Justice, Raleigh style
Reader TM asks if this happened in Durham, would we ever hear the end of it?
But wait, there's more.
Wake County prosecutors dismissed a murder charge against a Raleigh man this morning because they couldn't get eye-witnesses to a November 2006 killing to come to court.
Eric Raymond Chambers had been accused of killing Shamonte Miguel Pair, 22, in Southeast Raleigh in November 2006, days before Pair's birthday.
. . .
Pair's family was upset at the decision to dismiss the murder charge, saying that it gives a signal that killers can get away with their crimes.
"Of course they're not going to come," said Erika Pasillas, a family friend. "There's no protection for the victims and witnesses."
But wait, there's more.
This is the second time this month that Wake County prosecutors have dismissed murder charges against a defendant because they couldn't get witnesses to come to court. On Jan. 7, Miguel Goytortua, was freed from jail after spending nearly 10 months behind bars awaiting his trial on charges of killing Pablo Ambriz Ponce, the owner of a rival fruit stand at Watson's
Flea Market.
Labels: justice
Since 1949, Durhamites have slept soundly, secure in the knowledge that, in our town, erection can be depended upon. Now, thanks to the power of the internets, we can spread that security all over the world.
18 Comments:
What was it Wake County DA Colin Willoughby said earlier this month about horrible ol' Durham?
"Maybe this was under Durham rules where you get out on bond on murder," Willoughby said at a Jan. 3 hearing.
Glass house meet stone.
N&O link to the remark by Willoughby:
http://tinyurl.com/2rmgks
By
Durham Bull Pen, at 5:28 PM
I thought Durham was the only place in the Triangle where there was "gang violence"? The N&O seems to be reporting gang activity in Raleigh in the article you linked to. Imagine that.
By
Joseph H. Vilas, at 6:00 PM
Exception proves the rule.
By
Anonymous, at 8:48 PM
There's nothing the slightest bit exceptional about the "exception." This is a problem all over the country...all over the world, actually.
"I think there's a clear issue with respect to witness intimidation," Ivey said. "It pops up all the time. Trying to deal with it is a big challenge."
(Prince George County, MD)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/20/AR2007012001288_pf.html
"This is one of those cases where I wish that people would come in and not be scared, but in light of what happens in our community and what has happened recently" it is difficult getting witnesses to cooperate...
(Louisville, KY)
http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070125/NEWS01/101250063
The weekend slaying of a key witness in a summer shooting gave District Attorney John Chisholm "very, very grave concern" that Maurice Pulley had become yet another victim of retaliation for agreeing to cooperate with authorities in a court system that handles many violent crimes but offers protection to witnesses only in rare, special cases
(Milwaukee, WI)
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=668007
By
Anonymous, at 9:28 PM
Exactly so. But had this happened in Durham twice in the month of January, you can be sure that editorial writers across the state, not to mention denizens of certain message boards, would be screaming to the high heavens about how bad things are in Durham town, and how we'd have to get busy cleaning house.
By
Barry, at 10:06 PM
http://media.www.dukechronicle.com/media/storage/paper884/news/2008/01/29/Columns/Hail-To.The.Chief-3173963.shtml
Statistics bear that out. The city's homicide rate, which was up 53 percent last year, now stands at approximately one murder per 6,960 people. That's much higher than New York City's rate of one per 14,400 and Raleigh's totals, which stand at one per 20,000 people.
Durham's reputation is well earned especially in comparison to larger cities.
By
Anonymous, at 1:10 PM
Oh, look, our cute fuzzy anonymous posters are back.
Homicide rates are highly volatile, because the numbers are generally so small. The reason Durham's homicide rate is "up 53% last year" is because 2006 had an abnormally lower number. Homicides are still down 40% from the average for the 1990s. And violent crime rates, which actually went up in 2006, were down again in 2007, making it 6 of the last 7 years of decline.
Durham's homicide rate is significantly lower than that of Greensboro, Winston-Salem, Charleston, Richmond, and most other cities of its size.
By
Unknown, at 2:09 PM
Doesn't matter, Michael. Durham is bad. That meme must constantly be reinforced. Even if it means quoting that most definitive of journalistic sources, the Duke Chronicle.
Even if it means ignoring the original point of the piece, which is that when bad shit happens in Raleigh (or anywhere else, for that matter, which it does) it doesn't mean what it means when it happens in Durham.
By
Barry, at 2:15 PM
Well now you know what it's like to be a Duke lacrosse player in Durham. Enjoy the experience of everyone piling on. Your complaints that "Durham's no worse than other places" fall on deaf ears.
Are you saying that the columnist got the numbers wrong? Please feel free to quote an authoritative source showing different numbers.
When it happens, gang activity in Raleigh is being reported. So the complaint's what exactly?
By
Anonymous, at 9:15 PM
Anonymous and locomotive breath are changing the subject.
I have no dispute with murder rates or how they are compiled. Because any one murder is bad, bad news and unacceptable and we should understand that as long as Durham has a permanent underclass, we're going to have violent crime. I would say that Raleigh's permanent underclass, in the southeast part of town, is smaller than ours.
My original point, loco, is that when stuff like this, this business about not finding witnesses because they're scared shitless, when that happens in DURHAM, we seem to get painted with our very own brush. But when it happens in RAWLEIGH, then it's part of some "trend." That's the POINT.
My other POINT is that, for some odd reason, DURHAM does a pretty GOOD job of finding witnesses to take to trial. But you'll never see anyone patting us on the back for that, loco.
Do you even live here, dude?
By
Tony, at 9:20 AM
From her previous comments, it appears that LB lives in a gated community with her parents. She does not appear to be aware that Duke Park neighborhood, for example, does not border Duke University.
And she apparently thinks i'm a renter.
By
Barry, at 9:39 AM
Loco:
If you want a more in-depth analysis of crime trends in Durham, I'll be happy to forward you my masters thesis.
Will the attorneys in the civil case against the city know how to get it to you?
By
Unknown, at 12:11 PM
Once again you want to make the discussion about me personally as if who I am would make any difference. But that's the politics of race/class/gender. And Barry on the Ragagain is wrong on every count. And for those who have been paying attention, all those questions have been answered. Go read the blog.
Instead of being good at catching the murderers after the crime, maybe Durham can get better at preventing them in the first place. It's been reported that while Abhijit Mahato was being murdered there were 20 cop cars surrounding a student party nearby. Way to have your priorities in order.
Michael, since they are in your thesis, I'm sure you can quote the comparative crime stats for Durham off the top of your head. Why don't you just do so?
By
Anonymous, at 12:28 PM
LB, where are you hearing these reports of police being at a nearby student party?
By
FletchFoto, at 5:46 PM
Doggone it, Loco, you're changing the subject AGAIN, trying to make this thread all about you.
It's not about you.
I asked whether you lived in Durham as a point of sarcasm, whimsy and possibly even spite. I thought it was a cute "sign-off".
Because if you do live in Durham, I just want to ask you one thing:
Why do you hate freedom?
By
Tony, at 10:25 PM
fletchfoto
Comments in on-line Chronicle
tony
When did you stop beating your wife?
By
Anonymous, at 6:59 AM
The "comments" section of The Chronicle" is not a reliable source for news.
By
FletchFoto, at 1:36 PM
More reliable than...
1) The Durham leadership and legal system
2) The H-S
3) The N&O
By
Anonymous, at 2:36 PM
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