It appears that the employees of the entire Buncombe County criminal “justice” system are afflicted by a particular pathology that makes it virtually impossible for them to conduct themselves in an honest and legal manner. I for one am sick and tired of corrupt local police, sheriffs and district attorneys running riot in the judicial system, doing as they please while the rest of us suffer.
We must demand the immediate resignation of District Attorney Ron Moore in relation to the recent revelations concerning his role in evidence tampering in the murder case of Kenneth Kagonyera and Robert Wilcoxson.
Furthermore, there should be a full investigation into Moore's mishandling of said trial. Finally, if the allegations are confirmed, formal charges should be filed against Mr. Moore and anyone else in the DA's office involved in this case. We need real meaningful change in Asheville if we are to ever break the cycle of corruption and negligence that has plagued this beautiful city for years. This must start with a progressive civic campaign aimed at holding Asheville's corrupt judicial system accountable.
— Al Parsons
Asheville Citizens Police Accountability Coalition
Asheville
Kagonyera and Wilcoxson won a hearing last month from the N.C. Innocence Inquiry Commission, an eight-member panel who looked at the case and for only the fourth time out of over the 800 appeals they’ve heard, found clear evidence that these men were wrongly convicted.
http://www.newsobserver.com/2011/05/10/1186830/imperfect-pleas.html
And Voila!, guess what! A bill in the Republican-controlled House, pushed by NC District Attorneys, would make it impossible for people who plead guilty, to later appeal to the Innocence Commission!! Despite the evidence that innocent people sometimes take bad plea deals to save themselves from the death penalty, these hacks want to make sure they rot in prison or die even though they may be innocent.
The writer is correct: Ron Moore needs to go, and there should be a serious inquiry into whether he was involved in intentionally sending innocent men to prison.
BTW, this is eerily similar to the case that eventually led Illinois to abolish the death penalty. Rolando Cruz was sent to death row by prosecutors and police who knew he was innocent, yet still perjured themselves and fought tooth and nail for years to send him to the electric chair.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolando_Cruz_case#Further_appeals_and_exoneration
End NC’s death penalty now!
Mr. Parsons,
Do you or the Accountability Commission have any concrete plans to attempt to remove Mr. Moore from office via NC Statute § 7A?66?:
The following are grounds for suspension of a district attorney or for his removal from office:
(1)Mental or physical incapacity interfering with the performance of his duties which is, or is likely to become, permanent;
(2)Willful misconduct in office;
(3)Willful and persistent failure to perform his duties;
(4)Habitual intemperance;
(5)Conviction of a crime involving moral turpitude;
(6)Conduct prejudicial to the administration of justice which brings the office into disrepute; or
(7)Knowingly authorizing or permitting an assistant district attorney to commit any act constituting grounds for removal, as defined in subdivisions (1) through (6) hereof.
It appears that #3, and particularly #6, would be easily demonstrable, and the removal process appears rather straight-forward:
A proceeding to suspend or remove a district attorney is commenced by filing with the clerk of superior court of the county where the district attorney resides a sworn affidavit charging the district attorney with one or more grounds for removal.
Please keep us posted of your endeavors if you can find the time. Thank you.
FYI
http://apdaccountability.wordpress.com/
wow that tortilla dough must be some bad stuff. I’d say that guy got totally screwed. Very interesting link Davyne.