Tue
Oct 2 2007
01:09 pm
By: D Mac
Stay tuned, verdict to come down at 1:30 pm today. Any bets?
UPDATE: Finding for the plaintiff and against Knox County Commission on each and every question put to the jury.
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Assuming commission loses,
Assuming commission loses, does anyone think one of them won't appeal to drag it out?
Wow! That was fast. I'd say
Wow! That was fast.
I'd say the plaintiff has made their case. If you look at all the evidence they piled on, there's no way the jury could have just dismissed all of it that fast.
Live on Comcast 21.
Live on Comcast 21.
Appeal?
An appeal would keep this alive up to the February primary and hopefully to the August election. That would serve the people well and the appointed commissioners (and those running for other offices) not so well. Does anyone think Chucky has chance in District 2 B?
WATE live also. Crawl on
WATE live also. Crawl on WVLT.
Sounds like from the verdict
Sounds like from the verdict so far isn't going the county's way.
I think (not sure) Fansler
I think (not sure) Fansler has indicated he wouldn't stay the rememdy pending an appeal.
And no, Bolus is a dead man walking.
"The difficulty lies not so much in developing new ideas as in escaping from old ones." - John Maynard Keynes
WATE live also. Crawl on
It's not conclusive until #9 has
violated copyrightheroicially appropriated the video.____________________________
Respect mah authoritah!
Doesn't this mean that at
Doesn't this mean that at this moment everyone appointed on 1/31 is technically out of office? Or do they have to wait to see what penalties and remedies Fansler comes back with?
They don't have to appeal.
They don't have to appeal. Commission just reconvenes, serves public notice and puts the same people back in, and nobody in Knox County (except the people who post here and work for KNS) will notice or care.
But Herb Moncier's argument was classic.
I actually don't think they
I actually don't think they will put every single person back in office. I look for at least two of them - maybe three - not to get reappointed.
But hell, this is Knox County. Anything can happen.
Also, isn't it likely that Fansler will issue an injunction against them violating the Sunshine Law again? Would the threat of contempt make them walk a little more carefully in the future?
Can Lumpy actually be taken down a few pegs?
And will the City sue over stormwater?
Stay tuned.
"The difficulty lies not so much in developing new ideas as in escaping from old ones." - John Maynard Keynes
And while I'm posing
And while I'm posing questions - does Scoobie actually think he can get elected to countywide office??
"The difficulty lies not so much in developing new ideas as in escaping from old ones." - John Maynard Keynes
What about Owings getting
What about Owings getting elected? He has made a number of really bad calls. He could have stopped the madness on January 31st. In the aftermath, he had the opportunity to call for a "re-do" but kept telling the commission not to worry, they would prevail in a lawsuit. His defense on this case was lame.
Recently his call on the storm water issue will likely result in a suit from the city.
At the meetings he is always hedging to give those in power what they want and need to keep that power. How many in his family work for the sheriff? What is his agenda?
Nepotism & Cronyism
At the meetings he is always hedging to give those in power what they want and need to keep that power. How many in his family work for the sheriff? What is his agenda?
I'm not sure about the Sheriff's office, but if I'm not mistaken, his wife works for the Register of Deeds.
Scoobie clench
Anybody notice Scoobie grinding his teeth during the reading today?
Yes, if he didn't he would
Yes, if he didn't he would not be running.
I would hope they would have
I would hope they would have more public input, but they do that just as window dressing. I also believe they will sacrifice at least two, Jordan and Bolus, in order to keep the others. They may get rid of Sharon Cawood also as another token to move away from nepotism (again, only as window dressing). But they would have to scramble to figure out who to put in those positions in order to keep their control.
So they are all in front of cameras at the CCB right now and at 5:00 we can see them trying to save their asses. Can we expect any humility? Or will it be all bravado and blaming (KNS, Moncier, Ragsdale...those evil people).
Yowzah!
Yowzah!
New theme song
A friend just IM'ed me the following as a proposed theme song for Knox County:
Catchy!
~Russ
I think at this point, the
I think at this point, the Commission should ask the Governor to appoint a committee to select new appointees.
and Owings should just resign. Bad advice, bad counsel.
interrogatories and juror responses here.
and Owings should just
and Owings should just resign. Bad advice, bad counsel.
-rocketsquirrel
If he resigns, won't commission appoint his sucessor? After all, commission appointed him to begin with.
another verse...for Chucky
When the Sentinel sues
When the Lumpy sings
and we're feeling bad
I simply remember not to remember
And then I don't feeeeeelllll so sued
They just don't get it.
They just don't get it. Lumpy is on TV saying that he did nothing wrong and now they cannot even have discussions. Scoobie was reported by WVLT as having "hung up" on them when they called for comment.
It would be great if there were any way Fansler could make this group take some course and be tested on ethics and the Open Meetings Act.
Scoobie is term limited in 2010 and I doubt he will win next year for county clerk, no matter how warm that seat is that Billy is occupying. Pinkston is term limited in 2010 also. Lumpy will come up for re-election in 2010, wonder if the people in his district will remember this day. We are stuck with these clowns for a few more years.
Check out the photo of Scoobie on the KNS home page. I do not have the link but I think it is somewhere in the right hand column here....>>>>>
Scoobie was reported by WVLT as having "hung up"....
Maybe he got a cell phone call and had to take it.
Owings and the Sheriff's Department
In answer to the previous question, Owings' son works for the Sheriff's Department as a mechanic on the Sheriff's fleet of helicopters. Remember? Hutchison told Commission those helicopters wouldn't cost the county a dime. Presumably the younger works gratis.
Owings has obviously cut a deal to get the son's job and the appointment as law director in exchange for rubber-stamping the former and current Sheriffs' misdeeds. The nepotism issue here has clearly been shielded by the dust from the commission/mayor scandals.
And Owings is advising the Ethics Committee as its legal counsel on issues such as . . . . you guessed it, nepotism.
Sounds like an article for Ms. Bean or her peers, the likes of which we should all be grateful for shining sunlight on the county's characters long before this trial came along.
moore
<
Scoobie was reported by WVLT as having "hung up" on them when they called for comment.
>
He might be thinking the only clerk's job in his future is at the Halls Kroger.
Chancellor Fansler
Any talk of how Daryl will fashion the remedy is conjecture.
But I will say this,I have great faith in Daryl Fansler.He will do the right thing.
Special election
What I would like to see is a special election and those elected would serve till 2010. I cannot remember how much advance time we need to schedule an election, but I really hate having to wait till August 2008 to get these appointed commissioners and officers out. I would hope for good turnout considering the outrage by residents. I know we need a primary then a general election.
Appointments just won't work with this bunch.
But I have no idea what Fansler will come up with.
I just don't think Fansler
I just don't think Fansler and or will do anything to circumvent next year's county elections, which are set by state law.
Unfortunately, given the short timeframe between now and the February primaries, I think the only thing he can do is order a new appointment process, probably by the 11 'legitimate" commissioners. At that point, the quorum question becomes more than just a bogus legal defense. If a simple majority will suffice, look for several of the appointees to get thrown off the bus.
the abyss
Whats been glaring in the whole deal is lack of leadership.
In the void of leadership we found ourselves in the abyss.
I can't understand why the Mayor did not have a options to offer when the ruling came down.In my mind the Mayor's job is to look at all the alternatives & present those to county commission.The Mayor can favor one alternative over the other but its up to the commission to decide.
I believe we could have gotten a special election if there had been a plan in place.It would have been threading a needle but by the time the Mayor got around to it that ship had sailed.
I am not for a special election now.We have what 50 candidates running in the '08 county elections right now & there will be more.
In my opinion,getting these candidates out campaigning for 10 months is the way to go.Let these folks find out what voters are thinking.
However,I do believe a special election does pass constitutional muster.I know court cases say otherwise but the constititution only requres next election & if that's what Daryl says then I'm down with it.