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Blog and Media Roundup - Tuesday, March 9, 2010; News Roundup
Topic Started: Mar 9 2010, 06:01 AM (684 Views)
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http://www.heraldsun.com/view/full_story/6610182/article-Lopez-laments-prized-car-s-burglary?instance=homethirdleft


Lopez laments prized car's burglary
03.08.10 - 10:30 pm
By John McCann

jmccann@heraldsun.com; 419-6601

DURHAM -- Like a boy with his favorite little car, Durham Police Chief Jose Lopez Sr. didn't give half a thought to moving down here from Connecticut without his precious vroom-vroom.

"It's my little toy," Lopez said.

The chief was talking about his 1986 Chevrolet El Camino, which Durham's Ervin Alexander Harris broke into last year. Lopez's car was in the mechanic's shop for some tinkering when Harris, not knowing he was squaring off with the police chief, tried to get slick.

Harris, 36, wound up in front of Superior Court Judge Ronald Stephens, where he pleaded guilty to multiple counts of felony breaking and entering of a motor vehicle, breaking and entering, felony larceny and misdemeanor larceny. Among Harris' crimes was a charge for breaking into the Durham County Tax Administrator's Office in the old courthouse. Harris slipped in and took some CDs, a camera and a personal digital assistant.

The judge sentenced him to 135 to 171 months in prison. That's a minimum sentence of a little more than 11 years behind bars and a maximum of a little more than 14 years.

Because Harris is a habitual felon, he could have gotten a whole lot more time, Assistant District Attorney Doretta Walker said, but his guilty plea saved the state some time and money, and that helped his cause. Police say there's one other suspect in the car break-in.

Chief Lopez now has his cherished El Camino back in one piece. The crooks had snatched his car's stereo system, along with custom speakers that pushed through sounds of rock and Latin music.

"Even some orchestra, big-band," Lopez said. But the crooks stole the chief's CDs and even took his Ray-Ban sunglasses.

Nonetheless, the burgundy-and-silver El Camino is back on the road. That car is Lopez's -- well, it's his baby. And he's glad to be cuddling the steering wheel.

But something's just not right, Lopez suggested. It's not the same, he said.

Oh, the car itself is fine. He got it from a Connecticut junk yard and spent three years getting it right. Lopez said his wife knocked his socks off by getting some professionals to throw in a stereo system with primo Alpine speakers.

"This thing had some real serious sound," Lopez lamented.

And while you could stick your head inside the chief's El Camino now and find no fault with the effort and performance of the new audio system, Lopez would argue it doesn't sound so great, because it's not the stereo and speakers his wife gave him.

"It had sentimental value to me," Lopez explained. "No, it can't be like it was."

Nothing personal against the men suspected, though, Lopez said. He said as much to one of them when he bumped into one of the suspects at the police station. A man in a detective's custody was introduced as one of the people who broke into his ride, Lopez said.

The chief told the suspect to get his life together. The suspect apologized and told Lopez about a time they met and the chief gave him some good words. The chief did the same this time.

"I shook his hand and wished him the best," Lopez said.

Crime doesn't discriminate -- even the chief of police in the Bull City is vulnerable, Lopez said.

"I'm not immune," Lopez said. "Nobody says, 'This is the chief's house, this is the chief's truck.' "

Folks by all means should take personal precautions to safeguard their stuff, Lopez said. But it's also about neighbors looking after their neighbors' stuff, he said.

And it's about getting at the root of crime, because Lopez said the bandits who grabbed his goods weren't looking for a nice stereo for their own listening pleasure, weren't looking to get their groove on to some big band.

"My stereo went to a drug dealer," Lopez insisted.

It was a Sanyo with an AM/FM radio, and it played both cassettes and CDs. You don't see many stereos like that anymore, Lopez said. So if you come across one like that, it's probably his, Lopez quipped.

"Tell them to give me a call," the chief said.
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http://www.heraldsun.com/view/full_story_news_durham/6609234/article-Constantinou-files-for-District-Court-judge-seat?instance=main_article


Constantinou files for District Court judge seat
03.08.10 - 08:29 pm
By John McCann

jmccann@heraldsun.com; 419-6601

DURHAM -- Bull City lawyer Catherine Constantinou is set to square off against two other local attorneys for District Court Judge Elaine Bushfan's seat.

"The everyday decisions of a District Court judge have potential to change lives, for better or worse, and to shape the public policies of our community," Constantinou stated on her Web site.

For the judgeship, she has to beat Durham lawyers Pat Evans and Brian Aus. Bushfan has filed to run for a Superior Court judge's seat.

Constantinou waited until nearly the very end of the filing period, which ended Feb. 26, to make her candidacy official. But she said that had to do with thinking through what her bid would mean for her family and law office.

Constantinou earned her law degree from N.C. Central University School of Law, where she is involved as a volunteer.

Acknowledging her Greek roots, the attorney said she comes from a family of faith and moderate means.

"This upbringing taught me values that I have used in my profession, the ability to do all that one can with all that one has," Constantinou said. Constantinou said she's an organizing member of the Durham County Family Law Bar and twice served as the group's co-president, and cites her work in juvenile court as very rewarding.

"In those cases, you have the ability to problem solve and create action plans which have the utmost impact on families and citizens in Durham County. I have seen the impact of drug and alcohol abuse on families. On some occasions those same families succeed in breaking the chains of addiction and regaining their lives," she said.
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http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2010/03/08/1299705/judge-most-of-search-warrant-must.html

Judge: Most of search warrant must be made public
By JEFFREY COLLINS
Associated Press Writer
Posted: Monday, Mar. 08, 2010

MONROE, N.C. Most parts of a search warrant issued in an investigation into a former North Carolina prosecutor must be made public even though charges have yet to be filed in the case, a judge ruled Monday.

Prosecutors were given 48 hours to release the warrant against former district attorney Joel Brewer after redacting two paragraphs from an affidavit filed by the lead investigator in the case that judge Gary Trawick said contain conclusions on what crimes may have been committed and facts that weren't necessary to issue the warrant.

"They go to matters that are highly prejudicial and could ruin a man's reputation," Trawick said.

The whole affidavit will be released if charges are filed against Brewer, Trawick ruled.

Senior deputy attorney general Jim Coman confirmed state agents are investigating Brewer and he expects charges to be filed against the former lead prosecutor for Person and Caswell counties. But he wouldn't give any details about what Brewer might have done, saying any information will be released Tuesday when State Bureau of Investigation agents file the warrant Tuesday in Person County, about 45 miles northwest of Raleigh.

Lawyers for Brewer wanted the warrant sealed, saying releasing the information could embarrass others named in the document and could make it impossible if he is charged to get a fair trial in Person County, where he lives with about 37,500 other people.

That left prosecutors in the unusual position of asking to be allowed to release information to the public. Coman argued the warrant should be public just like any other and suggested Brewer was just trying to avoid his own personal humiliation.

Few details about the warrant came out during a hearing Monday held in Union County Superior Court just east of Charlotte because that's where Trawick, who issued the original warrant, was hearing cases this week.

Lawyers for both sides spoke vaguely about two items seized like adults trying to discuss private details around children.

Brewer's lawyer George Daniel said at various times during his 20-minute argument that releasing the information would be "devastating," "detrimental" and "inflammatory" not just for Brewer, but for people who were questioned by agents and named in the papers.

"This is the buzz of the town. Mr. Brewer has a family. And the people listed here shouldn't necessary be the coffee shop gossip," said James "Butch" Williams, another of Brewer's attorneys.

Coman said releasing the warrant to the public would not affect the investigation and suggested Brewer was upset because the justice system was being used against him.

"He's wanting preferential treatment," Coman said. "If this was Joe Blow in Roxboro and this very same search warrant with the same affidavit attached to it was filed, it would be filed. There wouldn't be any hearing. There wouldn't be any argument."

Daniel said he didn't plan to appeal the ruling. He refused to speak on behalf of his client or give any details about the investigation.
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http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/7188111/

Part of search warrant in former Person DA case to be released
Posted: 4:50 p.m. yesterday
Updated: 7:53 p.m. yesterday

A Superior Court judge ruled Monday that details of a recent search of the district attorney's office in Person County be released.

The State Bureau of Investigation has been investigating Joel Brewer since last fall, officials said, but the reason for the probe hasn't been disclosed. Brewer, who retired last month as district attorney of Person and Caswell counties, has said he is cooperating fully with the investigation.

Person County CourthouseWATCH VIDEO
Search of prosecutor's office spawns court fight

SBI agents searched Brewer's office at the Person County Courthouse two weeks ago, and Brewer asked that the search warrant be sealed so that details of what was taken and the reason for the search couldn't be reported.

Attorney George Daniel argued that Brewer hasn't been charged with a crime and that the contents of the search warrant and accompanying affidavit could embarrass other people.

"The information that would come out – would potenitally come out in the search warrant (and) in this affadavit – with him not being charged would be devastating, to say the least," Daniel said.

He also noted that search warrants were sealed in the Nancy Cooper murder case in Wake County.

Deputy Attorney General said the case against Brewer is different than the investigation of Cooper's 2008 slaying in Cary. Brewer was a public official at the time of the search, he said, and it would set a bad precedent if officials were able to prevent the public from seeing what was happening in their offices.

"Because this search warrant was issued against an individual who was serving in a public capacity that the time, it's even more important for the court to hold this matter open," Coman said. "The only reason, I submit, that we are here today is because of Brewer's status, and he wants preferential treatment."

Judge Gary Trawick said a copy of the search warrant and affidavit with two paragraphs redacted must be filed in Person County by Wednesday afternoon. An unedited version would be released if any criminal charges are filed in the case, Trawick ruled.

A Roxboro attorney who is familiar with the case and has seen court documents dealing with it said the SBI investigation doesn't involve anyone else in the district attorney's office and there is more than one accuser.

Gov. Beverly Perdue's office is reviewing candidates to name someone to fill the remainder of Brewer's term.
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http://falserapesociety.blogspot.com/2010/03/roethlisberger-case-highlights-new.html

Monday, March 8, 2010
The Roethlisberger case highlights the new victim blaming: men accused of rape
We have recently written that so-called "victim blaming" is, at the very least, overstated. It is used as a convenient rationalization to support the claim that underreporting of rape is rampant (you know the shtick: rape is not reported due to the fear of victim blaming). When "victim blaming" is used with respect to women, it is usually of two varieites: it's a manifestation of the wholly non-controversial belief that you gotta be careful because there are criminals out there. (Now that's misogyny, isn't it?) The other kind of "victim blaming" isn't really "victim blaming" at all -- it occurs when the speaker (almost always a woman, by the way) doesn't really believe that a rape occurred -- the accuser was "asking" for it, literally.

I do believe it is rare when people know that a woman actually has been raped but insist on blaming the rape victim. At least among men, it would be considered insensitive in the extreme.

Far more common is the victim blaming of men accused of rape. If you doubt that, take a look at the blogs discussing the latest sexual assault accusation against two-time Super Bowl quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. He showed poor judgment. He shouldn't go to bars with young women. On and on it goes. Ben Roethlisberger went from being a gutsy, smart, champion competitor to a nitwit who needs to hide in his bedroom, swear off women, and live like a monk. Importantly, these comments generally assume Roethlisberger's innocence from criminality but nevertheless hold him responsible for the accusations. The comments barely discuss the accuser. She largely gets a free pass.

It's as if we're talking about humans beings who fail to take precautions by going near wild animals who can't help themselves but to attack.

But whether men are guilty of rape or women are guilty of false rape reporting, men alone are to be blamed.
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http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/03/08/376738/magistrates-judge-charged-with.html


Published Mon, Mar 08, 2010 02:00 AM
Modified Mon, Mar 08, 2010 12:37 AM
Magistrate's judge charged with DWI

SMITHFIELD Johnston County magistrate's judge Eric Fogleman, 27, was arrested early Saturday morning and charged with driving while impaired, a state trooper said.

N.C. Highway Patrol Sgt. M.E. White said she observed Fogleman's vehicle speeding and weaving before pulling him over on N.C. 242 south of Benson. A sobriety test showed Fogleman's blood-alcohol-content at .13, White said.

In North Carolina, 0.08 is legally drunk.

Johnston County Chief District Court Judge Andy Corbett placed Fogleman on suspension until his trial next month. Clerk of Courts Will Crocker will determine today whether Fogleman will receive pay during that time.

Fogleman, a Four Oaks resident, was released into the custody of his girlfriend's mother, who had been a passenger in his vehicle before his arrest.
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http://justice4nifong.blogspot.com/2010/03/hbo-picked-wrong-case-for-its-movie.html

Monday, March 8, 2010
HBO picked wrong case for its movie
If you enjoy comedy, especially the kind in which its humor is derived from the contrast of its content with reality, then you won’t want to miss the upcoming TV-cinematic fare offered by HBO about the Duke Lacrosse case. Although I am sure it is going to be marketed as an objective docu-drama about the Duke Lacrosse case, I cannot help but believe that it will be nothing more than just another thinly veiled volley from the carpetbagger jihad against former Durham District Attorney Mike Nifong.

I admire HBO for accepting the inherent challenge of trying to present the beer guzzling, publicly intoxicated, public urinating, spoiled and privileged Duke student athlete partygoers as decent and respectable innocents who are targeted by a ruthless and conniving district attorney for the sole purpose of wooing the black vote as a surefire means of retaining his D.A. position in the May 2006 primary. The entire premise is total folly itself, and actually lends itself as fodder for a hilarious comedy… the only problem is is that this movie is supposed to be taken seriously.

Now I have not read the screenplay, but I believe that the producer’s intention is to sympathetically portray the members of the Duke Lacrosse team in a favorable light by omitting the fact that nearly a third of the 47 lacrosse team roster had had skirmishes with the law (including an assault charge against Duke Lacrosse defendant Collin Finnerty, and an alcohol related charge against Duke Lacrosse defendant and team captain Dave Evans). I would imagine that the made for HBO-TV movie is supposed to tug at its viewers’ heartstrings because of the travails and trauma suffered by the three defendants and their families (although not one of the defendants spent a day in jail and they each received $7 million in an out-of-court settlement with Duke University). Also, remember to disregard reality as the movie will undoubtedly present North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper’s April 11, 2007 “Innocent Promulgation” as a watershed moment that cements the innocence of the three Duke Lacrosse defendants. (Since that day, the media has knowingly embraced that declaration – which they knew to have no legal weight – as a basis upon which to use descriptive terms such as “innocent,” “falsely accused,” and “exonerated” to describe the Duke defendants.)

It is important for the potential viewer of this future movie to enjoy it for its comedic offerings, and not to try and extract anything deep, significant or meaningful from it. Keep in mind that in a range of artistic offerings it is much closer to a Hardy Boys mystery than a time weathered classic such as Victor Hugo’s “Les Miserables.”

Instead of wasting its money to buy the rights for the pitiful story of the Duke Lacrosse boys attending a stripper party and its aftermath, HBO should have waited for a story with real merit to come along. It would not have had to wait long, as a tragic story with a Hollywood ending recently unfolded when Gregory Flint Taylor was released from jail… a free man. After spending 17 years wrongfully imprisoned for a murder he did not commit, all that remains, at this time, is a pardon from North Carolina Governor Bev Perdue. Odds are highly in Greg Taylor’s favor that it will come sooner rather than later.

What would make the Greg Taylor story such an inspirational tear-jerker, is that it is about a man of convictions and moral fortitude who would rather face a lifetime in prison than falsely implicate an African American man who he knew was innocent of a murder. It is about a kind and good natured man with a kind heart and good soul, but with personal demons tied to an addiction to drugs and alcohol. It is a redemptive story of a man, who during his 17 year incarceration in one of the most highly improbable places, prevails over his addiction to crack and beer, and betters himself by taking advantage of the educational opportunities available inside the correctional facilities. It is a story of a loving family that is unified and galvanized to fight and leave no stone unturned in order to free its innocent kin. It is the story of an innovative program, the brainchild of former Chief Justice I. Beverly Lake, that helps many wrongly accused, who are otherwise without hope, get another chance at a justice denied. It is the story about a state’s selective justice system based on Class and Color, and the attempts by two of its prosecutors to keep a man they knew to be innocent confined for the rest of his life. It is the story of a man who took the horrendous hand fate dealt him, and with the help of his family and friends, and religious faith endured.

It is anyone’s guess as to why HBO would want to glorify accused members of the raucous Duke Lacrosse team with its well-earned and deplorable reputation, and highlight the vindictive carpetbagger jihad call for action against Mike Nifong by Rae Evans (mother of Duke defendant Dave Evans).

Rae Evans, whose son did not spend one day in jail, received $7 million in a settlement with Duke University, and is currently trying to appropriate another $10 million from the cash-strapped city of Durham, stated that Mr. Nifong picked on the “wrong” families… and that “he will pay, every day, for the rest of his life.” Contrast this statement with Gregory Taylor who lost 17 years of his life after being convicted (without credible evidence) for a murder he did not commit, who wisely commented shortly after his release that there were times when he wished he could be more angry, but that “it is not a sustainable emotion.” Anger is not a sustainable emotion in a person with a kind heart and a good soul.

My advice to HBO executives is if they wish to have a feel-good and positive impact on viewers, that they select stories that offer substance, hope, and inspiration. The Gregory Taylor story fits the bill, and is as close to a non-fiction “Les Miserable” as you can get.
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http://www.starnewsonline.com/article/20100308/ARTICLES/3084002/1004?Title=Area-probation-officers-stretched-to-the-limit

Area probation officers stretched to the limit

Christy VanSlyke, a probation officer at the Wilmington office of the N.C. Division of Community Corrections, now manages about 90 cases, up from 60 or 65 when she started the job a year ago.

By David Reynolds,
Dave.Reynolds@StarNewsOnline.com

Published: Monday, March 8, 2010 at 3:10 p.m.
Last Modified: Monday, March 8, 2010 at 3:10 p.m.


Since Christy VanSlyke started at the Wilmington office of the N.C. Division of Community Corrections a little over a year ago, covering cases for probation officers who left has always been part of the job.

But in recent months, as a dozen probation officer positions have opened up for various of reasons, the situation has gotten worse.

VanSlyke and other probation officers now manage about 90 cases each, according to a February memo citing "critical needs" at the office. VanSlyke says she had about 60-65 cases when she started in 2008. Internal e-mails from the office dated in late January say probation officers don't have time to breathe, and that working together is "our only hope."

"We're really busy, and it's stressful," VanSlyke said of the current situation at the office. But she also said the office is moving quickly to fill open positions, and that other changes are in the works that will help probation officers better supervise offenders.

"I see the light at the end of the tunnel," she said. "I see the division moving in a better direction shortly."

An inter-agency memo dated Feb. 3 said the shortage of probation officers at District 5 has stretched remaining officers to the limit. The memo requested, and the state has approved, reductions in some paper-work and supervisory requirements, to help the office manage its work load.

The temporary changes come at a time when some are calling for more supervised probation in the state's judicial system.

On March 1, WPD Chief Ralph Evangelous asked City Council to push state legislators to "maximize" and reduce unsupervised probation. The request, Evangelous said, is because the state's justice system is too lenient on property-crime suspects, leading police to arrest many of the same people over and over.

Thom Goolsby, a criminal defense attorney who is running for N.C. Senate, said probation officers are overworked because North Carolina hasn't built enough jails to hold everyone who should be incarcerated.

According to the Associated Press, the probation system, including the heavy case-loads of probation officers, came under scrutiny in 2008 when two men on probation were charged in connection with the killing of Eve Carson, who was the student body president at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Critical Need

According to the memo the district 5 office sent to higher-ups at the Division of Community Corrections, the 12 vacancies left 828 cases in New Hanover County that have to be covered by other officers. It's because of those "courtesy assignments" that the remaining probation officers now manage an average of more than 90 cases each, according to the memo.

A pair of internal e-mails sent to employees a week before the memo ask for suggestions on how to relieve the pressure employees are facing, and thank them for their hard work.

Judicial District Manager Jean Walker said the office, which also covers Pender County, normally has 59 officers who each manage between 60 and 70 cases.

One of the changes approved on a temporary basis as a result of the memo makes it so any contact a probation officer makes with an offender in the field counts as a home visit.

Walker said the measures are a pro-active plan to relieve officers and manage cases during the shortage.

"We wanted a backup plan to make sure everything was covered," she said. "We're kind of juggling resources."

Meanwhile, Walker said, administrators are filling openings. Three probation officers have been hired since the Feb. 3 memo and four other people have been offered jobs. In addition, she said, the division has brought in two probation officers from nearby counties to assist.

Keith Acree, public affairs director for the N.C. Department of Correction, said probation officers have a 10 percent yearly turnover rate, probably because the job can be stressful and dangerous.

DOC has installed new technology to make the job easier, Acree said, and the department also is working with legislators to try and increase salaries.

Statewide, DOC has slightly more than 100 open probation officer positions, Acree said. Conditional offers have been made for about 40 of those openings.

Earl Douglass, a retired probation officer who worked in District 5 until about eight years ago said carrying about 80-90 cases wasn't uncommon, though the recommended level was about 60.

Since probation officers visit offenders, sit in on court cases, and ensure offenders pay fines, get drug treatment, or meet other requirements imposed by the court, each additional case means juggling more work, Douglass said.

When cases shift from one officer to another there's a transition period, Douglass said, because it takes time for officers to develop rapport with the offenders they supervise.

"The increased numbers increases the likelihood a case may go unsupervised or unsupervised to the level it needs to be," Douglass said. "It's a systemic situation."

For Goolsby, problems stem from poor budgeting decisions by the General Assembly.

At one time, he said, probation was intended give a break to those offenders who tried to make good on their mistake. Now many people who should be in prison are on probation because judges don't have anywhere else to put them, Goolsby said.

"We have a truly revolving- door prison system and there is very little punishment in North Carolina," he said. "This is Russian roulette with innocent citizen's lives."

David Reynolds: 343-2075
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DURHAM -- Bull City lawyer Catherine Constantinou is set to square off against two other local attorneys for District Court Judge Elaine Bushfan's seat.


Constantinou is the wife of former judge Craig Brown (the blind judge) who resigned about a year ago.
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http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2010/03/08/1299705/judge-most-of-search-warrant-must.html

Judge: Most of search warrant must be made public


"They go to matters that are highly prejudicial and could ruin a man's reputation," Trawick said.

(snip)


Lawyers for Brewer wanted the warrant sealed, saying releasing the information could embarrass others named in the document and could make it impossible if he is charged to get a fair trial in Person County, where he lives with about 37,500 other people.

(snip)

Brewer's lawyer George Daniel said at various times during his 20-minute argument that releasing the information would be "devastating," "detrimental" and "inflammatory" not just for Brewer, but for people who were questioned by agents and named in the papers.

"This is the buzz of the town. Mr. Brewer has a family. And the people listed here shouldn't necessary be the coffee shop gossip," said James "Butch" Williams, another of Brewer's attorneys.

Coman said releasing the warrant to the public would not affect the investigation and suggested Brewer was upset because the justice system was being used against him.

"He's wanting preferential treatment," Coman said. "If this was Joe Blow in Roxboro and this very same search warrant with the same affidavit attached to it was filed, it would be filed. There wouldn't be any hearing. There wouldn't be any argument."


[Insert here a picture of the world's smallest violin.]


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And don't forget, this was the Potted Plant's (Oz Smith III) District Attorney. The NC Case Management system was run by this guy.
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http://www.nola.com/opinions/index.ssf/2010/03/ray_nagin_isnt_an_innocent_bys.html

Ray Nagin isn't an innocent bystander when it comes to the police: Jarvis DeBerry
By Jarvis Deberry
March 09, 2010, 5:55AM

Mayor Ray Nagin can leave office with the security that no history of his administration will accuse him of micromanaging the city.

Granted, there probably won't be many that celebrate him for effective macromanagement, there being so few big projects his administration has seen through to fruition.

What the mayor has managed to do is convince the public of his detachment, his remarkable ability to see the city's many dysfunctions as having nothing to do with him, the city's chief executive.

The mayor's remarks on WDSU-TV last week, that the New Orleans Police Department has had problem officers for years and needs to be investigated, look worse on the printed page than they sounded broadcast. But that doesn't mean that there's any way to spin them into something that's sensible for him say.

In a city where the chief is unilaterally chosen by the mayor and serves at his pleasure, an out-of-control police force is a reflection of mayoral neglect, indifference or approval. But when asked his thoughts about the seven civil rights investigations the FBI has open against the New Orleans Police Department, Nagin talked as if he were an innocent bystander, as desperate as everybody else for a respectable police force. He did not acknowledge who he is: the New Orleanian uniquely qualified to come down hard on a force that disappoints him.

naginriley031010.jpgEliot KamenitzNew Orleans Mayor C. Ray Nagin claps as NOPD Superintendent Warren Riley kick off the Night Out Against Crime in Ponchartrain Park on Tuesday, August 4.After ex-Lt. Michael Lohman pleaded guilty to covering up what he says was an unjustified police shooting on the Danziger Bridge after Hurricane Katrina, police Superintendent Warren Riley held a press conference and professed shock.

Contrast his public reaction to Nagin's apparent belief that what Lohman did, that what Lohman says other cops did, is just how the Police Department operates.

"If there are some things that have been going on in the Police Department, and this has probably been going on for many, many years," Nagin told the television station, "then we should get to the bottom of it. We should clean it out. And whatever wrongdoing happened, those officers, they have to pay the consequences."

It's impossible to know whether Riley said he was shocked because he really was or because he realized that, politically speaking, expressing shock was his only option. As the department's top cop, Riley couldn't exactly respond to Lohman's guilty plea with "I knew it!"

Even so, that's essentially what Nagin did when he said, "this has probably been going on for many, many years." That's quite the indictment. Not because of the nature of the accusation. One needs little convincing that the Police Department is horribly broken. It's startling to hear because the mayor himself is leveling the accusation but not explaining what he's been doing to improve the department the last eight years.

Where was his oversight? Where was his insistence that the department treat citizens with respect and dignity? Why outsource the clean-up of the department to the FBI? Nagin had full authority to appoint a police chief who would be unforgiving of rogue officers. He never exercised that discretion. Instead, he let Riley stay put -- as much of the public clamored for his removal.

Of course, the public frustration stemmed from the chief's inability to bring the crime rate down to a level where the public felt safe. Still, Nagin resisted that pressure and kept Riley in charge of the department. Now he tells us his belief that the department has been out of line for a very long time.

Such a hands-off approach is no compliment to the mayor's managerial skills. To the contrary: It's a glaring example of failure. No matter what happens to the officers being investigated for civil rights violations, none of their names will be remembered the way Nagin's will be. Try as he may to express his own disappointment at the allegations, this scandal belongs to more than just the Police Department. It belongs also to Ray Nagin.

Jarvis DeBerry is an editorial writer. He can be reached at jdeberry@timespicayune.com or 504.826.3355. Follow him at http://connect.nola.com/user/jdeberry/index.html and at twitter.com/jarvisdeberrytp.
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Assistant to The Devil Himself
Mystery builds around school official Taft's assault

http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/03/09/378232/mystery-builds-around-school-officials.html

BY THOMASI MCDONALD AND ANNE BLYTHE - Staff Writers
RALEIGH -- Three days after a state school board member was found injured in the West Raleigh home of a Raleigh lawyer, police still are combing the crime scene for evidence and remain uncharacteristically tight-lipped about the crime.

State Board of Education member Kathy A. Taft was found severely beaten inside a two-story home at 2710 Cartier Drive late Saturday morning.

Taft, 62, was rushed to WakeMed's Raleigh campus by emergency workers after being found in the home of John Geil, a local tax and divorce attorney. Geil has been described by friends and neighbors as Taft's boyfriend.

WakeMed officials have declined to comment about Taft's condition, but state schools Superintendent June Atkinson said Monday that Taft is a patient in the hospital's intensive care unit. Several school board members had been to WakeMed to try to visit Taft and the family and friends surrounding her.

"They were unable to get in," Atkinson said, "given that she's in intensive care."

Taft, the mother of four adult children - two sons and two daughters - lives in a quiet Greenville neighborhood.

At a two-day school board meeting last week in Halifax County, Atkinson told Taft that she looked rested.

"She told me that's because she had just been in Florida visiting her daughter," Atkinson said.

Police spokesman Jim Sughrue said Sunday that investigators hadn't eliminated the possibility of a random attack. Officials have said little else since then about the investigation.

Typically, police will quickly release a recording of the 911 call reporting the crime, a written report from officers who initially respond to the call, general information about the victim's medical condition and any information on suspects.

But there is an aura of mystery around the Taft investigation.

Even though Sughrue said "every part of the police department" - from the assault squad to K9 units - have been out on the scene, police are holding close to their vest any theories about what happened.

On Monday, Sughrue said that the department expects to release public documents about the case soon but that detectives needed time to review the information and conduct more interviews before giving the public access to early details.

Though the silence may be unusual, Sughrue insists the investigation is being handled the same as many others.

"Obviously many of thecases we investigate do not involve prominent people, and they are investigated as thoroughly," he said.

Almost from the moment 911 operators dispatched emergency workers to Geil's home, police have cordoned off the neighborhood. Until late Monday afternoon, the only people who were allowed to pass the police cruiser barricades were those who live on the quiet, winding street a short walk from Glenwood Village shopping center.

Residents on Cartier Street say Taft was a frequent visitor to Geil's home. According to neighbor Mary A. Jones, Taft drives a white, late modelLexus that police towed away over the weekend.

Jones' daughter, Laura Jones, said neither she nor her mother heard anything unusual Saturday, but they noted that Geil's two-story home does not have a door facing the street. They also pointed out that the back door leads into a wooded area and a path that's often used by residents to walk to the Harris Teeter grocery store at Glenwood Village.

Taft's neighbors in Greenville recall seeing her outdoors, playing with her grandchildren. They are confounded by the scant details police released.

"We all know Kathy," said Harvey Turnage, who lives just across the street from Taft's home. "We are devastated by the news, and we haven't heard anymore information about what happened."

Another neighbor, Robert William McConnell, a retired physician, said Geil often accompanied Taft at social functions around Greenville.

"It's just one of those things that makes you wonder if there's a supreme being and why would he allow this to happen," he said.

News researcher Peggy Neal contributed to this report.


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Mar 9 2010, 11:51 AM
Mystery builds around school official Taft's assault

http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/03/09/378232/mystery-builds-around-school-officials.html

BY THOMASI MCDONALD AND ANNE BLYTHE - Staff Writers
RALEIGH -- Three days after a state school board member was found injured in the West Raleigh home of a Raleigh lawyer, police still are combing the crime scene for evidence and remain uncharacteristically tight-lipped about the crime.

State Board of Education member Kathy A. Taft was found severely beaten inside a two-story home at 2710 Cartier Drive late Saturday morning.

Taft, 62, was rushed to WakeMed's Raleigh campus by emergency workers after being found in the home of John Geil, a local tax and divorce attorney. Geil has been described by friends and neighbors as Taft's boyfriend.

WakeMed officials have declined to comment about Taft's condition, but state schools Superintendent June Atkinson said Monday that Taft is a patient in the hospital's intensive care unit. Several school board members had been to WakeMed to try to visit Taft and the family and friends surrounding her.

"They were unable to get in," Atkinson said, "given that she's in intensive care."

Taft, the mother of four adult children - two sons and two daughters - lives in a quiet Greenville neighborhood.

At a two-day school board meeting last week in Halifax County, Atkinson told Taft that she looked rested.

"She told me that's because she had just been in Florida visiting her daughter," Atkinson said.

Police spokesman Jim Sughrue said Sunday that investigators hadn't eliminated the possibility of a random attack. Officials have said little else since then about the investigation.

Typically, police will quickly release a recording of the 911 call reporting the crime, a written report from officers who initially respond to the call, general information about the victim's medical condition and any information on suspects.

But there is an aura of mystery around the Taft investigation.

Even though Sughrue said "every part of the police department" - from the assault squad to K9 units - have been out on the scene, police are holding close to their vest any theories about what happened.

On Monday, Sughrue said that the department expects to release public documents about the case soon but that detectives needed time to review the information and conduct more interviews before giving the public access to early details.

Though the silence may be unusual, Sughrue insists the investigation is being handled the same as many others.

"Obviously many of thecases we investigate do not involve prominent people, and they are investigated as thoroughly," he said.

Almost from the moment 911 operators dispatched emergency workers to Geil's home, police have cordoned off the neighborhood. Until late Monday afternoon, the only people who were allowed to pass the police cruiser barricades were those who live on the quiet, winding street a short walk from Glenwood Village shopping center.

Residents on Cartier Street say Taft was a frequent visitor to Geil's home. According to neighbor Mary A. Jones, Taft drives a white, late modelLexus that police towed away over the weekend.

Jones' daughter, Laura Jones, said neither she nor her mother heard anything unusual Saturday, but they noted that Geil's two-story home does not have a door facing the street. They also pointed out that the back door leads into a wooded area and a path that's often used by residents to walk to the Harris Teeter grocery store at Glenwood Village.

Taft's neighbors in Greenville recall seeing her outdoors, playing with her grandchildren. They are confounded by the scant details police released.

"We all know Kathy," said Harvey Turnage, who lives just across the street from Taft's home. "We are devastated by the news, and we haven't heard anymore information about what happened."

Another neighbor, Robert William McConnell, a retired physician, said Geil often accompanied Taft at social functions around Greenville.

"It's just one of those things that makes you wonder if there's a supreme being and why would he allow this to happen," he said.

News researcher Peggy Neal contributed to this report.


This has been a strange case to follow. It will be interesting to see the police report.
She may not make it according to the news.
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http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/03/09/378504/john-edwards-sex-tape-dispute.html


Published Tue, Mar 09, 2010 04:04 AM
Modified Tue, Mar 09, 2010 10:34 AM
John Edwards sex tape dispute returns to court

PITTSBORO, N.C. Attorneys are returning to court in an ongoing dispute over a tape purportedly showing two-time presidential candidate John Edwards in a sexual encounter.

Superior Court Judge Abraham Penn Jones has scheduled a hearing for 10 a.m. on Tuesday. He has kept former Edwards aide Andrew Young under a contempt order and asked during a court hearing two weeks ago for Young to submit a complete affidavit that accounts for his handling of the tape and other materials.

Edwards' mistress, Rielle Hunter, has sued Young for invasion of privacy and sought the return of the videotape. That video has been turned over to the court and placed under seal.
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