Sex In The Public Square - justice - Comments

Press Coverage

Visitor — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 10:02:00 -0700

The press coverage of this at the time was embarrassing. Too much voyerism and an air of titilation. Relieved that he's behind bars now.

a rose by any other name....

tracya — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 05:49:29 -0800

this story has been covered in depth here in england, both at the time of the murders and now with the trial and conviction...

i have to say that i always bristle when the case is referred to as the "ipswich prostitute murders"...as if these women were defined by one aspect of their lives and of course, that being a "prostitute" even worse a street walking prostitute somehow makes them a "different" breed of human being.

with the conviction of steven wright, the BBC has been much kinder and more sensitive in taking the time to read out each woman's name with each update.

i still wonder why journalists feel that now that someone has been convicted of the pre meditated murder of these women, they are finally worthy of the dignity of having names.

more about these women

A Little More About the AG

JanieBelle — Wed, 13 Jun 2007 06:37:02 -0700

In our local paper this morning is a bit of background on the Attorney General in the Genarlow Wilson case. It's off the AP wire.

By SHANNON McCAFFREY
Associated Press Writer
ATLANTA (AP) -- The angry protests that followed Thurbert Baker's refusal to release an inmate serving a 10-year sentence for a consensual sex act between teens was nothing new for Georgia's attorney general.
Such rallies were common in 1999 when Baker led the charge to prosecute state Sen. Ralph David Abernathy III, son of the civil rights icon, for misappropriating state funds.
For Baker, it's simple: The law is the law.
Baker, a Democrat, is Georgia's top black elected official, but he has repeatedly found himself at odds with black leaders and his own party. He vigorously defended Georgia's voter ID law, criticized as disenfranchising poor and minority voters; critics also have complained he has done little to stop Georgia's prisons from filling up with black youths.

The rest of the article contains nothing earth shattering, but worth the few minutes to read.

Born in '52 in Rocky Mount, NC, attended segregated schools mostly, graduated from UNC Chapel Hill, law school at Emory, had his own law firm, worked for the EPA, spent nine years as a Georgia state congresscritter, now in his third four-year term as AG.

"He's by the books, as straight an arrow as there is," Hodges said. "I've seen some people pull out the race card with him, but that is just not the way he operates."
Some black leaders said they were troubled by Baker's history in the Abernathy case and in the mail fraud prosecution of state Sen. Diana Harvey Johnson, also black.
"Those cases were nothing but political persecution and lowdown politics," said state Rep. Tyrone Brooks, an Atlanta Democrat. "Prosecutors have discretion and I would like to see him exercise that discretion a little better."
Baker, who is notoriously press-shy and rarely holds news conferences, declined to be interviewed for this story.

He's made his share of rather unpopular decisions as an AG, some of which are touched on in the article.

What I found most encouraging in the article was this, from the end:

A bond hearing is set for July 5 to determine if Wilson can be released during the appeal process. No date has yet been set for hearings on the appeal.

Dream a little dream of me.

Okay, Okay...

Elizabeth — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 20:26:41 -0700

Not quite the right choice of words perhaps! :)

What I meant to say is that I did divert a bit of Tom's attention by pestering him with questions about incorporating as a nonprofit, and about legal issues surrounding discussions like the ones we'll have here. So.

Perhaps we need a forum on the power of the unconscious? Any Freudians out there?

Me too...

Visitor — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 19:58:41 -0700

Now where were we?

Could you run that by me again?

JanieBelle — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 19:06:15 -0700

I'm sorry. I lost you after "I sucked away"...

Dream a little dream of me.

Left A Little Note

JanieBelle — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 19:04:09 -0700

I wonder what he'll think of this little gem I left him...

JanieBelle stands alone in the dusty street, six shooter on each hip, listening to the wind whistling through the alley between the bank and the cathouse. A bead of sweat runs down her bare back leaving a single trail of clean skin from the nape of her neck to the crack of her ass. Swinging doors on the Wagon Wheel Saloon bang on broken hinges and a four foot tumbleweed bounces by ominously…

Dream a little dream of me.

Tumbleweeds at The Free Lance?

Elizabeth — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 15:27:17 -0700

I'm afraid I'll probably have to take some responsibility for that because I sucked away some of his attention putting this site together. But, I'm afraid he seems to also have lots of other interesting and important things that draw him away. I think we need to poke him a bit on this. We could really use his insight!

Hmm...

JanieBelle — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 15:17:06 -0700

I see he hasn't. In fact, his blog looks a little deserted. I almost got run over by a tumbleweed.

Dream a little dream of me.

Tom Joaquin

JanieBelle — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 15:15:13 -0700

Are there lawyers (or even judges!)who can speculate on this? Anyone?

Has Tom weighed in on this yet? I haven't had a chance to peek over there. (so many blogs, so little time...)

Dream a little dream of me.