Posted on 06/19/2006 10:17:42 AM PDT by abb
Nifong press release and email...
(Excerpt) Read more at wral.com ...
I like that. Broomstick on the Grass Knoll.
Single foreign object theory!
Uh...I just noticed that in the Ruth Sheehan column that someone refers to Nifong having worked in Traffic Court for years. There was a scandal there a few years ago, where tickets and DUIs were being "fixed" and there were people reprimanded for it. Anyone find anything on that one?
10.19.99
The News & Observer (N.C.) 2 Durham driving cases get unusual treatment. ... Nezra Clark, with a record of 14 moving violations and a suspended license, took a chance in April 1998 when he got behind the wheel of a car. He lost. Clark was arrested for a 15th traffic violation and faced the possibility of losing his license for a year and spending 45 days in jail. Instead, Clark, 26, paid a $500 fine and walked out of the courthouse Sept. 2, 1999, with his driver's license in force. The difference between his case and thousands of others in Durham's traffic court: Clark was represented by H. Woody Vann, a lifelong friend and the campaign treasurer for Durham District Attorney Jim Hardin Jr., who personally signed off on Clark's plea agreement. ...
Love the comments by readers!!
This "selling" of justice puts additional light on the entire Durham DA's Office. Hopefully as this is picked up Woody Vann will disappear as a the proxy for Nifong.
" What did Baden say? "
Baden is about 2 months behind the curve.
He defended Nifong's case because of " the torn off, broken fingernail with a player's DNA underneath it."
Reading more material, back then is when Nifong was "negotiating" with defense attorneys on traffic tickets, but he had his bout with cancer at about the same time as the
scandal was uncovered. He took time off for recovery "to be with the family", but I have to wonder if he used that as an excuse to let the office "cool down" while the investigation was conducted.
I do know for a fact that traffic courts are corrupt in NC, as you can pay an attorney $450 to $500 and your major offense gets reduced to a "fix it" ticket. No questions asked. My theory is that the defense attorney, the DA, and the judge share the bounty.
More on Vann ... How did he get this gig?
http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache:AVJMsdE9c7IJ:www.herald-sun.com/durham/4-621646.html+%22woody+vann%22+hardin+durham+-lacrosse&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=2&client=firefox-a
Fatal DWI defendant gets new attorney
By John Stevenson : The Herald-Sun
jstevenson@herladsun.com
Jun 28, 2005 : 9:33 pm ET
DURHAM -- A Durham County Superior Court judge approved a new attorney for Kenneth Wayne Maready, who is charged with killing a 61-year-old grandmother in a drunken-driving crash four months ago.
Maready appeared before Judge Orlando F. Hudson in orange jail coveralls on Tuesday, despite an earlier ruling by the judge granting him permission to wear civilian clothes in preliminary proceedings.
Hudson said his ruling, which angered the dead woman's family, was necessary because of the high-profile nature of the case, which often draws media cameras. The sight of Maready in jail garb might turn prospective jurors against him, Hudson concluded.
But Maready said his civilian togs no longer fit because he gained 40 pounds since being locked up in February.
During the brief court appearance, it was revealed that lawyer Woody Vann will replace Assistant Public Defender Shannon Tucker as Maready's attorney. Vann will work at taxpayer expense, since Maready has been declared too poor to hire a lawyer on his own.
(snip)
Question:
How could the AV afford hiring Vann? Did he work at the taxpayer expense? See post above.
Was
I don't think it's an unreasonable leap to say that Durham County justice is corrupt from the top to the bottom.
He took his fees in trade? LOL!
Wow! The last comment says it all.
"Where the hell have you been all this time, when people (me) were screaming at the tops of our lungs that this was another Tawana Brawley, the evidence smelled to high heaven, and you wrote and wrote and wrote, all in support of the venue of prosecutorial advocacy...."
Here in Louisiana, there's a political phenomenon known as "The Court House Crowd." It's a political/social/professional/family consisting of the local Sheriff, Clerk of Court, Tax Assessor, District Attorney, Judges, Attorneys, their employees and other assorted strap-hangers. It has been around for many decades. I suspect other states have similar setups in their counties as we do in our parishes.
This DukeLax thing was never supposed to get out of control like it has. Someone was supposed to have flipped and tied up the case nice and neat...
Then he must come dirt cheap. ;)
Hey, she personally made $400 for 4 minutes of work at the Duke party. That's $6,000 per hour. TAX FREE! In reality, you are correct. He would have to be desperate to go there.
I wonder if the DA and the others pay income tax on their bribes?
Do prostitutes weigh in that crowd?
I can't say firsthand about prostitutes, at least in the parishes whithin which I've lived. But having been involved in politics for many years, I can testify first hand as to the "Court House Crowd's" political clout. They control many jobs and therefore many votes. They tend to circle the wagons when ever threatened by "outsiders." And it's a money machine for them, so I could see where they could make crime a paying proposition for the members of the "crowd."
Decribes this situation quite well.
I think this is the crux of the entire Duke lacrosse story. There are people related to the story that are being protected. That would explain the disappearance of the PD Chief, the involvement of the City Manager into the case, the city councilman whose own brother-in-law is employed by the "adult nightclub" industry, etc, etc.
This may have just started as a blackmail attempt on the Duke boys....
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