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Reconvene the Whichard Committee?
Topic Started: Mar 15 2014, 11:45 PM (153 Views)
Quasimodo



Once the suits conclude (one way or another), will it be time for the Whichard Committee to reconvene?

Hasn't the city still got an urgent need to find out what happened (especially, since nothing less than
civilization is at stake)?

Isn't it still at stake?

Don't the same questions still have to be answered?

If it only suspended its work because of the suits, wouldn't it therefore be natural for it to resume,
and take testimony, after that problem with the suits no longer exists?

After all, the suits were never considered by the city, which formed the committee to get to the root
of how the false prosecution happened, to be a substitute for its own work.

Ergo...
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Quasimodo

POSTER COMMENT in another forum:

Quote:
 

I hope that Whichard realizes that his name will forever be attached to whatever piece of work his commission puts out.




This will be true for many of us; as the committee is the only context in which we have encountered him:

"Civilization is at stake"; and "The April 4 ID session was not an ID session." (paraphrased)

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Quasimodo

Quote:
 
http://durhamwonderland.blogspot.com/2007/08/whichard-committee-in-jeopardy.html

MONDAY, AUGUST 27, 2007
Whichard Committee in Jeopardy?

ABC-11's Tamara Gibbs is reporting that a threat from the city's insurer to terminate the policy might lead to the suspension of the Whichard Committee, which was charged with investigating the DPD's mishandling of the lacrosse case.

Gibbs:
Sources tell Eyewitness News the insurance company, which would pay for a potential lawsuit settlement, threatened to suspend the city's policy if it didn't reconsider the Duke Lacrosse Investigative Committee. We're told the company sent its request by fax last Thursday. The city's policy would cover up to $5 million in the event of a lawsuit.

Of course, had the committee's inquiry not moved at such a glacial pace, this threat would be irrelevant.


1 ) since the "threat" to the insurance company would no longer exist if the suits are settled, what bar is there
to reconvening the committee? (Remember, nothing less than civilization is at stake.)

2 ) Was the committee's slow movement merely another example of the strategy of "delay and delay, and then delay some more"?


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Quasimodo

Quote:
 
http://durhamwonderland.blogspot.com/2007/07/whichard-committee-opens.html

FRIDAY, JULY 20, 2007
Whichard Committee Opens

Mayor Bell opens the committee inquiry--publicly thanks the committee members.

"You have the full support of the Durham City Council as you carry out your duties." The committee is charged with investigating the "conduct" of the DPD and of Mike Nifong.

The purpose is to ascertain the "truth"
and to assist the department in avoiding similar problems in the future. If DPD performed correctly, then the Council wants to know that, too.

Chairman Whichard: purpose is to ascertain the "truth" about whether "unconstitutional or otherwise improper procedures" were followed. "The goal is a properly functioning justice system." Importance of producing reliable results and constitutional procedures, with goal of bringing "clarity" and "closure."

Wants people to know that policemen take risks--part of their jobs. "Deeply grateful" to what police do. But must also be mindful that "we have a Constitution. We have statutes." These impose "some restrictions" on enforcing the law. "It is essential to an orderly and just society that the public have confidence" in law enforcement.




I guess these are no longer important goals?


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Quasimodo

Quote:
 


http://www.newsobserver.com/news/crime_saf...ory/655584.html

Lacrosse committee chairman meets Durham officials
From Staff Reports

The chairman of the committee investigating the Durham Police Department's handling of the Duke lacrosse case met with Durham city and police officials today. [Not open to the public!]

Willis P. Whichard said Durham police representatives have begun preparing responses to issues raised by the Duke lacrosse defense attorneys at the last committee meeting. The lacrosse attorneys had 13 topic areas and questions at the July 20 meeting that they wanted addressed.

(snip)

Whichard and Wade Barber,the committee's attorney, will prepare additional questions after examining documents from the case.

"We want to be as thorough in our review as possible, and the best use of everyone's time would be to use information that it already in the public domain to formulate questions for which answers are still needed," Whichard said in a statement.

The questions will be given to Durham City Attorney Henry Blinder and staff attorneys for the police department.

snip




TORTMASTER comment in another forum:

Quote:
 

1. Meeting behind closed doors. Not something a public fact-finding committee should ever do. If Whichard or Barber need to communicate specific requests to, for example, Gottlieb's lawyer, they can call him up on the telephone. Does NC have an "open meetings" law? Do they have to make a recording?

2. The press release with no news. Seems to have been a short press release for what must have been a pretty long meeting.

3. The numbers are all wrong. You had 2 guys who may be good guys (fingers crossed), and 5 guys PLUS their staff, who are known bad guys. This type of parlay would not work in West Side Story:

JETS:

Riff -- played by Willis Whichard
Tony -- played by Wade Barber

vs.

SHARKS:

Bernardo -- played by City Manager Baker
Chino -- played by City Attorney Henry Blinder
Toro -- played by Deputy Police Chief Hodge
Pepe -- played by Joel Craig, Durham City outside counsel
Luis -- played by William Hill, Gottlieb & Himan's attorney
Moose -- played by member of Baker's staff
Juano -- played by member of Blinder's staff
Indio -- played by member of Hodge's staff

4. Conflict of Interest? It is also amazing to me that Gottlieb and Himan still share the same attorney. When either of them has to answer a question about the other's descriptions of the suspects - bingo - conflict of interest. To say otherwise is to knowingly allow one of your clients to lie. Hint: The chubby one.

5. Deadline? Did I miss a deadline for getting answers to the questions back? Could be a good way to delay, delay! Of course, written questions answered under oath is a discovery tool utilized by all civil lawyers. Whichard and Barber are undoubtedly very familiar with them, and I bet they can write some taut questions. It will also give the Duke Three ANOTHER resource for discovery for their civil case. MOO!

[Except, of course, that the Committee shut down almost immediately--which is why there is a good reason
for it to resume its work, since it didn't finish its work...(MOO)]



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