The three defendants in the Deri Smith defamation case have said they will not apologize, even thought ordered to by a Leelanau County jury.

Although the jury in the Smith case specified that apologies must be made, the defendants Noel Flohe, John Stanek and Noel Flohe all said they had no intention of apologizing. But Record-Eagle reader Char Verschaeve has written an apology letter for them, as follows:

"Dear Ms. Smith: I truly am sorry for the flaws in my human condition that led me to act in such a vile and intimidating way towards you. As we are all human, this has been a real learning curve for me. From here on out, I will treat people with respect and fairness. If I feel the urge to harass people, namely women, I will seek professional help in order to better understand and change my unacceptable behavior. I am so, so sorry for all the unnecessary problems I have caused. If I would have apologized from the start it may have avoided all this nasty court business."

Right onl