It All Started With One Judge
We had a crooked, corrupt judge around here. Lots of people knew it but nobody with any power lifted a finger (or a warrant) to actually take action. Rumor had it that the other judges and lawyers in the Courthouse used to joke about it. Whatever. But it was common enough knowledge that somebody could have taken action.
Finally, somebody did. I forget who, but slowly, very slowly, things began to unravel and we, on the sidelines, began to wave flags and cheer.
It was like pulling out a tree stump. First the judge was pulled out, then others connected to him began to appear. After that, hardly a day passed that warrants weren’t issued for an increasing number of people (read: crooks) in the Courthouse who were mixed up, directly or otherwise, in the corruption.
As the stump continued to be extracted, the roots spread even further. Now there were lawyers, then school board members; word is out that a County Commissioner is about to be nailed, as well as a former Commish. Twenty-two more people are said to be on The List and we’re waiting to see who might be in the next layer.
It didn’t take me long after I got here to realize this was a most corrupt county. I just didn’t realize how really bad and how really deep it was. You expect a little stuff here and there, but you never expect the cancer to spread this far and still have a surviving patient. Is the dog catcher next? Stay tuned.
Finally, somebody did. I forget who, but slowly, very slowly, things began to unravel and we, on the sidelines, began to wave flags and cheer.
It was like pulling out a tree stump. First the judge was pulled out, then others connected to him began to appear. After that, hardly a day passed that warrants weren’t issued for an increasing number of people (read: crooks) in the Courthouse who were mixed up, directly or otherwise, in the corruption.
As the stump continued to be extracted, the roots spread even further. Now there were lawyers, then school board members; word is out that a County Commissioner is about to be nailed, as well as a former Commish. Twenty-two more people are said to be on The List and we’re waiting to see who might be in the next layer.
It didn’t take me long after I got here to realize this was a most corrupt county. I just didn’t realize how really bad and how really deep it was. You expect a little stuff here and there, but you never expect the cancer to spread this far and still have a surviving patient. Is the dog catcher next? Stay tuned.
posted by Tom Carten at 1:22 AM
3 Comments:
The dog catcher might BE next. Word has it, he's somebody's brother-in-law.
I just wondering when - and if - the investigation will extend to more traditional organized crime figures who operate more-or-less both in the open and in the shadows around here. One of the biggest alleged figures has strong connections - financial, at least - to a major religious organization in the area; but last year he was pretty much declared clean by no less a figure than the Dauphin County D.A. when charges of perjury were dropped in what appeared to be a cut-and-dried case.
THAT is an interesting comment. But the boss retired (ahem) and one of his employees, who lied to the grand jury in favor of the aforementioned big alleged figures, was let off with some flimsy excuse.
Alleged figure, major figure and employee all should be on the other side of the bars.
IMO.
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