In a Laurens County courtroom today, former Bell Street Middle School teacher Allenna Williams Ward received 6 years in prison for two counts of second-degree criminal sexual misconduct with a minor, and three counts of performing lewd acts on a minor.
Originally Ward had been charged with crimes that could have carried a life-sentence. The charges were reduced in a plea bargain arrangement where Ward agreed to waive her right to a jury trial and have her case determined by a Judge.
Ward's defense team presented a psychologist who testified that Ward suffers from two serious psychiatric disorders--dependent personality disorder and a sexual disorder.
The defendant once again apologized to the young men, their families, and the community.
Her sentence seemed very light to some of those gathered outside the courthouse. When Circuit Solicitor Jerry Peace was questoned about the sentence and the charge of racism (Ward is white and her victims are black), Peace quickly stated that the Judge in the case is black--Judge Casey Manning.
Peace also stated that in these types of cases that are pleaded out, a sentence of 3 to 8 years is normal and 6 falls within the normal range.
Ms. Ward will have to serve 85% of her sentence before she is eligible for parole, and she will be housed in a maximum security prison due to the nature of her crimes.
Showing posts with label Allenna Williams Ward. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Allenna Williams Ward. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Allenna Williams Ward Sentencing
The word is that former middle school teacher Allenna Williams Ward will be sentenced on Feb. 19 for criminal sexual misconduct with underaged teenage boys.
Ward is a former language arts teacher at the Bell Street Middle School in Clinton, South Carolina. Her story hit the news last year when it was revealed that Ward had been charged with having sexual contact with 5 boys between the ages of 14 and 15, some of whom were her students.
In the ensuing months Ward maintained her innocence as many charges and counter-charges were hurled between various parties involved in the case.
Then, the shocker came when Ward pleaded guilty in a plea bargain arrangement and tearfully confessed to the crimes. She waived a jury trial as part of the plea bargain and threw herself on the mercy of the Judge in the case.
After months of basically no information being provided to the news media, word came that Ward would be sentenced on Feb. 19 at the Laurens County Courthouse, although this information has not been confirmed by the Circuit Solicitor's office.
Controvery continues to swirl around this case, however, as many still do not believe that Ward is guilty but rather believe that she confessed under duress to avoid a possible conviction that could potentially land her in prison for the rest of her life.
One such person, who shall remain anonymous, sent the following letter to The Liberty Sphere concerning this case. We will publish the letter, leaving it to the reader to determine whether or not the claims contained therein merit thorough consideration.
"I have just finished reading the comments in both blogs RACIAL OVERTONES PLAGUE ALLENNA WARD CASE and ALLENNA WILLIAMS WARD SAYS ‘NOT GUILTY’
"I also watched the news video of her tearful apology for what she had done.
"That said; I still do not believe Ms. Ward is guilty of sexual misconduct with those teenagers. It is perhaps easy for someone to say they would never take a “plea bargain” if innocent as one of the folks stated. But in light of the apparent racial angle, the reaction of the neighborhood, the sad tendency of presuming guilty until proven innocent, the strains of “house arrest”, being cut off from society as normal, fear of spending perhaps years incarcerated with hardened felons – that may cause one to change their mind. This young woman’s life is ruined already – guilty or innocent – because of the accusations. Even if found innocent in a court of law she would not be able to teach again, she would be considered guilty in the eyes of many despite being found innocent. Maybe a plea bargain would offer continued house arrest for a shorter period of time. How can anyone avow they would never admit guilt when innocent unless they were in the situation themselves? Did you HEAR that young woman’s apology in court on that video? It was a prepared statement READ through her tears. She is no more guilty than I am – and I know I’m not – maybe she is taking the “best” alternative in an attempt to avoid prison time and prolonged strain and heartache for her family. She sounded like someone admitting guilt in an attempt to accept the lesser of two evils, to get it over with.
"If she is guilty, and I stand by my belief she isn’t, she needs guidance and counseling as well as the boys. With the right counseling these boys can overcome and move beyond this if they were indeed victims.
"If she is innocent she has been tainted for life either way – by accepting a plea bargain or being found innocent by the court. I cannot comprehend that many teenage boys keeping something like that a “secret”, this is a sad, sad situation. And the boys….if they ruined an innocent woman’s life will they be punished or learn anything from it?"
What say you? Do you believe at this point in the process that Ward is truly guilty or did she confess to crimes she did not commit in order to avoid a life-sentence?
Ward is a former language arts teacher at the Bell Street Middle School in Clinton, South Carolina. Her story hit the news last year when it was revealed that Ward had been charged with having sexual contact with 5 boys between the ages of 14 and 15, some of whom were her students.
In the ensuing months Ward maintained her innocence as many charges and counter-charges were hurled between various parties involved in the case.
Then, the shocker came when Ward pleaded guilty in a plea bargain arrangement and tearfully confessed to the crimes. She waived a jury trial as part of the plea bargain and threw herself on the mercy of the Judge in the case.
After months of basically no information being provided to the news media, word came that Ward would be sentenced on Feb. 19 at the Laurens County Courthouse, although this information has not been confirmed by the Circuit Solicitor's office.
Controvery continues to swirl around this case, however, as many still do not believe that Ward is guilty but rather believe that she confessed under duress to avoid a possible conviction that could potentially land her in prison for the rest of her life.
One such person, who shall remain anonymous, sent the following letter to The Liberty Sphere concerning this case. We will publish the letter, leaving it to the reader to determine whether or not the claims contained therein merit thorough consideration.
"I have just finished reading the comments in both blogs RACIAL OVERTONES PLAGUE ALLENNA WARD CASE and ALLENNA WILLIAMS WARD SAYS ‘NOT GUILTY’
"I also watched the news video of her tearful apology for what she had done.
"That said; I still do not believe Ms. Ward is guilty of sexual misconduct with those teenagers. It is perhaps easy for someone to say they would never take a “plea bargain” if innocent as one of the folks stated. But in light of the apparent racial angle, the reaction of the neighborhood, the sad tendency of presuming guilty until proven innocent, the strains of “house arrest”, being cut off from society as normal, fear of spending perhaps years incarcerated with hardened felons – that may cause one to change their mind. This young woman’s life is ruined already – guilty or innocent – because of the accusations. Even if found innocent in a court of law she would not be able to teach again, she would be considered guilty in the eyes of many despite being found innocent. Maybe a plea bargain would offer continued house arrest for a shorter period of time. How can anyone avow they would never admit guilt when innocent unless they were in the situation themselves? Did you HEAR that young woman’s apology in court on that video? It was a prepared statement READ through her tears. She is no more guilty than I am – and I know I’m not – maybe she is taking the “best” alternative in an attempt to avoid prison time and prolonged strain and heartache for her family. She sounded like someone admitting guilt in an attempt to accept the lesser of two evils, to get it over with.
"If she is guilty, and I stand by my belief she isn’t, she needs guidance and counseling as well as the boys. With the right counseling these boys can overcome and move beyond this if they were indeed victims.
"If she is innocent she has been tainted for life either way – by accepting a plea bargain or being found innocent by the court. I cannot comprehend that many teenage boys keeping something like that a “secret”, this is a sad, sad situation. And the boys….if they ruined an innocent woman’s life will they be punished or learn anything from it?"
What say you? Do you believe at this point in the process that Ward is truly guilty or did she confess to crimes she did not commit in order to avoid a life-sentence?
Tuesday, January 01, 2008
Late-Breaking Update on Allenna Williams Ward
News has surfaced concerning the sentencing hearing for Allenna Williams Ward, the Clinton, South Carolina teacher who confessed to criminal sexual contact with at least 5 teenage boys.
For the complete story on the reason for the delay of sentencing, as well as a statement from State's Attorney Jerry Peace, click here:
http://carolinacountryside.blogspot.com/2008/01/late-breaking-allenna-williams-ward.html
For the complete story on the reason for the delay of sentencing, as well as a statement from State's Attorney Jerry Peace, click here:
http://carolinacountryside.blogspot.com/2008/01/late-breaking-allenna-williams-ward.html
Thursday, October 04, 2007
Allenna Williams Ward and the 'Unbelievable' Teens
Many of us who wrote about the case of Allenna Williams Ward, the 23 year old Clinton, South Carolina school teacher who pleaded guilty to sexual misconduct with at least 5 teenage boys, believed that the story of the teens was unbelievable...literally.
We were very wrong.
This shows that 'tall tales,' even from the lips of the youngest among us, are worthy of a thorough investigation. In many if not most cases the tall tales are probably the imaginary sagas of young minds at work. But some of the stories will be true and we cannot take the risk of dismissing them.
The following update on the Allenna Williams Ward story shows how the diligent, quiet work of a state prosecutor under immense pressure from the public got to the truth of this case:
http://carolinacountryside.blogspot.com/2007/10/my-teacher-did-what.html
We were very wrong.
This shows that 'tall tales,' even from the lips of the youngest among us, are worthy of a thorough investigation. In many if not most cases the tall tales are probably the imaginary sagas of young minds at work. But some of the stories will be true and we cannot take the risk of dismissing them.
The following update on the Allenna Williams Ward story shows how the diligent, quiet work of a state prosecutor under immense pressure from the public got to the truth of this case:
http://carolinacountryside.blogspot.com/2007/10/my-teacher-did-what.html
Thursday, September 06, 2007
Shocker! Allenna Williams Ward Pleads Guilty
A Laurens County, South Carolina courtroom was the setting today for one of the biggest shockers of the year regarding sex scandals between school teachers and their students.
Much to the shock and amazement of local residents and observers, Allenna Williams Ward, the 24-year-old middle school teacher accused of having sex with five black teenage boys, accepted a plea bargain and plead guilty to five charges of sexual misconduct.
Ward waived her right to a jury trial and broke into sobs as she admitted to the charges and apologized for the pain she had caused the students and their families, and the community.
In exchange for Ward's pleading guilty to five counts of sexual misconduct, the local Circuit Solicitor dropped the rest of the charges against Ward, which could have potentially sent her to prison for the rest of her life.
Surrounded by her parents and her husband in the courtroom, Ward asked for the forgiveness of the community.
Ward's sentence now rests entirely in the hands of the local judge, who will reportedly make his decision within 90 days.
The Ward case provides an intriguing twist in attempts to profile typical perpetrators of sexual misconduct between teachers and students. Ward never fit the profile. In fact, the story told by the teenagers involved in the case is so bizarre that few in or outside the community believed that such a thing could be true.
The teenagers had accused Ward of meeting them at various places around Clinton, South Carolina for their sexual activity, including behind a restaurant, in a motel room, in a city park, in a vehicle, as well as in the Bell Street Middle School, where Ward taught 7th grade Language Arts.
While few believed the stories, in this case the perpetrator herself says they are true. The damage done to the five teenagers should not go unpunished.
Ward would be an interesting case study in forensic psychology as the question is posed, how could a seemingly clean-cut girl from a minister's family, with no prior history indicating her behavior, wind up in this position where she faces potential jail time for engaging in sexual misconduct with five teenagers?
As far as we are concerned, that is the million-dollar question.
Much to the shock and amazement of local residents and observers, Allenna Williams Ward, the 24-year-old middle school teacher accused of having sex with five black teenage boys, accepted a plea bargain and plead guilty to five charges of sexual misconduct.
Ward waived her right to a jury trial and broke into sobs as she admitted to the charges and apologized for the pain she had caused the students and their families, and the community.
In exchange for Ward's pleading guilty to five counts of sexual misconduct, the local Circuit Solicitor dropped the rest of the charges against Ward, which could have potentially sent her to prison for the rest of her life.
Surrounded by her parents and her husband in the courtroom, Ward asked for the forgiveness of the community.
Ward's sentence now rests entirely in the hands of the local judge, who will reportedly make his decision within 90 days.
The Ward case provides an intriguing twist in attempts to profile typical perpetrators of sexual misconduct between teachers and students. Ward never fit the profile. In fact, the story told by the teenagers involved in the case is so bizarre that few in or outside the community believed that such a thing could be true.
The teenagers had accused Ward of meeting them at various places around Clinton, South Carolina for their sexual activity, including behind a restaurant, in a motel room, in a city park, in a vehicle, as well as in the Bell Street Middle School, where Ward taught 7th grade Language Arts.
While few believed the stories, in this case the perpetrator herself says they are true. The damage done to the five teenagers should not go unpunished.
Ward would be an interesting case study in forensic psychology as the question is posed, how could a seemingly clean-cut girl from a minister's family, with no prior history indicating her behavior, wind up in this position where she faces potential jail time for engaging in sexual misconduct with five teenagers?
As far as we are concerned, that is the million-dollar question.
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Update on Allenna Williams Ward Sex Scandal Case
Allenna Williams Ward, shown above, is the Middle School English teacher accused of criminal sexual misconduct with five teenage boys in Clinton, South Carolina.
Ward has plead not guilty to the charges.
The state's attorney in the case, Laurens County Circuit Solicitor Jerry Peace has stated that he is attempting to work out a deal with Ward's attorney, presumably a plea bargain. Peace further stated that if a deal could not be reached with Ward and her attorney, that 'we may then try this case in a year and a half or so.'
To the casual observer this may mean nothing. But to astute observers of the court system there is plenty that can be gleaned from the words of the prosecutor.
The obvious factor that strikes us about this case is that if the allegations and charges against Ward are true, then she would be nothing less than a hardened, seasoned sexual predator, worthy of the most stringent sentence that could be leveled against her under the law.
Yet Mr. Peace is not proceeding with this case as one who actually believes he is dealing with a hardened sexual predator.
This means there are two possibilities--either Ward is entirely innocent and has been falsely accused, in which case Peace is giving things time to settle in the hope the truth comes out, or, he believes Ward is guilty but cannot amass sufficient evidence to prove her guilt in court.
At this time I tend to believe Ward is entirely innocent and has been falsely accused.
The complete silence surrounding this case is yet another odd circumstance, given the severity of the charges and allegations. Ward and her attorney have been totally silent throughout this case, which is understandable. At first the pot-bangers in Clinton took to the streets to decry the 'child molester' and such. But now even they are totally tight-lipped. So are the boys who made the accusations.
As always, The Liberty Sphere will keep you updated on all further developments.
Monday, April 02, 2007
Allenna Williams Ward Says 'Not Guilty'
Clinton, SC (TLS). Allenna Williams Ward appeared in court today to be arraigned on five counts of criminal sexual conduct on a minor and six counts of performing lewd acts on a minor.
Ward is the former Bell Street Middle School teacher who was fired from her job after being accused by five teenagers, ages 14-15, for engaging in sex with them at various public places around town.
Upon the counsel of her attorney, Ward has not spoken to the media about the case.
In court today, however, we heard directly from Ward for the very first time. When read the charges against her and asked, 'How do you plea?' Ward stated simply, 'Not guilty.'
Ward will remain under house arrest pending her trial. No trial date has been set as of yet.
Ward is the former Bell Street Middle School teacher who was fired from her job after being accused by five teenagers, ages 14-15, for engaging in sex with them at various public places around town.
Upon the counsel of her attorney, Ward has not spoken to the media about the case.
In court today, however, we heard directly from Ward for the very first time. When read the charges against her and asked, 'How do you plea?' Ward stated simply, 'Not guilty.'
Ward will remain under house arrest pending her trial. No trial date has been set as of yet.
Allenna Williams Ward to be Arraigned Today
Clinton, SC (TLS). Allenna Williams Ward, the 24-year-old middle school teacher accused of having sex with five male teenagers, will be arraigned in a Laurens County, SC courtroom today.
Ward will be arraigned on five counts of criminal sexual conduct with a minor, and six counts of performing lewd acts on a minor.
The African-American community in Clinton has claimed racial motivation in Ward's bond and her subsequent release. However, Ward is being held under house arrest with an electronic device that monitors her every move and is allowed only to go to church, the doctor, to court, and to see her attorney.
Similar cases across the country reveal that persons charged with similar offenses are rarely, if ever, held without bond. In addition, Ward's bond was set at a level that rivals that of murderers. Thus, the charge of racism would seem to hold little credence.
Updated information on Ward's court appearance will be provided by The Liberty Sphere later in the day. Be sure to check back for further updates.
Ward will be arraigned on five counts of criminal sexual conduct with a minor, and six counts of performing lewd acts on a minor.
The African-American community in Clinton has claimed racial motivation in Ward's bond and her subsequent release. However, Ward is being held under house arrest with an electronic device that monitors her every move and is allowed only to go to church, the doctor, to court, and to see her attorney.
Similar cases across the country reveal that persons charged with similar offenses are rarely, if ever, held without bond. In addition, Ward's bond was set at a level that rivals that of murderers. Thus, the charge of racism would seem to hold little credence.
Updated information on Ward's court appearance will be provided by The Liberty Sphere later in the day. Be sure to check back for further updates.
Sunday, April 01, 2007
Allenna Williams Ward Due In Court Monday
Clinton, SC (TLS). On Friday, March 30, a Grand Jury indicted Allenna Williams Ward on five counts of criminal sexual misconduct with a minor and six counts of lewd acts on a minor.
Ward is scheduled to appear in court on Monday, April 2, 2007, to answer these charges and enter a plea.
Ward's attorney declined to give a statement or to answer any questions from the press.
Allenna Williams Ward was fired from her position as an English teacher at the Bell Street Middle School in Clinton following allegations by a group of teenagers, ages 14-15, that Ward had engaged in sexual activity with them in no less than five public places around Clinton.
Clinton is a small town of 10,000 in the upstate of South Carolina, roughly 60 miles north of the state capital of Columbia. Allenna Ward had spent her entire life in Clinton, graduating from its public schools and attending college at Clinton's Presbyterian College, where she received her teaching degree.
The Bell Street Middle School is a part of Laurens County School District 56 and was formerly an all-Black school prior to the days of integration. Laurens County is also the setting of stark racial tensions. The area is famous for the lynching of a Black man over 70 years ago, and to this day it is the setting for a KKK museum.
Some residents have quietly whispered that the rather harsh treatment of Ward, along with the mob mentality that has all but proclaimed her guilty as charged although a trial date has not even been set, is an indication of payback on the part of the town's African-American community for years of mistreatment by the area's whites in the criminal justice system.
Such sentiments would be understandable if Ward were found guilty. At this point, however, she is only charged with alleged crimes. Until she is found guilty in a court of law, she is presumed innocent of the charges.
A dangerous mindset exits among some in the African American community, however, that maintains that guilt or innocence in these cases is a non-issue. This was precisely what one activists stated in Durham in the midst of the Duke lacrosse rape scandal. According to the prevailing wisdom of the mob mentality, it does not matter if the accused is innocent. What matters is the payback for years of white mistreatment of blacks in the criminal justice system.
It is to be hoped that Ward has excellent legal counsel who can pull lots of string. He will need all the tools at his disposal to make sure his client gets a fair trial in this hotbed of racial pot-stirring.
Ward is scheduled to appear in court on Monday, April 2, 2007, to answer these charges and enter a plea.
Ward's attorney declined to give a statement or to answer any questions from the press.
Allenna Williams Ward was fired from her position as an English teacher at the Bell Street Middle School in Clinton following allegations by a group of teenagers, ages 14-15, that Ward had engaged in sexual activity with them in no less than five public places around Clinton.
Clinton is a small town of 10,000 in the upstate of South Carolina, roughly 60 miles north of the state capital of Columbia. Allenna Ward had spent her entire life in Clinton, graduating from its public schools and attending college at Clinton's Presbyterian College, where she received her teaching degree.
The Bell Street Middle School is a part of Laurens County School District 56 and was formerly an all-Black school prior to the days of integration. Laurens County is also the setting of stark racial tensions. The area is famous for the lynching of a Black man over 70 years ago, and to this day it is the setting for a KKK museum.
Some residents have quietly whispered that the rather harsh treatment of Ward, along with the mob mentality that has all but proclaimed her guilty as charged although a trial date has not even been set, is an indication of payback on the part of the town's African-American community for years of mistreatment by the area's whites in the criminal justice system.
Such sentiments would be understandable if Ward were found guilty. At this point, however, she is only charged with alleged crimes. Until she is found guilty in a court of law, she is presumed innocent of the charges.
A dangerous mindset exits among some in the African American community, however, that maintains that guilt or innocence in these cases is a non-issue. This was precisely what one activists stated in Durham in the midst of the Duke lacrosse rape scandal. According to the prevailing wisdom of the mob mentality, it does not matter if the accused is innocent. What matters is the payback for years of white mistreatment of blacks in the criminal justice system.
It is to be hoped that Ward has excellent legal counsel who can pull lots of string. He will need all the tools at his disposal to make sure his client gets a fair trial in this hotbed of racial pot-stirring.
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Parents Meet With School Officials on Sex Scandal
Clinton, SC (TLS). A group of concerned parents met with school officials at the District Office of Laurens County School District 56 in Clinton concerning the recent sex scandal involving five teenagers and a middle school teacher.
Allenna Williams Ward has been charged with criminal sexual misconduct following accusations by the five teenagers that Ward had engaged in sex with them in numerous public locations around Clinton.
The meeting was called today after parents requested an update on the status of the case.
Meanwhile, organizers were getting ready to hold a candlelight vigil in Clinton on Monday evening to call for an end to student-teacher sexual liaisons and as a means of urging students to report such incidents. However, it became very clear that the vigil had another objective.
Underlying the motivation of vigil organizers is the belief that Allenna Williams Ward 'stole the virginity' of the five black teenagers, ages 14-15.
However, as of today not a shred of evidence exists that remotely suggests that Ward is guilty of the crimes of which she is accused. The teenagers maintain that the encounters took place in various places where someone, somewhere would have easily noticed--the Bell Street Middle School, a Clinton motel, behind a restaurant in town, and at a local public park. Yet so far the Circuit Solicitor's office has not confirmed that there is any evidence showing that Ward was ever a guest at that hotel or that anyone can place her in any of the areas where these acts supposedly occurred.
The scant evidence that exists is dubious at best. A note supposedly surfaced that proved the entire story. Yet the truth is that the teacher had instructed the student not to speak in class as a disciplinary issue. If he had a question he was supposed to write it on paper. Instead, he sent the teacher an obscene note, which Ward immediately threw into the garbage can.
This note somehow mysteriously finds its way to the administrative offices of the Bell Street Middle School and is used by the accusers and others as 'proof' that something sordid was happening between Ward and the teenagers.
In like manner, the defense attorney representing three of the teenagers (and why do they need lawyers?) offered a cell phone/digital camera photo of Ward as 'proof' that the teenagers are telling the truth. But the truth of the matter is that the infamous 'cell phone photo' shows nothing sordid at all. It is a picture that one of the teenagers took of Ward during class--a picture the student took from behind.
Following the attorney's charges, wild rumors ensued to the effect that one of the teenagers had a lewd picture of Ward's buttocks. The truth is that Ward is fully clothed in that particular photo, teaching her class. In addition, a student is forbidden to have cell phones in school as a matter of official policy. The mere fact that the student took a cell phone photo of Ward in class shows a blatant disregard for school regulations.
The very fact that yet another meeting was held between parents and teachers shows that critical questions remain concerning the facts in this case. So much of it does not make sense and defies all human logic.
In addition, the fact that parents and friends of the five teenagers would feel the need to hold a very public vigil, making very public statements that presume Ward's guilt, is another indication that perhaps the state's case against Ward is weak at best.
As we have seen in Durham, North Carolina with the Mike Nifong-Duke lacrosse rape hoax, when an accuser's 'facts' are highly questionable, the foot soldiers take to the streets to try the case in the court of public opinion LONG before there is any trial to establish the truth.
If the facts in a case are clear and unmistakable, there is no need for such grandstanding.
Granted, Ward has not yet faced a jury of her peers. The trial itself is a long way off, if there is to be a trial. A jury may well decide, after looking at the evidence and considering the various factors in the case, that Ward is guilty. If this is, indeed, the outcome of the trial and the evidence proves it, then so be it.
Yet as of today there is still nothing but accusations--and no confirmation of those accusations.
Allenna Williams Ward has been charged with criminal sexual misconduct following accusations by the five teenagers that Ward had engaged in sex with them in numerous public locations around Clinton.
The meeting was called today after parents requested an update on the status of the case.
Meanwhile, organizers were getting ready to hold a candlelight vigil in Clinton on Monday evening to call for an end to student-teacher sexual liaisons and as a means of urging students to report such incidents. However, it became very clear that the vigil had another objective.
Underlying the motivation of vigil organizers is the belief that Allenna Williams Ward 'stole the virginity' of the five black teenagers, ages 14-15.
However, as of today not a shred of evidence exists that remotely suggests that Ward is guilty of the crimes of which she is accused. The teenagers maintain that the encounters took place in various places where someone, somewhere would have easily noticed--the Bell Street Middle School, a Clinton motel, behind a restaurant in town, and at a local public park. Yet so far the Circuit Solicitor's office has not confirmed that there is any evidence showing that Ward was ever a guest at that hotel or that anyone can place her in any of the areas where these acts supposedly occurred.
The scant evidence that exists is dubious at best. A note supposedly surfaced that proved the entire story. Yet the truth is that the teacher had instructed the student not to speak in class as a disciplinary issue. If he had a question he was supposed to write it on paper. Instead, he sent the teacher an obscene note, which Ward immediately threw into the garbage can.
This note somehow mysteriously finds its way to the administrative offices of the Bell Street Middle School and is used by the accusers and others as 'proof' that something sordid was happening between Ward and the teenagers.
In like manner, the defense attorney representing three of the teenagers (and why do they need lawyers?) offered a cell phone/digital camera photo of Ward as 'proof' that the teenagers are telling the truth. But the truth of the matter is that the infamous 'cell phone photo' shows nothing sordid at all. It is a picture that one of the teenagers took of Ward during class--a picture the student took from behind.
Following the attorney's charges, wild rumors ensued to the effect that one of the teenagers had a lewd picture of Ward's buttocks. The truth is that Ward is fully clothed in that particular photo, teaching her class. In addition, a student is forbidden to have cell phones in school as a matter of official policy. The mere fact that the student took a cell phone photo of Ward in class shows a blatant disregard for school regulations.
The very fact that yet another meeting was held between parents and teachers shows that critical questions remain concerning the facts in this case. So much of it does not make sense and defies all human logic.
In addition, the fact that parents and friends of the five teenagers would feel the need to hold a very public vigil, making very public statements that presume Ward's guilt, is another indication that perhaps the state's case against Ward is weak at best.
As we have seen in Durham, North Carolina with the Mike Nifong-Duke lacrosse rape hoax, when an accuser's 'facts' are highly questionable, the foot soldiers take to the streets to try the case in the court of public opinion LONG before there is any trial to establish the truth.
If the facts in a case are clear and unmistakable, there is no need for such grandstanding.
Granted, Ward has not yet faced a jury of her peers. The trial itself is a long way off, if there is to be a trial. A jury may well decide, after looking at the evidence and considering the various factors in the case, that Ward is guilty. If this is, indeed, the outcome of the trial and the evidence proves it, then so be it.
Yet as of today there is still nothing but accusations--and no confirmation of those accusations.
Friday, March 23, 2007
New Update on Allenna Williams Ward Case
Clinton, SC (TLS). The parents of the five teenagers who accused Bell Street Middle School teacher Allenna Williams Ward of engaging in sexual conduct with them all over town are planning a candlelight vigil in Clinton on Monday evening, March 26.
Vigil organizer Rosa Booker stated, 'These kids are going to school and getting their virginity taken away from them. These children need to know this is something that you don't keep quiet.'
Of course, Booker is right when it comes to sexual assault and inappropriate behavior on the part of teachers toward underage students. If such activity is taking place, it is imperative that the students in question report it.
The nation has seen a barrage of such activity in recent years as female teachers seem to have cast aside all ethical, moral, and professional restraints in going after teenage students. This activity is deplorable and should be condemned. The guilty should do jail time.
However, in the Allenna Williams Ward case, so far all we have are accusations and charges based upon those accusations. No proof has yet been produced that exposes any guilt on the part of Ward. She has not even had a trial. Yet a small but vocal group in Clinton is all but proclaiming her guilt and using the accusations as a springboard from which to conduct grandstanding activity in town, as if to convict Ward in the court of public opinion and create a sense on the part of the public that the accusations of the teenagers should not be questioned.
The practice is despicable and is on the same par as the deplorable actions on the part of the Durham community last Spring when three Duke lacrosse players were falsely accused of rape. Certain community leaders, including the administration and 88 faculty members of Duke, made accusatory statements to the press and conducted rallies in town denouncing the three innocent students.
The result was a charade, a three-ring-circus that perpetuated one of the biggest hoaxes in the history of American jurisprudence.
Is the same thing beginning to happen in Clinton?
One would hope that we as a society have learned something in the aftermath of the Duke rape hoax. But if the actions of certain citizens in Clinton are any indication, apparently we have not learned our lesson well enough.
Displays such as the candlelight vigil to be held on Monday should be reserved for after the trial in the event that Ward is found guilty.
Until such time, such displays only add to suspicions of a set-up.
Vigil organizer Rosa Booker stated, 'These kids are going to school and getting their virginity taken away from them. These children need to know this is something that you don't keep quiet.'
Of course, Booker is right when it comes to sexual assault and inappropriate behavior on the part of teachers toward underage students. If such activity is taking place, it is imperative that the students in question report it.
The nation has seen a barrage of such activity in recent years as female teachers seem to have cast aside all ethical, moral, and professional restraints in going after teenage students. This activity is deplorable and should be condemned. The guilty should do jail time.
However, in the Allenna Williams Ward case, so far all we have are accusations and charges based upon those accusations. No proof has yet been produced that exposes any guilt on the part of Ward. She has not even had a trial. Yet a small but vocal group in Clinton is all but proclaiming her guilt and using the accusations as a springboard from which to conduct grandstanding activity in town, as if to convict Ward in the court of public opinion and create a sense on the part of the public that the accusations of the teenagers should not be questioned.
The practice is despicable and is on the same par as the deplorable actions on the part of the Durham community last Spring when three Duke lacrosse players were falsely accused of rape. Certain community leaders, including the administration and 88 faculty members of Duke, made accusatory statements to the press and conducted rallies in town denouncing the three innocent students.
The result was a charade, a three-ring-circus that perpetuated one of the biggest hoaxes in the history of American jurisprudence.
Is the same thing beginning to happen in Clinton?
One would hope that we as a society have learned something in the aftermath of the Duke rape hoax. But if the actions of certain citizens in Clinton are any indication, apparently we have not learned our lesson well enough.
Displays such as the candlelight vigil to be held on Monday should be reserved for after the trial in the event that Ward is found guilty.
Until such time, such displays only add to suspicions of a set-up.
Sunday, March 18, 2007
The Day's Collection, Sunday, March 18, 2007
Here is a collection of today's top news stories from around the nation.
1. SC Educators Charged in Selling Alcohol to Minors
http://www.aikenstandard.com/news/23416021773331.php
2. Info on Bell Street Middle School, Clinton, SC--the school where Allenna Williams Ward taught 7th grade Language Arts--including racial profile and academic rankings
http://sc.localschooldirectory.com/schools_info.php/school_id/76001
3. Liestoppers posts citizen journalist reports of meetings around N.C. concerning the Duke lacrosse rape hoax
http://liestoppers.blogspot.com/2007/03/citizen-journalist-reports-on-iwf-forum.html
4. Pamela Geller exposes the Jihad-promoting CAIR for attempting to gain access to airline passenger list
http://atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com/atlas_shrugs/2007/03/cair_wants_your.html
5. A viewpoint from the perspective of a woman whose info was published by the Roanoke Times in their anti-gun tyrade:
http://www.thebitchgirls.us/?p=6549
6. And finally, our favorite intellectual, Walter Williams, writes on 'Smoking and Economics'
http://jewishworldreview.com/cols/williams031407.php3
1. SC Educators Charged in Selling Alcohol to Minors
http://www.aikenstandard.com/news/23416021773331.php
2. Info on Bell Street Middle School, Clinton, SC--the school where Allenna Williams Ward taught 7th grade Language Arts--including racial profile and academic rankings
http://sc.localschooldirectory.com/schools_info.php/school_id/76001
3. Liestoppers posts citizen journalist reports of meetings around N.C. concerning the Duke lacrosse rape hoax
http://liestoppers.blogspot.com/2007/03/citizen-journalist-reports-on-iwf-forum.html
4. Pamela Geller exposes the Jihad-promoting CAIR for attempting to gain access to airline passenger list
http://atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com/atlas_shrugs/2007/03/cair_wants_your.html
5. A viewpoint from the perspective of a woman whose info was published by the Roanoke Times in their anti-gun tyrade:
http://www.thebitchgirls.us/?p=6549
6. And finally, our favorite intellectual, Walter Williams, writes on 'Smoking and Economics'
http://jewishworldreview.com/cols/williams031407.php3
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Racial Overtones Plague Allenna Ward Case
Charlotte, NC (TLS). Like a nightmare that keeps recurring over and over, the Allenna Williams Ward case in Clinton, South Carolina is becoming even more eerily reminiscent of the infamous Duke lacrosse rape scandal--in more ways than one.
The Liberty Sphere has already reported that Ward may be the victim of a rogue Prosecutor, in the tradition of Mike Nifong, who needs to score a victory in a teacher sex scandal. Further investigations into this case lead us to believe that racial overtones may well figure into this scenario, just as they did with the three Caucasian Duke lacrosse players falsely accused of rape by a Black female prostitute.
Our investigation has uncovered deep problems within the Bell Street Middle School in Clinton with regard to racial issues. Although this fact has been carefully hidden from the public, the teenagers involved in this case are Black. From what we have been able to piece together, these Black teenage males were involved in inappropriate taunts aimed at the young Mrs. Ward, a 23-year old Caucasian in only her 2nd year of teaching.
One incident involving the teenagers sent Ward to the administrative office of the school to complain.
Rumor has it that the incident involved a cell phone picture that one of the Black teenagers took of Ward while she had her back turned. It is against school policy for students to have cell phones turned on in class. Most schools have policies that mandate teacher confiscation of cell phones, iPods, and the like. The parents are then called to come to the school to retrieve the items.
Therefore, if such a cell phone picture exits, then it was taken against school policy and against Mrs. Ward's knowledge.
Another rumor has been swirling concerning the nature of the infamous 'note' that made its way into the hands of school administrators. Apparently one of the teenage boys had been called down by Mrs. Ward for talking in class. She instructed him to write questions on paper if he wanted to ask something. The Black teenager proceeded to write an obscene message to Ward, which she tossed into the garbage.
Somehow the discarded obscene message mysteriously found its way to the administrators of the Bell Street Middle School.
These two rumors have not been confirmed by The Liberty Sphere, but they do offer at least some small glimpse into the scenario that was being played out at the Bell Street Middle School.
As in the Duke case in Durham, North Carolina, not only do we have here a situation where a Caucasian is being accused by Black teenage boys, but the community of which Bell Street Middle School is a part is a central factor in this entire troubling mess. Ward was almost immediately found guilty in the court of public opinion even before any of the facts of this case were known. A prosecutor pandered to the Black community, as we found in Durham.
At this stage, with each passing day this case is appearing to be nothing but a set-up job perpetrated by Black teenage boys gone bad in order to cover up their despicable behavior in school toward their young teacher.
State Circuit Solicitor Jerry Peace had better have some bombshell irrefutable evidence against Mrs. Ward, or else he is going to have a uprising on his hands consisting of peasants with pitchforks demanding that he come clean about a white teacher being set up by some bad Black teenagers.
The Liberty Sphere has already reported that Ward may be the victim of a rogue Prosecutor, in the tradition of Mike Nifong, who needs to score a victory in a teacher sex scandal. Further investigations into this case lead us to believe that racial overtones may well figure into this scenario, just as they did with the three Caucasian Duke lacrosse players falsely accused of rape by a Black female prostitute.
Our investigation has uncovered deep problems within the Bell Street Middle School in Clinton with regard to racial issues. Although this fact has been carefully hidden from the public, the teenagers involved in this case are Black. From what we have been able to piece together, these Black teenage males were involved in inappropriate taunts aimed at the young Mrs. Ward, a 23-year old Caucasian in only her 2nd year of teaching.
One incident involving the teenagers sent Ward to the administrative office of the school to complain.
Rumor has it that the incident involved a cell phone picture that one of the Black teenagers took of Ward while she had her back turned. It is against school policy for students to have cell phones turned on in class. Most schools have policies that mandate teacher confiscation of cell phones, iPods, and the like. The parents are then called to come to the school to retrieve the items.
Therefore, if such a cell phone picture exits, then it was taken against school policy and against Mrs. Ward's knowledge.
Another rumor has been swirling concerning the nature of the infamous 'note' that made its way into the hands of school administrators. Apparently one of the teenage boys had been called down by Mrs. Ward for talking in class. She instructed him to write questions on paper if he wanted to ask something. The Black teenager proceeded to write an obscene message to Ward, which she tossed into the garbage.
Somehow the discarded obscene message mysteriously found its way to the administrators of the Bell Street Middle School.
These two rumors have not been confirmed by The Liberty Sphere, but they do offer at least some small glimpse into the scenario that was being played out at the Bell Street Middle School.
As in the Duke case in Durham, North Carolina, not only do we have here a situation where a Caucasian is being accused by Black teenage boys, but the community of which Bell Street Middle School is a part is a central factor in this entire troubling mess. Ward was almost immediately found guilty in the court of public opinion even before any of the facts of this case were known. A prosecutor pandered to the Black community, as we found in Durham.
At this stage, with each passing day this case is appearing to be nothing but a set-up job perpetrated by Black teenage boys gone bad in order to cover up their despicable behavior in school toward their young teacher.
State Circuit Solicitor Jerry Peace had better have some bombshell irrefutable evidence against Mrs. Ward, or else he is going to have a uprising on his hands consisting of peasants with pitchforks demanding that he come clean about a white teacher being set up by some bad Black teenagers.
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
The 'Nifonging' of the American Public
Charlotte, NC (TLS). The infamous case of Prosecutor Mike Nifong, who has been charged by the North Carolina Bar with prosecutorial misconduct, lying to the court, and ethics violations, has become a metaphor for the aggressive prosecution of the innocent by state's attorneys with ulterior motives.
Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald charged Scooter Libby with a crime he did not commit, the basis of which was not even a crime at all. Instead of going after the real source of the leak, Mr. Richard Armitage, Fitzgerald chose instead to railroad Scooter Libby into facing charges of a crime which is not really a crime--which is why Armitage was not charged in the first place...meaning, of course, that the entire trial was a sham from start to finish--a political set-up job by a rogue Special Prosecutor with an ax to grind with Vice President Dick Cheney over the War in Iraq.
U.S. Attorney Johnny Sutton of El Paso, Texas has relentlessly and mercilessly targeted law enforcement officials in the state of Texas who have jurisdiction over the counties and municipalities near or at the southern border. Not only that but he has exhibited a penchant for punishing conscientious Border Patrol agents who are doing their best to uphold federal law by protecting our borders against illegal aliens.
Despite the clear wording of the United States Code, which states that the aiding and abetting of illegal aliens is a felony, Sutton has proceeded to aid and abet the aliens by prosecuting the law enforcement officials who apprehend them.
In case after case, various news organizations such as CNS News Service and WorldNetDaily have documented a paper trail of blatant prosecutorial misconduct on the part of Johnny Sutton in going after innocent men who attempt to guard our borders and uphold FEDERAL law.
Yet so far not a single move has been made to investigate Sutton or remove him from these cases, in spite of desperate pleas by Republican Congressmen who are familiar with Sutton and his misdeeds.
Regardless of what ANYONE says in Sutton's defense, the message he is sending to Mexico and to American citizens is that there are two sets of laws that govern this nation--one for illegal aliens, and one for the rest of us. And if one of the 'rest of us' dares to enforce the laws of the United States Code in apprehending illegal aliens at the border, that person will have hell to pay in a court of law, including a lengthy term of imprisonment.
Thus, Sutton is making it clear that when it comes to illegal aliens, the law be damned.
And the message that Mexico hears is, 'Gee, we can rape and plunder America all we want. We don't have to worry about immigration laws. We have Sutton at the border to protect us!'
Despite all of this accumulation of graft, President George W. Bush still stubbornly refuses to issue pardons to Border Patrol agents Ramos and Compean. And his crony Johnny Sutton is still sitting at the Border waiting for an honorable law enforcement official to do his job...so that he can haul his sorry butt to court.
It is Sutton's sorry butt that needs to be rotting in prison rather than Ramos and Compean. The man is committing felonies right and left by aiding and abetting illegal aliens.
And then we come to South Carolina, where Allenna Williams Ward awaits her court hearing on April 2, under charges of engaging in criminal sexual conduct with under-age teenage boys. The state's attorney in the case, Jerry Peace, sorely needs to score a victory on a teacher sex scandal case. Two previous situations went nowhere in a hurry, and those who pressure state's attorneys, in addition to the self-pressure of prosecutors, on the basis of 'wins' rather than true justice being done seem to believe that Ward is an easy target to make a point.
Peace's behavior in this case has been suspect for many various reasons, not the least of which is that he did not adhere to his usual practice of pleading out cases such as this when he feels his case is solid. From what The Liberty Sphere can tell so far, in carefully researching the details, the charges, the logistics, etc., Allenna Williams Ward is a naive, sheltered young woman who may have engaged in some boundary violations with the teenagers. But boundary violations do not equal criminal sexual behavior. Lack of maturity and wisdom in what would normally be called harmless behavior is NOT child molestation or rape.
Although the teachers of the Bell Street Elementary School are under a gag order concerning Ward, it is clear that when they speak in general terms about the case there is a state of disbelief that Ward would engage in the activities the charges indicate.
In fact, not a single shred of supporting evidence in terms of Ward's character, behavior, reputation, demeanor, or deportment in the least bit suggests any tendencies toward the acts with which she is charged.
So far, the only evidence against her is the word of a few 14-15 year old boys.
Even the attorney representing three of the boys cannot produce any physical evidence proving that a text message was sent by Ward to his client telling him to 'keep his mouth shut,'
neither does the state's attorney possess any proof that such a text message exists.
In addition, the so-called cell-phone picture, the supposed 'smoking gun,' is so far nothing more than hearsay perpetrated by those with a vested interest in covering their tracks, since NOBODY--not the prosecutor, not law enforcement, and not the attorney representing the boys--possesses such a photo. In fact, the rumor of a cell-phone photo has the smell of an after-thought--a means to shore up what is beginning to look like a sham of a story, a made-up tale by teenagers gone bad.
So far, neither the infamous text message nor the infamous photo have been produced. Thus, we can only assume they do not exist.
Unless someone can produce the proof that Ward sent that message, and that the message referred specifically to the crimes she is accused of committing, and unless someone can place Ward at the motel in question, or in any of the other public places where the supposed encounters took place, then it would appear that Peace has no case. And if it turns out that the boys lied about the existence of a cell phone photo, then it will be clear that these wayward teenagers made a mockery of the United States Judicial System.
Thus, Ward would be yet another innocent citizen to be 'nifonged.'
The sad and frightening scenario that is developing in the wake of all of these miscarriages of justice is that the entire criminal justice system in America is under siege by dishonest individuals who do not care in the least that the law is upheld or that justice is done, but only that they get to add another 'notch to their belt,' or that they can accomplish a subversive agenda, such as the deliberate violation of the nation's immigration laws.
If the persons who hold the title of District Attorney, or State's Attorney, or U.S. Attorney, or Special Prosecutor, are not basically honest persons of integrity, then no one in America is safe from having their reputations ruined and their good names dragged through the mud. A dishonest person with that kind of power is not only a scourge to the nation but a dangerous cancer growing on the legal system.
How many innocent persons sit rotting in jail because of these deceptive thugs?
Unless these individuals are rooted out of their positions of power, then the entire judicial system of the United States of America is suspect. The system of a free Constitutional Republic depends upon the integrity of the men and women who hold its offices. If these individuals cannot be trusted, then the entire system fails.
I have just named four individuals within the system who either cannot be trusted outright, or who are at least under some suspicion.
The question is, do these high-profile individuals represent the state of the system as a whole, or are they exceptions to the rule? The more that cases like this dominate the news, and the longer we as a society allow the dishonest to get away with it, the more it appears that their lack of integrity is the norm. We are witnessing the nifonging of the American public.
President George W. Bush could do the entire nation a favor by setting a good example for others among the various states to follow. He could remove Sutton from office and investigate him for prosecutorial misconduct, lying to the court, and for violating the code of ethics. He could pardon the accused law enforcement officials who have suffered under the heavy-handedness of Sutton's oppression.
If the President sets such an example, this could well be the signal that dishonesty in prosecuting cases will not be tolerated anywhere within the United States of America.
Such a Presidential move is long overdue.
Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald charged Scooter Libby with a crime he did not commit, the basis of which was not even a crime at all. Instead of going after the real source of the leak, Mr. Richard Armitage, Fitzgerald chose instead to railroad Scooter Libby into facing charges of a crime which is not really a crime--which is why Armitage was not charged in the first place...meaning, of course, that the entire trial was a sham from start to finish--a political set-up job by a rogue Special Prosecutor with an ax to grind with Vice President Dick Cheney over the War in Iraq.
U.S. Attorney Johnny Sutton of El Paso, Texas has relentlessly and mercilessly targeted law enforcement officials in the state of Texas who have jurisdiction over the counties and municipalities near or at the southern border. Not only that but he has exhibited a penchant for punishing conscientious Border Patrol agents who are doing their best to uphold federal law by protecting our borders against illegal aliens.
Despite the clear wording of the United States Code, which states that the aiding and abetting of illegal aliens is a felony, Sutton has proceeded to aid and abet the aliens by prosecuting the law enforcement officials who apprehend them.
In case after case, various news organizations such as CNS News Service and WorldNetDaily have documented a paper trail of blatant prosecutorial misconduct on the part of Johnny Sutton in going after innocent men who attempt to guard our borders and uphold FEDERAL law.
Yet so far not a single move has been made to investigate Sutton or remove him from these cases, in spite of desperate pleas by Republican Congressmen who are familiar with Sutton and his misdeeds.
Regardless of what ANYONE says in Sutton's defense, the message he is sending to Mexico and to American citizens is that there are two sets of laws that govern this nation--one for illegal aliens, and one for the rest of us. And if one of the 'rest of us' dares to enforce the laws of the United States Code in apprehending illegal aliens at the border, that person will have hell to pay in a court of law, including a lengthy term of imprisonment.
Thus, Sutton is making it clear that when it comes to illegal aliens, the law be damned.
And the message that Mexico hears is, 'Gee, we can rape and plunder America all we want. We don't have to worry about immigration laws. We have Sutton at the border to protect us!'
Despite all of this accumulation of graft, President George W. Bush still stubbornly refuses to issue pardons to Border Patrol agents Ramos and Compean. And his crony Johnny Sutton is still sitting at the Border waiting for an honorable law enforcement official to do his job...so that he can haul his sorry butt to court.
It is Sutton's sorry butt that needs to be rotting in prison rather than Ramos and Compean. The man is committing felonies right and left by aiding and abetting illegal aliens.
And then we come to South Carolina, where Allenna Williams Ward awaits her court hearing on April 2, under charges of engaging in criminal sexual conduct with under-age teenage boys. The state's attorney in the case, Jerry Peace, sorely needs to score a victory on a teacher sex scandal case. Two previous situations went nowhere in a hurry, and those who pressure state's attorneys, in addition to the self-pressure of prosecutors, on the basis of 'wins' rather than true justice being done seem to believe that Ward is an easy target to make a point.
Peace's behavior in this case has been suspect for many various reasons, not the least of which is that he did not adhere to his usual practice of pleading out cases such as this when he feels his case is solid. From what The Liberty Sphere can tell so far, in carefully researching the details, the charges, the logistics, etc., Allenna Williams Ward is a naive, sheltered young woman who may have engaged in some boundary violations with the teenagers. But boundary violations do not equal criminal sexual behavior. Lack of maturity and wisdom in what would normally be called harmless behavior is NOT child molestation or rape.
Although the teachers of the Bell Street Elementary School are under a gag order concerning Ward, it is clear that when they speak in general terms about the case there is a state of disbelief that Ward would engage in the activities the charges indicate.
In fact, not a single shred of supporting evidence in terms of Ward's character, behavior, reputation, demeanor, or deportment in the least bit suggests any tendencies toward the acts with which she is charged.
So far, the only evidence against her is the word of a few 14-15 year old boys.
Even the attorney representing three of the boys cannot produce any physical evidence proving that a text message was sent by Ward to his client telling him to 'keep his mouth shut,'
neither does the state's attorney possess any proof that such a text message exists.
In addition, the so-called cell-phone picture, the supposed 'smoking gun,' is so far nothing more than hearsay perpetrated by those with a vested interest in covering their tracks, since NOBODY--not the prosecutor, not law enforcement, and not the attorney representing the boys--possesses such a photo. In fact, the rumor of a cell-phone photo has the smell of an after-thought--a means to shore up what is beginning to look like a sham of a story, a made-up tale by teenagers gone bad.
So far, neither the infamous text message nor the infamous photo have been produced. Thus, we can only assume they do not exist.
Unless someone can produce the proof that Ward sent that message, and that the message referred specifically to the crimes she is accused of committing, and unless someone can place Ward at the motel in question, or in any of the other public places where the supposed encounters took place, then it would appear that Peace has no case. And if it turns out that the boys lied about the existence of a cell phone photo, then it will be clear that these wayward teenagers made a mockery of the United States Judicial System.
Thus, Ward would be yet another innocent citizen to be 'nifonged.'
The sad and frightening scenario that is developing in the wake of all of these miscarriages of justice is that the entire criminal justice system in America is under siege by dishonest individuals who do not care in the least that the law is upheld or that justice is done, but only that they get to add another 'notch to their belt,' or that they can accomplish a subversive agenda, such as the deliberate violation of the nation's immigration laws.
If the persons who hold the title of District Attorney, or State's Attorney, or U.S. Attorney, or Special Prosecutor, are not basically honest persons of integrity, then no one in America is safe from having their reputations ruined and their good names dragged through the mud. A dishonest person with that kind of power is not only a scourge to the nation but a dangerous cancer growing on the legal system.
How many innocent persons sit rotting in jail because of these deceptive thugs?
Unless these individuals are rooted out of their positions of power, then the entire judicial system of the United States of America is suspect. The system of a free Constitutional Republic depends upon the integrity of the men and women who hold its offices. If these individuals cannot be trusted, then the entire system fails.
I have just named four individuals within the system who either cannot be trusted outright, or who are at least under some suspicion.
The question is, do these high-profile individuals represent the state of the system as a whole, or are they exceptions to the rule? The more that cases like this dominate the news, and the longer we as a society allow the dishonest to get away with it, the more it appears that their lack of integrity is the norm. We are witnessing the nifonging of the American public.
President George W. Bush could do the entire nation a favor by setting a good example for others among the various states to follow. He could remove Sutton from office and investigate him for prosecutorial misconduct, lying to the court, and for violating the code of ethics. He could pardon the accused law enforcement officials who have suffered under the heavy-handedness of Sutton's oppression.
If the President sets such an example, this could well be the signal that dishonesty in prosecuting cases will not be tolerated anywhere within the United States of America.
Such a Presidential move is long overdue.
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