| Idiot Durham Judge Pens New Book; Why Durham "Justice" is like it is | |
|---|---|
| Topic Started: Oct 29 2009, 04:37 AM (337 Views) | |
| abb | Oct 29 2009, 04:37 AM Post #1 |
|
http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/6302288/ Ex-judge's new book touches on many issues Posted: Oct. 28 5:29 p.m. The former Durham District Court judge who called on lawmakers for anti-gang legislation during a hearing for one of two men charged in the slayings of two college students is speaking out again. Retired District Judge Craig Brown has penned a new book, "Blind Justice," which touches on a wide range of topics from living with a disability – he suffers from a chronic illness that cause him to lose his sight – to reforms needed in the justice system. On March 14, 2008, Brown was setting bond for Laurence Alvin Lovette Jr., who is charged with murder in the Jan. 18 slaying of Duke graduate student Abhijit Mahato and March 5, 2008, killing Eve Carson, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's student body president. Brown called for state legislators to immediately pass laws to curb gang activity. "It was a tough night in a sense that I was well aware he would be appearing in front of me in the morning," Brown said of the night before Lovette's arraignment. "I suppose, in a way, I had to balance the rules of being a judge, on the one hand, and being a leader, on the other, and the conflict between the two." Despite advice not to say anything and to do his job as a judge, Brown asked the governor for a special session of the General Assembly to take up anti-gang legislation. "It was my sense that the public needed to be reassured, that leaders in the state were moving forward in terms of the anti-gang legislation after a number of years in consideration, and simply to calm the public," Brown said. "That was the essential goal of what I had to say after the arraignment was completed." At the time he made the comments, he said, he had been planning to retire. "In a way, I suppose, it freed me to make the comments that I did," Brown said. "The First Amendment does not necessarily apply to judges at all times. You are constrained by the requirements of the code of judicial conduct, in terms of what you can or cannot say in a particular situation. The comments I made in respect to the anti-gang legislation were across the line." Brown also writes about former Durham County District Attorney Mike Nifong, who won indictments for first-degree rape, sexual assault and kidnapping against three Duke University lacrosse players after a stripper reported being raped. The case unraveled, however, and North Carolina's attorney general eventually dropped all charges and declared the players innocent victims of Nifong's "tragic rush to accuse." Brown wants people to look at Nifong's entire career and judging him by that, not just the lacrosse case. "His career is more than the Duke men's lacrosse case," Brown said. "Sometimes, I think, when the media focuses on a particular controversy, it's difficult for them to be able to place that controversy or issue in complete context." "Blind Justice," which is available at Amazon.com and in select bookstores, is the first of four books Brown plans to write. "I'm not asking people to agree with me," he said. "What I am asking the reading public to do is to read the book with an eye toward stimulating discussion about the various topics and circumstances that are covered in the book itself. That is the real goal of the book. To make people think." Reporter: Erin Hartness Photographer: Pete James Web Editor: Kelly Gardner |
 |
 
|
| Quasimodo | Oct 29 2009, 08:04 AM Post #2 |
|
A) by that standard, we should be letting every white collar criminal off; and B) I'm not so sure that the rest of Nifong's career at traffic court would stand scrutiny, IMHO.
Did the good judge criticize the media at the time for what they were doing?
I can't wait for the book versions by Burness, Brodhead, Nifong, etc... (Someone needs to be keeping notes for the "After Innocence" book.) |
|
|
|
| Baldo | Oct 29 2009, 08:06 AM Post #3 |
|
Brown wants people to look at Nifong's entire career and judging him by that, not just the lacrosse case. "His career is more than the Duke men's lacrosse case," Brown said. "Sometimes, I think, when the media focuses on a particular controversy, it's difficult for them to be able to place that controversy or issue in complete context." Yes those years in the Traffic Court are filled with accomplishments and personal satisfaction. |
|
|
| Payback | Oct 29 2009, 12:00 PM Post #4 |
|
"His career is more than the Duke men's lacrosse case," Brown said. "Sometimes, I think, when the media focuses on a particular controversy, it's difficult for them to be able to place that controversy or issue in complete context." But when we focus on a particular controversy we often see that this particular one is part of a lifetime pattern, as with Richard H. Brodhead. Michael Gaynor quoted me at the start of "Richard Brodhead Targeted Hershel Parker Before Duke Lacrosse" "Rushing to judgment is part of Brodhead's character. The circumstances at Duke merely brought out what anyone who knew his history could have predicted: that he had led a sheltered existence that never had called forth a display of force derived from a personal history of striving and achieving and mastering difficult information and complex ideas. As the writer in the Providence JOURNAL said, Brodhead caved and failed. The wonder is that anyone thought he might behave differently than he did." Edited by Payback, Oct 29 2009, 12:00 PM.
|
|
|
|
| MikeZPU | Oct 29 2009, 03:56 PM Post #5 |
|
Lane Williamson had the best response for this line of logic at Nifong's Bar Trial. Lane said to Nifon'g's lawyer: "You're not suggesting a mulligan, are you?" (where you get to replay a really bad shot in golf, as if the bad shot had never happened.) There should be serious ethics rules about judges and prosecutors becoming pals/buddies. It is not good for justice whatsoever. I've seen this in play a number of times, and it definitely effects the impartiality of the judge. In this case, either they're such buddies that this judge has blinders on relative to Nifong's outrageously serious transgressions OR this judge himself is corrupt. Edited by MikeZPU, Oct 29 2009, 04:04 PM.
|
|
|
|
| abb | Oct 29 2009, 05:18 PM Post #6 |
|
Teleport yourself back to late March/early April 2006. This clown is a sitting judge in the Fourteenth Judicial District of North Carolina (Durham). With what we now know about what the CourtHouse Crowd knew and when they knew it, imagine what this particular Officer of the Court knew. And he kept his mouth shut. He was aiding and abetting a lynching. No other term describes what he did. |
|
|
|
| kbp | Oct 29 2009, 07:50 PM Post #7 |
|
Evidently mitigating factors - whispered behind closed doors in the courthouse - which Orlando gave great weight to when he sentenced Mikey? I recall LMAO at that sentence. |
|
|
|
| abb | Oct 30 2009, 06:16 AM Post #8 |
|
http://durhamcounty.mync.com/site/durhamcounty/news|Sports|Lifestyles/story/43747/former-judge-speaks-out-on-potential-inmate-release Former Judge Speaks Out On Potential Inmate Release By NBC-17, NBC17, 1 day, 14 hours ago Updated: Oct. 28 6:22 pm DURHAM, N.C. - The same judge who demanded state lawmakers crack down on gang violence following the murder of UNC President Eve Carson is speaking out again. "It's a question of the law," retired Durham district court judge Craig Brown said. When it comes to the proposed release of multiple inmates from North Carolina prisons Brown said the law is very clear. The inmates were sentenced under the law in 1974 and when their sentences are combined with good behavior credits, they should be released. "The law requires that the inmate serve his or her sentence as defined by the law at the time they were sentenced," he said. Brown, however, argues the law should be changed to allow for electronic monitoring of released prisoners. It's one of the points in his new book "Blind Justice," a play on words because Brown is blind. "There is no such thing and no provision for the use of GPS technology (under parole guidelines)," Brown said. In 2008 when it was announced the murders of Carson and Duke Grad student Abhijit Mahato were possibly gang related, Judge Brown pleaded from the bench for then-Governor Mike Easley to call a special legislative session to work on gang violence. Brown said an ankle bracelet can monitor people anywhere continuously "I certainly think the public would feel safer about these offenders being released when they've served their sentences," Brown said. If the law were revised to allow electronic monitoring, Brown said the state could even save money. He said it costs $78 per day to keep someone in jail, compared with $10 per day to monitor them with an ankle bracelet. "It seems to me that the time is right in conjunction with the further development of technology for us to seriously take a look at North Carolina criminal law," he said. "Blind Justice" is already on store shelves. |
|
|
|
| Quasimodo | Oct 30 2009, 09:11 AM Post #9 |
|
Just a heads up: When a person writes a book, he/she tries to get as many press interviews as possible, in order to gain publicity for the book. A complaint press, or friends in the media, are then a big plus. There is no particular reason, IMHO, to interview Judge Brown particularly about the release of these prisoners, except as a favor because he has a book out.
In the future, we can probably expect a spate of books from others involved in the case (Burness, Brodhead, Nifong, and various Duke faculty). These people also have media contacts (some are even in public relations) and they will appear to be interviewed in the media (quite possibly, even on the likes of the Today show). [ETA: it's quite possible that they managed to rig a Newsweek cover, IMHO--just my speculation, quite possibly in error] They will naturally spin events to suit themselves; and the interviewers will probably not be familiar enough with the details of the case to challenge them on anything. They will do everything they can to revise history and the perception of themselves. (Some of them, AFAIK, are still badmouthing the lax players and families.) If we weren't around, they might be able to snowball the public and get away with it. (The only reason the Times wasn't able to get is distortions across in Aug. 2006 was because of the NET.) So, stick around; our work isn't done. Round 2 is coming up. (Because if we aren't there to keep the facts straight, who will be?) Edited by Quasimodo, Oct 30 2009, 09:14 AM.
|
|
|
|
| Baldo | Oct 30 2009, 12:56 PM Post #10 |
|
Well we will be ready for any possible book by Burness/Brodhead. I doubt it will happen before the lawsuits are finish. Of course with Burness anything is possible. He is truly a legend in his owm mind and he did have a very big mouth. But I look forward to Payback's counter punch if Brodhead writes anything |
|
|
|
| 1 user reading this topic (1 Guest and 0 Anonymous) | |
| « Previous Topic · DUKE LACROSSE - Liestoppers · Next Topic » |
9:52 AM Dec 6
