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Public deserves to know if officials enabled ex-judge
Knoxville News Sentinel ^ | 2/19/12 | NEWS SENTINEL EDITORIAL BOARD

Posted on 02/19/2012 8:06:51 AM PST by SmithL

As more details of ex-Judge Richard Baumgartner's behavior while in the grip of prescription drug addition come to light, more disturbing questions arise. The public needs answers.

A News Sentinel investigative report published one week ago revealed the disgraced Criminal Court judge allegedly shook down court employees for painkillers and intimidated a court security officer into becoming one of his pill suppliers, and that the Knox County Sheriff's Office had at least three chances to uncover his misdeeds.

Baumgartner's fall has thrown the criminal justice system in Knox County into disarray. The four defendants in the gruesome Christian/Newsom killings will have to be re-tried. Fifty-two other trials in which Baumgartner presided could be revisited. The cost to taxpayers easily could reach into the millions.

Knox County residents deserve answers, but they're not getting them. The Sheriff's Office has refused to answer questions about the actions of its officers and supervisors. And the vast majority of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation file on Baumgartner is shielded from public view.

Unlike the closed case files of local law enforcement agencies, the TBI case file is exempt from the state's Public Records Act. Special Judge Jon Kerry Blackwood ordered the release of 155 pages of the file — about one-eighth of the total — that had a bearing on the Christian/Newsom trials, but the rest remains under seal. Unless the Legislature eliminates the exemption, the file will remain closed. There are avenues for its inspection, however. Blackwood or another judge overseeing cases once handled by Baumgartner could order its release. Gov. Bill Haslam or a committee of the state Legislature can obtain the file.

Without the TBI file, all the public can do is ask questions of those in the criminal justice system. People of integrity will answer them.

(Excerpt) Read more at knoxnews.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Editorial; Government; US: Tennessee
KEYWORDS: baumgartner; channon; christian; cultureofcorruption; rats; yourtaxdollarsatwork

1 posted on 02/19/2012 8:07:00 AM PST by SmithL
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To: SmithL

“The four defendants in the gruesome Christian/Newsom killings will have to be re-tried.”

unFREAKINbelievable!


2 posted on 02/19/2012 8:20:56 AM PST by vladimir998
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To: SmithL

Stories about public officials who are accused of wrongdoing always bother me, and it’s particularly troubling when one is accused of drug abuse because it raises the specter of blackmail and, in cases such as judges, the potential for case fixing.

A few years ago the FBI arrested a federal district judge for buying drugs from a stripper.

On a more general matter I am amazed at how cheaply public officials they sometimes sell their office for — like a building or restaurant inspector taking $50 bribes . . . but I guess it all adds up.

I often wonder how extensive corruption, malfeasance and misfeasance is in government, and how much of it is covered up. The older I get the more cynical I become, and I think the problem is far greater than I ever imagined.


3 posted on 02/19/2012 8:25:30 AM PST by AtlasStalled
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To: SmithL
prescription drug addition

He was using Rx drugs to learn to count?

Oh well, it's a TN newspaper after all.

4 posted on 02/19/2012 8:39:02 AM PST by LouAvul
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To: AtlasStalled

I’m a big believer that the biggest threat to the USA comes not from politics, but from crooked officials of both Parties and corporate money feeding into politics.

Once the mindset of corruption and bribes is embedded in our culture it will feed on itself and become acceptable, and then we are in big trouble unless we like living the banana third world republic lifestyle.

The only way this stuff gets exposed and stopped is from the inside out and through whistle blowers who are rewarded significantly to expose evil stuff. There is also too much crony corruption between the media as they have their cronies that they protect. They will pick and chose the stories that do not enrage the public. They took good care of their Wall Street friends after the crash by not enraging the public with the facts. The crooked judges are the worst of the lot and they are often protected.


5 posted on 02/19/2012 8:40:07 AM PST by apoliticalone (Honest govt. that operates in the interest of US sovereignty and the people, not global $$$)
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To: apoliticalone

“crooked officials of both Parties and corporate money feeding into politics”

Agreed. Both the Republican Party and the Democrat Party both believe in big government, and the only issue is what pet projects they want to fund through big government and what favored corporations they want to reward.

With some exceptions there’s little difference between a Democrat and a Republican, and they all support the well-connected establishment and the partisan bickering over supposed policy differences is all for show. Ever since President Reagan I’ve heard the GOP say let’s eliminate the Dep’t of Education, Energy, etc., and nothing is ever done. They all have too much invested in the system to really change it.


6 posted on 02/19/2012 8:52:57 AM PST by AtlasStalled
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To: AtlasStalled

“I often wonder how extensive corruption, malfeasance and misfeasance is in government, and how much of it is covered up. The older I get the more cynical I become, and I think the problem is far greater than I ever imagined.”

The answer: It’s rampant everywhere. Under the cover of their PE unions, public employees know that it will take a major discovery to force action. The worst part of it is the negative impact of corrupt LEO’s. They count on being able to abuse citizens and get away with it. Today, you are lucky if you come out of one of these unwarranted confrontations with your life. LEOs get away with killing citizens and often it’s the easiest way to avoid prosecution. We are in big trouble!


7 posted on 02/19/2012 9:12:00 AM PST by vette6387
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To: SmithL

And, after he assumes room temperature, they’ll fly the flag at half-staff in his honor.


8 posted on 02/19/2012 9:26:25 AM PST by Libloather (The epitome of civility.)
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To: apoliticalone

“Once the mindset of corruption and bribes is embedded in our culture it will feed on itself...”

Plato warned us about this ~2600 years ago in his Republic. Even then, the cycle of revolution, freedom, corruption, dictatorship, and revolution was in play. The United States is no exception, it seems.

Still, historically, our 230+ year run is pretty respectable.


9 posted on 02/19/2012 9:50:07 AM PST by Owl558 ("Those who remember George Satayana are doomed to repeat him")
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To: apoliticalone

“Once the mindset of corruption and bribes is embedded in our culture it will feed on itself...”

Plato warned us about this ~2600 years ago in his Republic. Even then, the cycle of revolution, freedom, corruption, dictatorship, and revolution was in play. The United States is no exception, it seems.

Still, historically, our 230+ year run is pretty respectable.


10 posted on 02/19/2012 9:50:18 AM PST by Owl558 ("Those who remember George Satayana are doomed to repeat him")
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Tired of the disruptions?


11 posted on 02/19/2012 11:12:28 AM PST by RedMDer (Forward With Confidence!)
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To: SmithL

on the state level, to know the judiciary is to risk loosing all respect for the judiciary.


12 posted on 02/20/2012 9:17:10 AM PST by longtermmemmory (VOTE! http://www.senate.gov and http://www.house.gov)
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To: vladimir998
Oh but there's more. As well as escaping any jail time he keeps it's pension as well as all other benefits. This was in my hometown. People who had the authority to act refused to do so in a manner that would have upheld the law.

He should have been prosicuted and all local officers of the court recused themselves as well from involvement. The case should have been tried by a federal judge due to the nature of the crimes which likely fell in federal juristiction. A few judges in this area think they or their professions are above the law. When he was caught he got a special judge, a special deal, because judges in this state are considered very special persons it seems.

13 posted on 02/22/2012 1:03:16 AM PST by cva66snipe (Two Choices left for U.S. One Nation Under GOD or One Nation Under Judgment? Which one say ye?)
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