Break the cycle of corruption in Asheville

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

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

About Webmaster
Mountain Xpress Webmaster Follow me @MXWebTeam

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

5 thoughts on “Break the cycle of corruption in Asheville

  1. Barry Summers

    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.

  2. Renegade

    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.

  3. cwaster

    wow that tortilla dough must be some bad stuff. I’d say that guy got totally screwed. Very interesting link Davyne.

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.