OT: More Courthouse Drama in Bellefonte....

[Victor E. Bell]

http://www.centredaily.com/2015/05/26/4765588_affidavit-points-to-texting-between.html?rh=1

From the story:

According to the document, during a recess in the trial of Randall Brooks, Lunsford told the court reporter that he and Parks Miller had been texting during that four-day trial, saying that the district attorney was “bitching to him” about the way he was handling objections and the trial....

Parks Miller also denied the claim and pointed out that it is documented that she never “texted a judge during any trial anytime.”

 

[demlion]

http://www.centredaily.com/2015/05/26/4765588_affidavit-points-to-texting-between.html?rh=1

From the story:

According to the document, during a recess in the trial of Randall Brooks, Lunsford told the court reporter that he and Parks Miller had been texting during that four-day trial, saying that the district attorney was “bitching to him” about the way he was handling objections and the trial....

Parks Miller also denied the claim and pointed out that it is documented that she never “texted a judge during any trial anytime.”

Somebody gots to be lying.

 

[Victor E. Bell]

Somebody gots to be lying.

A sentence that can be used so interchangeably among various topics of late, to be sure.

 

[OMPats13]

Lundsford is an ass. Got a speeding ticket as a junior, 67 in a 55. Nothing previously on my record and cop showed up at least 10 minutes late but yet he still wanted to basically put me in jail. Didnt budge on any of the fine or points. Even suggested I should retake my drivers test. Pompous ass.

 

[psu00]

http://www.centredaily.com/2015/05/26/4765588_affidavit-points-to-texting-between.html?rh=1

From the story:

According to the document, during a recess in the trial of Randall Brooks, Lunsford told the court reporter that he and Parks Miller had been texting during that four-day trial, saying that the district attorney was “bitching to him” about the way he was handling objections and the trial....

Parks Miller also denied the claim and pointed out that it is documented that she never “texted a judge during any trial anytime.”

Someone needs to subpoena phone/ text/ email records for both. I'm so tired of this nonsense where it just gets reported as "he said, she said" and then dies. Will someone in the media please do actual research and investigative reporting? (I know....but this is ridiculous).

I know I'm stupid for even questioning evaluation of ethics in the legal profession........but isn't there some watchdog bar association committee or state/ federal law committee/group that investigates inappropriate behavior by judges and lawyers? Good God..........

 

[NittPicker]

Another question about Parks Miller. What's the deal with the supposed forged signature?? It's been quiet lately and there has been more than enough time to compare the alleged forgery to known authentic samples of the judge's signature. As far as I know Parks Miller isn't a master forger so even a novice questioned document examiner should be able to quickly make a decision. If I was a Centre County tax payer I'd be asking some serious questions since obviously the CDT is unwilling to do it.

 

[psu00]

Another question about Parks Miller. What's the deal with the supposed forged signature?? It's been quiet lately and there has been more than enough time to compare the alleged forgery to known authentic samples of the judge's signature. As far as I know Parks Miller isn't a master forger so even a novice questioned document examiner should be able to quickly make a decision. If I was a Centre County tax payer I'd be asking some serious questions since obviously the CDT is unwilling to do it.

Exactly. She's not exactly a newcomer to controversy or being accused of improper behavior. The CDT and Pennlive/ Patriot News seem to think stellar reporting is person 1 says 'x'.......person 2 says 'Y'......end of our story. How about you go investigate who is right? How about checking if what 1 person says is true or not? The days of 2 sources and confirming claims are long gone.

 

[fairgambit]

Exactly. She's not exactly a newcomer to controversy or being accused of improper behavior. The CDT and Pennlive/ Patriot News seem to think stellar reporting is person 1 says 'x'.......person 2 says 'Y'......end of our story. How about you go investigate who is right? How about checking if what 1 person says is true or not? The days of 2 sources and confirming claims are long gone.

Yep. It's all about being 1st and accuracy be damned.

 

[demlion]

Someone needs to subpoena phone/ text/ email records for both. I'm so tired of this nonsense where it just gets reported as "he said, she said" and then dies. Will someone in the media please do actual research and investigative reporting? (I know....but this is ridiculous).

I know I'm stupid for even questioning evaluation of ethics in the legal profession........but isn't there some watchdog bar association committee or state/ federal law committee/group that investigates inappropriate behavior by judges and lawyers? Good God..........

There is such a group in every state of which I am aware, but it is made up almost entirely of lawyers. Where this sort of thing tends to get sorted out, if it occurs during a trial, is when the losing side complains that it was adversely affected. And from reading the story, we can see that is the context in which it came out, but strangely at best since the affidavit was filed in the McClure case, not the Brooks case.

The justice system in Centre County is a dumpster fire. Texts that do not go to everyone involved in the case at the same time should not be permitted at all. This is all terribly sloppy. I have never gotten a text from a judge, period. I make it a point to never speak to judges about anything involved in a case, and even outside of that very little discussion at all. This is especially true if the judge is a lawyer I was friends with before s/he took the bench.

 

[mbahses]

Exactly. She's not exactly a newcomer to controversy or being accused of improper behavior. The CDT and Pennlive/ Patriot News seem to think stellar reporting is person 1 says 'x'.......person 2 says 'Y'......end of our story. How about you go investigate who is right? How about checking if what 1 person says is true or not? The days of 2 sources and confirming claims are long gone.

We both know those 2 papers are about the online version, protecting trolls and getting hits.

 

[Ceasar]

http://www.centredaily.com/2015/05/26/4765588_affidavit-points-to-texting-between.html?rh=1

From the story:

According to the document, during a recess in the trial of Randall Brooks, Lunsford told the court reporter that he and Parks Miller had been texting during that four-day trial, saying that the district attorney was “bitching to him” about the way he was handling objections and the trial....

Parks Miller also denied the claim and pointed out that it is documented that she never “texted a judge during any trial anytime.”

As an outsider.i.e., not a Centre County resident, it is probably a little easier to look at this objectively. The texts are simply illustrating how technology has the ability to expose some of the seedier side of the criminal justice system. I look at it this way - look at the campaign finance reports for virtually every county Judge in the state of PA and you will find the overwhelming majority of contributors are from lawyers who will be appearing before that Judge. So what gives an attoney greater "influence" with that Judge - the fact that they have a close enough relationship to text one another, even during a trial, or the fact that they attorney gave the Judge $1,000? I would say the latter.
Most county government entities are relatively small; the Judges know the DA's, who know the PD's, who know the elected officials, etc... While improper quid pro quo deals are likely rare, when you know a Judge is texting one of the attorneys involved in a case the appearance is very bad. But relating back to the original point, what you might not know is the same lawyer gave the Judge money to elect them.
In this case I will guess any texts are going to be benign. I would be shocked if either party was dumb enough to put anything incriminating in their text meassages.

 

[Victor E. Bell]

I'm aware that everybody in the courthouse knows each other. They go out for lunch together, they have kids in the same scout troop or school or little league team like anybody else. I think the texting thing is unprofessional but that aside, the larger point is one of them is lying about it. One says it happened and one says it did not. Both cannot be telling the truth.

 

[tboyer]

Somebody gots to be lying.

Or they're both telling the truth. What if she sent texts during recess.

 

[Ceasar]

I'm aware that everybody in the courthouse knows each other. They go out for lunch together, they have kids in the same scout troop or school or little league team like anybody else. I think the texting thing is unprofessional but that aside, the larger point is one of them is lying about it. One says it happened and one says it did not. Both cannot be telling the truth.

Very true, one must be lying. I would guess the Judge is the one. If I read the article correctly (and I confessed I only skimmed it) it sounds like the Judge told the Court reporter that he received texts from the DA and the Court Reporter was so outraged that she did absolutely nothing about it. But three years later she provided an affidavit.
Again, just an outsiders observation, but the substance here has nothing really to do with the defendants appeal. If you believe all parties the DA was upset at the Judge's unfavorable rulings. But in spit of said unfavorable ruling the defendant was convicted. This appears to be more about personal politics than anything else.

 

[demlion]

Or they're both telling the truth. What if she sent texts during recess.

If she sent texts during a recess about an ongoing trial to the judge overseeing that trial, ABOUT the trial, then she lied. In fact that will get her worse punishment.