21 APR 05: NO DO-OVERS
A Muscogee County judge refused Wednesday to order a new grand jury review of the Kenneth Walker case. If civil rights leaders want a second chance, they'll have to go to the "second chance prom" in May at the Civic Center.
Judge Frank Jordan concluded a hearing by declaring he has "no authority" to rule on whether last November's grand jury probe was proper. This statement probably stunned many people - such as the ones who believe Tom DeLay, when he says courts are full of "activist judges."
Judge Frank Jordan apparently based his ruling in part on who filed the lawsuit. He said former Columbus NAACP President Ed DuBose is "not directly involved" in the Kenneth Walker case. This raises a question I've never heard anyone answer - were Walker's NAACP dues paid or not?
(Maybe the problem here is that Columbus has too many civil rights groups -- NAACP, National Action Network, Rainbow/PUSH and Urban League. If they divided the city into zones, like Berlin in 1945....)
Civil rights leaders refused to comment outside the courtroom - but they promise a response at a late-morning news conference. I suppose they could appeal Judge Frank Jordan's ruling to Atlanta. Or they could ask the attorney for Kenneth Walker's family to refile the case, BEFORE he gets that big payday in civil court.
If Walker family attorney Willie Gary was in court for Wednesday's hearing, no TV station mentioned him. Gary just made Ebony magazine's list of the most influential black people in the U.S. - so why was Joseph Wiley asked to influence this judge?
The only civil rights leader who offered a comment Wednesday evening was Reginald Pugh of the Urban League. He said the ruling by Judge Frank Jordan "concerned" him. When the Urban League says it's "concerned," the National Action Network is ready to sell punching bags with David Glisson's picture.
The attorney for former deputy David Glisson was his usual charitable self after the hearing. Richard Hagler told Columbus civil rights leaders to "let it go." Come to think of it, I can't recall ever seeing Hagler at a Martin Luther King, Junior Day service.
Richard Hagler again maintained the killing of Kenneth Walker is NOT a racial matter - but civil rights leaders are trying to make it one. He seems to have a point there. The Walker family's attorneys have yet to connect detective Mark Fuhrmann to Glisson at all....
By the way, everyone seems to be assuming the Riverfest boycott is still on after Wednesday's hearing. Today's news conference should settle that question - or maybe civil rights groups will announce their own competing "Walkerfest," reuniting Junior Walker and the All-Stars.
The group "One Columbus" issued a statement Wednesday saying it will NOT join in the Riverfest boycott, because a protest doesn't fit its "vision" for the city. You can have that same vision. Simply ask your optometrist for sunglasses with a rose tint.
Riverfest weekend actually begins tonight, with a tour of several homes in the Historic District. We'll see if the homeowners do anything special, out of respect for the Kenneth Walker case -- maybe a display of gun locks?!
BLOG UPDATE: Wednesday night's news revealed the findings of another recent Columbus grand jury. It declared the Columbus Police Department woefully lacking in personnel. I wondered where the "IsOurCitySafe" e-mails went - so he may have been sequestered for a few weeks....
The grand jury researched the Columbus police force, and concluded staff shortages have made it more reactive than proactive. I'm not sure that's completely true. Did a police officer show up before or after Wednesday's DUI reenactment started at the Civic Center?
The grand jury's findings were no surprise at all to Columbus Council members. They hope to get the results of a study on regional public safety pay by June. Of course, the Council could have saved money and sent spies to Fraternal Order of Police meetings for this information....
We've seen "Law and Order," so now let's channel-surf other Wednesday topics:
+ Essence magazine declared AFLAC one of the best three places for African-American women to work. In fact, 55 percent of all the new employees hired last year were African-American women. This finally explains why NBC-38 shows "Girlfriends" at 6:00 p.m. every night.
(So as many pastors would say, where are the MEN? Certainly these African-American women can't be selling insurance policies to jail inmates....)
+ Georgia Public Radio revealed actor Emmanuel Lewis recently bought a sport utility vehicle in Albany. The child star "Webster" driving an SUV?! How much did they have to modify that driver's seat, so his foot could reach the gas pedal?
+ The Columbus Catfish char-broiled Charleston 10-4. The Golden Park game was played at 11:00 a.m., to mark "Baseball in Education Day." After children returned to class, hopefully they weren't asked to spell steroids....
(Which Muscogee County bus driver was stopped on the 13th Street Viaduct after the Catfish game, chatting with Columbus police? Was that driver carrying his own "little slugger" - only with a fist?)
+ The Atlanta Hawks ended their season by losing to Philadelphia, and finishing with the worst record in pro basketball. Maybe the Riverdragons should give the Hawks free tickets to Saturday night's N.B.D.L. championship game, and show them the RIGHT way to play.
BURKARD'S BEST BETS: Milk for $2.79 a gallon at Walgreens.... gas for $2.02 a gallon at the Spectrum on Fourth Street.... but a little bottle of Aunt Jemima syrup at that Spectrum for $2.99?! Is the maple tree becoming extinct?
(BLOGGER'S NOTE: Our next entry will be posted once our annual serious spring cleaning is over. This might not occur until midday Friday.)
Your PayPal donations can keep this blog ad-free and independent-minded. To make a donation, offer a story tip or comment on this blog, write me - but be warned, I may post a reply.
If you quote from this in public somewhere, please be polite enough to let me know.
© 2003-05 Richard Burkard, All Rights Reserved.