By David Hogan – Publisher
The Larry Langford Trial, what can you say about that? Am I going to trash Langford? No. Am I going to talk about whether the trial was fair? No, I was not on the jury.
After the OJ Simpson trial people continually asked me if I thought he was guilty. I repeatedly said what I thought was he was found innocent by a jury. If you think I reference this in a racial manner, you are wrong, it is an example of another high profile trial that got a great amount of media coverage, and something we did not join in the frenzy with. Our point is we respected the jury in both cases.
I believe in our system and I know it is not always right, but it’s the best we have and stands high above what is in many countries.
So why do I have an editorial opinion on this matter at all?
Because we need ethics laws in this state with teeth. We need an ethics commission with subpoena power. We need full disclosure from everyone involved in government, including lawyers, developers, consultants and any company or person involved with your tax dollars. And we need it NOW.
We need our state legislature to quit coming up with crap to defeat any improvements in future ethics legislation. Next year we will make a list of every single one that opposes stronger eithics laws. EVERY SINGLE ONE.
Whether or not you believe Langford is innocent or guilty, had he known that everything he did at lunch, on a trip, or any other time when money was spent near or around anyone involved with taxpayer business; that it had to be fully disclosed to the taxpayers, this may never have happened.
In closing arguments, the defense spent some time showing boxes that represented the money Blount and LaPierre had made, all stacked up and high in the millions of dollars, and then showed a smaller box that paled in comparasion for Larry Langford’s alleged amount he received.
The prosecution countered with the simple analogy that – Langford is not supposed to have a box at all, no matter the size.
AMEN TO THAT.
Locks, keep honest people honest goes the old saying, and Alabama has some of the absolute WORST locks in America. Prosecutor George Martin gave a warning to ALL elected officials in Jefferson County, that if they are corrupt or considering acts of corruption they should know they will be prosecuted and convicted.
It’s time for a wake up call, full public disclosure of elected officials transactions, and new ethics laws that have teeth – and THAT is what I think about the Larry Langford trial.
That’s our opinion, what’s yours?
