About Our Case

August 9, 2025

Warrior to Wine, returns 

Disclaimer: My views, my words — protected under the First Amendment. All case details come from public records.

For those of you quietly watching this case — in the courtroom or from the sidelines — understand this: the warrior you’re up against doesn’t quit, doesn’t scare, and doesn’t run out of tactics!

As most of you know, our lives have shifted this year. Our passions haven’t gone away — they’ve just multiplied.

If you know me, you know I get obsessed when something grabs my attention. The last time it happened was about eight years ago, when Gina and I started making wine together. That obsession turned into Z&M Twisted Vines, Big Vino, Vino I, and 620 Cherokee Winery. We’ve been making wines, hard ciders, champagne — traveling Kansas and beyond, sharing our products, meeting amazing customers, and having a blast.

But this year, a new passion landed in my lap… and it surprised even me.

Federal court.

Twice in my military career, a commander wrote in my evaluations that I was “unflappable.” That stuck with me — partly because it’s funny in aviation, but mostly because it’s true. Recently I came across a Latin phrase that feels like my mission statement:

Fiat Justitia Ruat Cælum

Let justice be done, though the heavens fall.

It reminds me of an airborne cadence — “If my main don’t open wide, look out Lord, ‘cause I’m coming through.” 

The warrior who left the battlefield found peace and joy planting grapes, making wine, and meeting incredible people. But when that vineyard was tread upon, I found a new battlefield. Now I’m devoting 10, 15, sometimes 16 hours a day to reading statutes, case law, other court filings, and yes — writing motions.

And I’ll admit it: I’m not operating like a “real” attorney. I’m not an attorney at all. I’m a pro se litigant — which means I don’t play golf, I don’t play tennis, and I don’t drag things out for $1,000 an hour just to bill a client. I go straight at the problem.

Some say my motions are “too aggressive.” My response? Duh. Passion drives results, not endless ping-pong filings.

I’ve been reading filings on PACER from big firms, and honestly… they’re boring. So yes, I’ve been drinking wine while I write — and I might be writing this at 3:00 a.m.

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A Couple Legal Nuggets for the Sideline Watchers

Blauvelt v. Board of Leavenworth County Comm’rs – Exemptions extend to the land—even if not exclusively agricultural—to protect core farming activity. The Kansas Supreme Court reaffirmed that agriculture is a protected land use under Kansas law, and any zoning restriction that contradicts statutory protections is invalid.

 Humorous takeaway: Even Kansas courts know you can’t tell a soldier to “stop soldiering” any more than you can take the uniform off and erase the training, discipline, and heart that make them who they are.

From Federal Court: Wickard v. Filburn, 317 U.S. 111 (1942) — The U.S. Supreme Court held that even growing wheat for your own use can fall under federal regulation because it affects interstate commerce.

 Humorous takeaway: Translation — the government can watch what’s growing in your backyard, but somehow still can’t fix potholes on the road to it.

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Recently I found another Latin phrase that’s worth keeping close:

Fortuna Audaces Iuvat

Fortune favors the bold.

That’s the mindset I’m taking into every filing. It’s why Gina asked me the other day, “After you get through this, are you going to law school?” My answer? Heck yes. I’ve got to figure out what I’ve been doing wrong so I can do it even better next time. She says, “there’s no next time…get it right now”.  

So here’s where I’m at now: Warrior to Wine… to Litigation.

If you see me in court with a bottle of wine in my hand, you’ll know the mission — protect Kansas farmers, veterans, and the public by making sure we follow Kansas statutes and the U.S. Constitution.

Thanks for all your support. We’re doing this with smiles on our faces, and at the end of the day, it’s only going to make Kansas stronger.

Stay cool out there — and don’t forget… stay a little Twisted.