24 NOV 04: QUICK IN, QUICK OUT

The Kenneth Walker case suddenly took a dramatic turn Tuesday night. A grand jury decided NOT to indict David Glisson on any counts. In court-speak, we believe this makes him the winner of the 2004 "No-Bill Prize."

But wait a minute here - you may be asking, "WHAT grand jury?" Almost 50 weeks after it happened, the killing of Kenneth Walker suddenly went before a Muscogee County grand jury Tuesday afternoon. And it was decided THAT fast? Even pro basketball commissioners need a full day to sort through evidence of crimes....

In fact, WXTX "News at Ten" reported the grand jury deliberated the Kenneth Walker case for only one hour! But then, maybe we shouldn't be surprised by this. If anyone in Muscogee County is neutral on this case after 11 months, that person
must be living in a long-term care home.

(To borrow a joke my brother told me after O.J. Simpson was arrested: "Knock, knock." "Who's there?" "Glisson." "Glisson who?" "Good, we'll put you on the jury.")

Specially-assigned prosecutor Ken Hodges quietly drove from Albany to Columbus, and presented the evidence in the Kenneth Walker case. Promises to alert local reporters apparently were ignored. It was almost like Hodges wants to become the next Secretary of Homeland Security.

(When was the last time Georgia saw such a big racially-charged development, occurring so quietly and suddenly? Oh yeah, I remember - but don't remind south Georgians about that state flag change.)

When former deputy David Glisson was spotted at the Government Center, word spread quickly that something was up. Of course, the word started among government employees - since most journalists in Columbus still don't know what Glisson looks like.

David Glisson's attorney told reporters the grand jury refused to indict his client, on any of five possible charges. Skeptics will be quick to point out Georgia has no law against "D.W.B." -- you know, driving while black.

Ken Hodges says he presented the grand jury with seven witnesses, including David Glisson. And I've heard the grand jury process is stacked heavily in favor of district attorneys -- so you see how clever Gray Conger is? By passing on this case, he winds up making civil rights groups upset with a Democrat.

The grand jury also saw the mysterious "dashboard-cam" videotape from a Muscogee County Sheriff's Department car. Some say it shows Kenneth Walker being shot. Others say the view is obscured. This may come down to whether prosecutors showed VHS or DVD.

(Columbus District Attorney Gray Conger said Tuesday night the videotape now can be made public. This should be a big holiday seller on Buena Vista Road....)

Ken Hodges noted a civil lawsuit still is pending against former deputy David Glisson and Muscogee County Sheriff Ralph Johnson. He says that case may bring a different result. If indicted former Atlanta Mayor Bill Campbell remains as an
attorney for Kenneth Walker's family, maybe not....

The grand jury session apparently caught NAACP President Edward DuBose by surprise. He was in LaGrange Tuesday night, asking the City Council to fire a police officer. If at first you don't succeed, aim at a smaller target.

The 2003-04 Columbus phone book listed David Glisson's phone number and home address in Salem. The latest edition of the phone book does not -- and that's understandable. Now that a grand jury has cleared him, he'll be a big star on the
conservative dinner tour.

A number of unanswered questions remain in the wake of Tuesday's refusal to indict David Glisson - questions I suppose will be settled in coming days:

+ What made Ken Hodges suddenly decide to come to Columbus, and have a one-day grand jury presentation? Did he think THAT many people would be distracted, by the runoff for Georgia Court of Appeals?

+ What was the racial makeup of the grand jury? Based on the tape WRBL showed, there may have been at least one African-American member - but that person might have lived north of Wynnton Road, which changed everything.

+ What happens to David Glisson now? Will the defendant in a big civil suit turn around and sue Muscogee County, to get his Deputy job back? Or will he follow Mark Fuhrman's example from the 1990's, and write a tell-all book about the case?

THE BIG BLOG QUESTION dares to ask the obvious - and it's the question other local web sites seem scared to ask. Should David Glisson have been indicted? Please note this doesn't say "conviction," simply whether he should have been put on trial - and maybe get Columbus on Court TV.

(And for those of you who say ordinary readers can't make an informed decision on this question - well, that didn't stop online polls last week on the Alabama-Auburn game.)

Besides that big news, we had other Tuesday items to consider....

+ Debra Bernes won the runoff for Georgia Court of Appeals, defeating Howard Mead -- well, maybe. If Mead can find enough voters who thought he was Howard Dean, he might challenge THIS vote in court as well.

+ Mayor Bob Poydasheff told WRBL he's not concerned about Columbus falling short of clean air act attainment. The Mayor argued local pollution is "minimal." Did he say that same thing during the Continental Carbon trial?

+ First Presbyterian Church announced plans to buy the downtown YMCA. Talk about keeping up with the Joneses! Now St. Luke United Methodist Church will have to expand its ministry center, and add an indoor pool.

+ Speaking of which -- Instant Message to St. Luke Church: Do you always have security personnel roaming around your building after weekly dinners? Were you expecting trouble Tuesday night, after the grand jury announcement - or are people
sneaking in bottles of alcohol to these events?

COMING THURSDAY: The Thanksgiving list we'd planned to offer today, before the grand jury blew up our plans....

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© 2003-04 Richard Burkard, All Rights Reserved.

UPDATED 8:09am