The Charlotte Observer reports on Jim Black's sentencing. 63 months in a federal prison and a $50,000 fine. He has until July 30th to indicate a preference as to where he will serve the time.
An on-going poll at the Observer indicates that many people think the prison term should have been longer. Count me among them. I think there should have been more commentary by the judge on Black's lack of cooperation with investigators and prosecutors.
Of course, a few that voted in the Observer's poll appear to be optometrists . . . or work for his legal team.
"He earned every day of it," U.S. Attorney George Holding said of the sentence. "Jim Black took corruption to a new level in North Carolina."
Oh, I don't think he took corruption to "a whole new level", George. Corruption permeates our entire system of public service. "Pay to play" is very much alive and well in North Carolina. It's a day-to-day fact-of-life for most of us.
Jim Black, a big juicy target for any prosecutor's legal career, just got caught. For him, the wrong place, wrong time, wrong circumstances. Someone just had the cahoones to take him on (and get a notch in the legal belt).
As opposed to pretend it did not happen.
Here's the thing, George, about your broad proclamation that "corruption in North Carolina will not be tolerated". I've heard it all before. And it's a lie. Corruption most certainly WILL be tolerated. Corruption IS tolerated.
And a good many of us are still stuck in the john.
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4 comments:
I am a mom living here in Asheboro. I am studying online criminal justice and was looking for some information for an assignment when I came across this scenario. I think you and I have something in common. That is victims of corruption with the Randolph County courts and big boys running the show up there. I was arrested in 2001 through the Randolph County Health Director. When it hit the courts they played games with me the entire time. Courier Tribune was real interested in this 'false arrest' until she found out who was behind it. Sheriff Hurley would not beleive this actually happened through the sweet health director in our county so would not help me. I had the run around for 9 months until they exhausted me. This is being aired in Aug. on TV. If interested email me @ wmc@rtmc.net and I'll share more. I am surprised to say the least at the sneaky politics in this supposedly predominate white Christian community.
Some things just don't seem fair at first glance. One teenager gets 10 years for having consenual oral sex and a represntative of the people gets 5 years for fraud. Still, for someone like me, $500,000.oo for five years in prison is still a good return, considering how long it takes me to earn that much.
But another way to look at it is as a percentage of life expectency. For example, at age twenty, 10 years is only 1/6th of the time he probably has left to live. But if he was seventy, five years is half of what the man has left. That's a long time.
I laughed when I read a story about a fifty year old who coped a plea to fifty years w/o parole so avoid three consecutive life terms.
What I was disappointed in was the $50,000. fine. I had thought it was to be a quarter million and I thought even that was too low considering how he made most of his money.
BTW, you have posted some interesting blogs lately and you keep me beter informed about some issues than most paers or other news sources. Wish I had time to follow all the links. If Rob decides to step aside, you should consider it.
I am VERY interested in hearing more (it sounds like I will . . . on TV).
You are far from the first person that I've heard from who either felt that they were (1) unjustly hassled/accused by a sex-crime obscessed bunch of prosecutors (no matter if the accusations were true or not), or (2) unable to get a case properly investigated and/or prosecuted because they don't know the "right" people (or are going up against them).
I've actually considered posting some of these stories, and may do so in the future.
God knows the Courier Tribune is incapable of investigating anything that might interfere with David & Bonnie Renfro's "vision" of economic development . . . or reflect not so nicely on their Rotary & COC buddies . . . or the hospital. They don't seem to realize that the rot within is bringing the town down.
Too many people out there have been burned by the double standards. You cannot cover it all up forever.
If you are speaking of the same Randolph County Health Director who served while I was in Asheboro, she was very quick to abandon me to the dogs . . . even though I had bent over backwards to help her Department . . . serving for most of my tenure at RMA on Randolph County's "Child Fatality Task Force".
Of course that was a huge joke. God forbid that you questioned the Medical Examiner's findings on any given case (and those questions might put a local doctor's actions - or lack thereof - under closer scrutiny).
Sheriff Hurley and Police Chief Mason were of absolutely no help to me when I begged for their help to press my case. They are law enforcement officials, and either one of them could ask the Attorney General's office to intervene. But neither one of them has the cahoones to challenge Garland Yates. They both deferred to the under-handed shenanigans of the DA's office without conducting ANY KIND of investigation into the charges I've levied.
I really cannot wait until the 2008 elections.
I've not wasted my time re-newing a plea to the new sheriff (who is currently getting lots of CT print space showing off his expensive new ceremonial motorcycles).
And yes, our little "white Christian community" certainly does have its issues living up to the small-town-values its leaders espouse.
Dale, I did not see your comment until I posted a response to willysgoldengirl.
Thanks for the words of encouragement. But I have too much on my plate right now to do Rob's job. I had thought I was going to get to a point where I could take a break, but I guess it's not gonna happen.
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