judge...or does he just PLAY one on TV?