Seattle Crime Blog

Amanda Knox : Guilty verdict in, but saga appears far from over

Seattle Crime Blogger — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 11:03:23 -0800

With the Amanda Knox trial ending yesterday in a guilty verdict for both Knox and her former boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito, I find the same case that first got me passionate about writing this blog -- and later overwhelmed me to where I lost interest in maintaining it -- is drawing me back after months of inactivity.

Word of the verdict spread fast: in the hour leading up to its announcement, I saw maybe 100 tweets a minute on a running Twitter search for "Amanda Knox." In the minutes after, there were at least 10 times that many.

And there are a lot of pissed off people on the Twit. People who believe the verdict is nothing more than revenge for the executions of Sacco & Vanzetti in 1927. People who are closed-minded enough to think a boycott of Italy is the appropriate approach to an unfavorable trial outcome. People who are, to put it simply, only solidifying suspicions in the international community of American xenophobia and a belief that anything done differently from the American standard is wrong.

And some of them are people with a relative amount of influence. A statement released by senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA):

I am saddened by the verdict and I have serious questions about the Italian justice system and whether anti-Americanism tainted this trial. The prosecution did not present enough evidence for an impartial jury to conclude beyond a reasonable doubt that Ms. Knox was guilty. Italian jurors were not sequestered and were allowed to view highly negative news coverage about Ms. Knox. Other flaws in the Italian justice system on display in this case included the harsh treatment of Ms. Knox following her arrest; negligent handling of evidence by investigators; and pending charges of misconduct against one of the prosecutors stemming from another murder trial.

I am in contact with the U.S. Ambassador to Italy and have been since the time of Ms. Knox's arrest. I will be conveying my concerns to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. I have also been in touch with the Embassy of Italy in Washington, DC.

Is this what it's come to? Bringing the U.S. Secretary of State into the equation, to dispute the legitimacy of a friendly ally's judicial system because of perceived "anti-Americanism"? Give me a break, Maria. Your statement suggests that because this case didn't follow American protocol, it lacks legitimacy. That's grasping at straws and you know it.

Flipping the proverbial script: had the verdict gone the other way and Knox been freed, would Meredith Kercher's family -- who have remained remarkably discreet and out of the spotlight throughout this entire situation -- have gone running to the media about their plans to involve the British government? We'll never know, of course, but it seems highly unlikely.

I've seen a lot of people, people I respect, suggesting government intervention on Knox's behalf. One said Obama should go on T.V. tonight and discourage Americans from traveling to Italy; another actually encouraged military action to retrieve Knox from her foreign holding cell. The idea is mind boggling to me -- not because I think Amanda is guilty, but because of the complete disregard for the Italian justice system shown by people from Friends of Amanda Knox to the overly sympathetic Seattle media all the way up to Senator Cantwell. Hell, our old friends over at FoAK are actually encouraging people to write to Obama asking he get involved! As if the man didn't have enough on his plate with two wars, a bad economy and high unemployment, he's now expected to put his reputation in the global community on the line by challenging a seemingly legitimate murder conviction? Good luck with that.

What we're seeing is, of course, little more than ethnocentrism: the belief that because Italy has different legal customs from those we're familiar with, they're immediately discredited from being able to make rational decisions in the courtroom.

December 4 2009, a date that should have brought this depressing saga to a conclusion, appears to in fact have just opened the door for another "movement." We wouldn't be in this position if certain key players -- many here in Seattle -- hadn't made Americans question Italy's competence in the legal realm throughout this trial.

A few examples?

Well-respected and professionally accomplished local attorney Anne Bremner, who has devoted a serious amount of time and resources into a case that Knox's Italian defense attorneys were perfectly well suited to handle on their own, and who was quick to note that prosecutor Giuliano Mignini has "leaked false and inflammatory information to the press and most troubling, that he himself is under indictment for abuse of office and conflict of interest." (Bremner is less vocal about the fact that Italian officials recently levied a defamation charge against the Knox family for making similarly sensational statements in an interview with the British Sunday Times...or Mignini's January '09 defamation suit against the West Seattle Herald for "Free Amanda" fluffery in the guise of a news article).
Groups like the Friends of Amanda Knox, who -- as I'd predicted back in February -- did nothing but hurt Amanda's case by intentionally polarizing the story and using sound bytes from "experts" like out of touch NY Times columnist Tim Egan and private investigator/"railroad job from hell" catch phrase originator Paul Ciolino to question in the public sphere the overall legitimacy of the prosecution's claims.
Even CNN (who like many American publications couldn't resist working Knox's sobs at the verdict into the title of their article) felt the need to note that: "Six of the jurors were wearing red, white and green sashes -- the colors of Italy's flag." As if the media would bat an eye if jurors in the U.S. trial of a foreign national were wearing American flag pins on their jackets.

Folks, it's time to accept the fact that the court has spoken. They may not have said what many in Seattle wanted to hear, but running to the U.S. government to help overturn a legitimate court decision is no less childish than running to mom when dad says you can't have ice cream. Yes, the Italian courts do things differently than we do here in the ol' U.S. of A. But "different" does not equate "less credible."

Lest we forget the true victim in all of this, whose name many have all but forgotten by now. One of the best things I saw yesterday was a Twitter post from @pauljchambers, which said, in 140 character eloquence:

Prayers for Amanda Knox and her family??? Fuck that!! Guilty or not, the prayers should be for Meredith Kercher's family.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: since early on, this case has been about perceived "justice" for Amanda Knox (note the quotation marks) more than actual justice for Meredith Kercher. The outpouring of public support for the Knox family is somewhat understandable, but the fact that there is so much more support for them than for the Kercher family is not. We cannot forget the girl who was assaulted, knifed and left to bleed to death on the floor of a Perugian cottage. Perhaps our sympathies should remain with her...instead of with the woman who has now been proven by a jury of her peers in a court of law to be a perpetrator of that attack.

I am still bothered by the fact that the Knox family is so certain that their daughter is innocent. From their official statement on the verdict, via KOMO's West Seattle News:

[W]e find it difficult to accept this verdict when we know that she is innocent, and that the prosecution has failed to explain why there is no evidence of Amanda in the room where Meredith was so horribly and tragically murdered. It appears clear to us that the attacks on Amanda's character in much of the media and by the prosecution had a significant impact on the judges and jurors and apparently overshadowed the lack of evidence in the prosecution's case against her.

We will immediately begin the process of appealing this verdict. Amanda is innocent and we will continue to fight for her freedom.

Do the Knox family and their supporters really believe that their judgment, clouded by the obvious emotion surrounding their relationship with Amanda, is more accurate than that of the judges and lawyers who've worked tirelessly on this case over the past 2 years? Do they not understand that by immediately attempting to discredit this guilty verdict, they are essentially saying "fuck you" to the Kercher family and everyone who has worked so hard on this case since day one?

It should be made clear one last time to the international community that the outspoken ignorance about Italy and the Italian judicial system we're seeing in America -- and particularly is Seattle -- is not universal. There are those of us who see justice for Meredith (and to a lesser extent for Patrick Lumumba) in this verdict, and who have faith in the Italian courts. Meredith Kercher, not Amanda Knox, is the one who died a senseless & horrible death. Now let's let her family have the closure they deserve so they can move on with their lives.

I encourage those of us who've been watching this media circus from our computers and TV screens to do the same. Let's hope that the U.S. government has the common sense to stay out of this mess, and that the "Free Amanda" crowd will accept the inevitable and find a different cause to champion.

Capitol Hill gambling bust : when it comes to what went down, trust the experts

Seattle Crime Blogger — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 21:22:49 -0800

I got a good laugh reading comments on this Seattle Times article from yesterday, about that big gambling bust on Capitol Hill the other night. It came out before any serious information on the sting, which landed more than a dozen arrests in an apartment behind the Wildrose Bar at 11th & Pike, was released -- and uninformed readers were having the typical online news comment page rant session over how the cops handled it.

Seattle is angry, apparently. Complaints of heavy handed tactics, wasted taxpayer money and snide remarks about the frivolity of busting up a peaceful card game while serious crime goes unaddressed largely dominate the seven pages of comments, indicating the disgust of community members who feel police resources could have been used on more important matters.

I'm with 'em. This was just a gathering of hipsters, having a good time! Do the police really have to come bust a bunch of hardworking people, having some innocent fun behind closed doors in a private establishment?

One neighbor quoted in the Times piece conveyed what many were surely feeling:

"It was loud, it was scary. I knew it was serious when I saw the armored car," said a 50-year-old Capitol Hill resident, who like others gathered on the corner behind yellow police tape, declined to give his name. Another man was overheard saying those arrested "were just playing poker. "I know this is no whore spot and I know it's no crack spot. This is a bit much," he told a reporter as he surveyed the scene. "People are going to jail — good people with good jobs."

You said it, dude. A complete miscarriage of justice.

Or, maybe not. Maybe, actually, the culmination of a joint FBI/SPD investigation spanning the past three years. Jonah at SLOG writes today:

Following a raid on an alleged underground casino on Capitol Hill yesterday morning, federal prosecutors have filed drug and weapons charges against alleged underground casino operator Richard Wilson, his friend Marshall Reinsch and three Honduran men, Carlos Zavala-Bustillo, Cesar Canterero-Arteaga, Edwan Fletes. [...] It initially appeared police were after Wilson for running several underground casinos, but court records indicate that police believe he was part of a large drug dealing operation, which had little to do with low-stakes gambling.

Rut roh. What we just thought was a friendly card game among Hill dwelling dudes is now a full scale drug bust, complete with undercover identities and Honduran immigrants. It also, rumor has it, had something to do with that top secret speakeasy I used to hear kids at Seattle U. talk about but could never get my hipster friends to take me to because I wasn't stylish enough.

Capitol Hill Seattle, who I've jabbed at in the past but really have a lot of respect for, has been doing a hell of a job on covering this case and posted detailed case filings for your extensive perusal. For true reporting, not asshole analysis like that found here, you should read what they have to say and follow @jseattle on Twitter. (Hell, now there's even a Deep Throat-esque anonymous source in the mix).

The point I started writing this post to make, is that people seem the most sure of themselves when they know the least about a situation. And they almost always think it an attack on the little man by Big Brother, when in fact it rarely is. The government -- local, state or federal -- isn't out to get you for playing a low-key card game. But if you're fucking around with drug deals and weapons on a large scale in a small neighborhood like Capitol Hill, you're bound to run into trouble sooner or later.

A misguided take on justice : my gripe with the Friends of Amanda Knox

Seattle Crime Blogger — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 20:44:35 -0800

During my time covering the Amanda Knox case, I've been little more than a casual observer enjoying the ever-growing international spectacle we've witnessed over the past year. I've seen the good and bad of media coverage, the highs and lows of a frantic police investigation that accompanied it...and eventually took a break from writing on the case entirely due to all the surrounding noise. It's been a roller coaster, to be sure, and one that I'm guessing still has a few twists and turns before the end.

But, I've received comments and emails from folks lately who have misinterpreted my stance entirely. So it's worth clarifying.

I'm not "rooting" for one side or the other. Whether our local celebrity is guilty or innocent is little of my concern, and - unlike many of those involved in defense organizations and rally groups - I can't claim to know one way or another. Because I don't. Neither does anybody else except those who were present at the time of Meredith Kercher's death. And an Italian court has yet to weigh the evidence and determine whether or not Amanda was one of those people.

That's the root of the problem here, and where I really take issue with folks like Friends of Amanda Knox: vocal advocates for a cause that, ultimately, they have no idea the legitimacy of.

Sure, there is a group that will support her one way or another: at the very least, she's a classmate from your hometown stranded in a bad situation in a foreign land; at most, she's your daughter or sister or best friend. I understand where they're coming from. But showing support can be done in many ways, and not all of them involve shady media campaigns or extreme disparagement of a sovereign nation's judicial system.

From what I can tell, the group's success so far has stemmed largely from their ability to turn this case into a civil justice issue. Just look at this paragraph from their website:

Wrongful prosecution happens all over the world, often when police and prosecutors take a public stance that later proves unsupportable. That is what has happened in this case. The authorities got out ahead of the evidence, they announced that they had solved the crime, and now they refuse to admit they were fundamentally wrong in their initial assessment. The plain truth is that Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito had no reason to wish Meredith harm, and neither was present when she was murdered. They are innocent.

We're witnessing, ladies and gents, a case where emotion can easily overtake reason. The claims above play into that fact. So does the overall approach on the FoAK site, which includes childhood photos and thought provoking quotes from leading experts.

And one can't help but think that there's at least a bit of ethnocentrism at play here, even if subconsciously. After all, what makes this case more special than any others taking place in Italy right now? Why are Italian courts and politicians criticized because they handle things differently than we do here? These people seem to believe that Italy's justice system is a sham, and that we're dealing with some kind of third world nation that shouldn't be left to handle it's own prosecutions (let alone those of foreigners). The attempts to discredit everyone from the police at the crime scene to the lead prosecutor in the case are blatantly obvious to anyone who's watching for them. To say nothing of the fact that the whole debacle has shifted the focus away from the death of Meredith Kercher - a name that by this point would have most of the public scratching their heads to remember - and towards the freedom of Amanda Knox.

Ultimately, I'm curious as to why the Friends of Amanda Knox are unwilling to let the courts do their job before jumping to conclusions and making noise. Any ideas?

Prosecutor in Knox case files defamation claim over West Seattle Herald fluff piece

Seattle Crime Blogger — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 09:45:29 -0800

A lot has happened since I last wrote about Amanda Knox: freedom rallies, television specials and a continued media circus surrounding the Meredith Kercher murder went strong throughout 2008 and have continued into 2009.

But things got interesting yesterday: Giuliano Mignini, lead prosecutor in the case, filed a defamation complaint against the West Seattle Herald over their recent coverage of a "Friends of Amanda" fundraiser.

From Italian Woman at the Table, a P.I. reader blog by Candace Dempsey that has been covering the case so far:

According to Il Messaggero, the prosecutor is objecting to being called "inadequate" and "mentally unstable" and he is calling for the "seizure" of the Web pages on which the article appeared.

Here's the original piece from the Herald, which comes across as little more than a blob of "Save Amanda" fluffery about last weekend's faux-social event that cost (or, "suggested") $100 and included such high society benefits as a buffet dinner, silent auction and photo opportunities galore.

What? I'm a cynic? The Herald story is a piece of unbiased journalism, you say? Maybe you could have convinced me...until I read this comment at Dempsey's blog, ~~purportedly~~ from Steve Shay, the Herald reporter:

As I reported accurately, I was told by people attending the charity that Mignini is mentally unstable. His over-the-top response seems to indicate that this is so, but (disclaimer) I am not degreed in the field of psychology and therefore cannot for certain diagnose Mignini as having the mental problems others have said they have noticed he has. Ironically, I have heard numerous reports on American and European TV that claim Amanda Knox is a "sociopath" because we do not see her cry on camera. I wonder if Mr. Mignini has objected to all these reporters calling her this?

If you can't diagnose it, then don't mention it...or at the very least, put the term "mentally unstable" in quotes. You write news stories for a fairly well-respected publication, Mr. Shay. Giving opinions on matters such as this is not your job, and the comments above have just provided further fuel for Mignini's fire. A good reporter lets his stories speak for themselves, without launching attacks against those who criticize them. Now - whether this is the case or not - you've come across as defensive, and just another body who drank the "Amanda is Innocent" Kool Aid. And the snide rhetorical questions do little to help your case.

Do Mignini's claims hold any legal bearing? Probably not. Is he overreacting by filing a claim that does little more than make a statement? Probably (though let's not forget that this is a man who has a job to do, one that has been an uphill battle from the start given the media circus surrounding the case since Kercher's death more than a year ago).

Still, this situation does raise some interesting questions - which I'll address in a post this weekend - about the absurdity behind this whole "Friends of Amanda" movement, and how local Knox supporters with too much time on their hands need to learn that sometimes, silence is a virtue.

Amanda Knox named Italy's "Woman of the year"

The Apprentice — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 14:23:00 -0800

Couldn't help but make a return to the crime blog when I read this one.

Amnda Knox has been named Italy's "Woman of the year."

Yes it was by an internet and television poll, but the woman the Italian media refers to as "angel-face" has made yet another mark on the country she is accused of committing a vicious murder in. She even beat out Sarah Palin for the honor.

The Seattle Crime Blogger and I will probably be back into the swing of things once the trial starts, so remember to check back for updates and commentary.

About that gun plan Mayor Nickels is bent on...

Seattle Crime Blogger — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 12:37:41 -0800

While I've been away, another noteworthy political proposition from the Nickels office has reared its head: a plan to ban firearms from all city-owned property in Seattle. Those with concealed carry permits, of course, would be no exception.

There has been a lot of discussion about this all over Seattle - in newspapers, at city hall meetings, on blogs & even Twitter - so going into specifics at this point would be redundant. In the age old debate over personal freedom vs. collective safety, the pro-gun sect has been pitted against more vocal collectivists...an interesting matchup in Seattle, where a sense of private libertarianism combining elements of the farthest left and right is more prominent than in any other American city I'm aware of.

Nickels may in a strange way deserve credit for this plan: after all, his attempts - however misguided - are aimed at helping stop gun-related violence that has been impacting certain neighborhoods in Seattle lately. But he's using an approach that is too far-reaching. As Robert Jamieson at the P.I. noted in his column yesterday:

The violence that grips Seattle involves young people with gang ties shooting one another in targeted, retaliatory strikes. Nickels' proposal does nothing to keep us safe from brazen youths toting legal or illegal firearms -- folks who will ignore bans.

What's funny is that, had Nickels approached this delicately, he could have united much of the city - pro-gun advocates included - behind a different platform on ending gun violence. As is so often pointed out, the people who have legally obtained their guns are usually not the ones terrorizing the community with them.

Rumblings of activity

Seattle Crime Blogger — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 12:32:32 -0800

It has been ages since we've updated this blog, for which yet another apology is in order. Though The Apprentice continues to blog on local crime elsewhere, I've all but abandoned it and this site has gone neglected.

Real life takes priority over blogging. That much is obvious. But watch for an attempt from this point forward to be more active at SCB. There's a lot of bad shit going on out there nowadays...too much to write about it all. But we'll do our best.

Sick coward films sexual assault in Kirkland

The Apprentice — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 23:46:07 -0800

An intruder who tied up a 63-year-old woman in Kirkland in order to take pictures of himself sexually assaulting her is still on the loose.

The coward of a man who decided to the commit this act was apparently armed with a knife and was wearing a dark mask.

Call me crazy, but how do you get off tieing up a senior citizen while she sleeps in order to take pictures of yourself doing what you can't get a woman to let you do of her own free will? That's someone's mother and possibly grandmother you are violating.

Cases like this usually lead to repeat crimes. Someone who needed to commit an act such as this is not going to be satisfied with just doing it once. He'll be back, probably sooner than later.

Let's hope police catch him and ship his butt off to jail where his cellmates can film other extra-curricular activities.

Abandoned child reunited with Iraq-destined father

The Apprentice — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 23:28:40 -0800

Mariah Verle Stevens, the infant who was abadoned by her mother last week at a Federal Way church, has been united with her father Clarke Stevens.

Stevens was apparently not aware that his ex-girlfriend was pregnant, as he was training with his National Guard unit in Wisconsin. Stevens, whose home is in Auburn, will be deployed to Iraq over the next 10 months, has been awarded full custody and will leave Mariah in the care of his mother until he returns.

The mother of the child turned herself into police the next day, mostly because surveillance video that caught her in the act and said that said that she believed that she was "doing the right thing." She has not been prosecuted, as in 2002, our state enacted the Newborn Safety Act, which allows mother to legally abandon healthy newborn infants who are less than 72 hours old.

I hope that this story turns out for the best. The mother of the child obviously is in no state to raise her offspring based on her giving up on the child. The fact that the father was left in an awkward position of not knowing that he had a daughter and than suddenly becoming the only option besides foster care leaves an uncertainty as to how he will deal with the responsibility of childcare. However, initial reports indicate that he has bonded with the child. One can only hope.

This could have been a sad case of abandonment that ended in the tragedy of a child living without a family. Hopefully the father of this child will ensure this is not the case.

Father of infant in fire pit death gets two years

The Apprentice — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 22:52:38 -0800

41-year-old AlbertoRios, the man who's infant son fell into a fire pit and burned alive, has been sentenced to two years in prison.

Rios fell asleep after consuming "six to nine beers" during a barbeque with coworkers, while holding his seventh-month old son, Diego. While he slept, Diego apparently fell into the fire pit and died before Rios awoke.

Rios plead guilty to second-degree manslaughter in August.

The sentence may seem light to some, but I believe the internal pain Rios will suffer from for the rest of his life will be punishment enough. Rios made a terrible mistake that cost his son his life. Anyone who can truly overcome that guilt is not someone I wish to know.

After serving his sentence, Rios, who has been deported three times before, may be deported again, as authorities believe he is living in the country illegally.

Wherever he lives in the future, Rios will have to live with his actions.

Police don't have to pay for damage during raids

The Apprentice — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 07:47:33 -0800

The state Supreme Court, in a split decision, ruled Thursday that police departments do not have to pay for damage accrued to propery during drug raids.

Leo Burtsche was asking for $5,000 in damages to properties he owned that were damaged by police in search of a meth lab. No drugs were ever found, but Burtsche nonetheless will be left to foot the bill for his broken down doors.

Both sides are claiming a victory in this case, with Burtsche's lawyer promising they will be back and the Kent Police Department claiming vindication.

But the real issue for me lies in the fact that no drugs were ever found at the property and Burtsche was never even suspected of a crime. So, police ran an unnecessary raid and still pay nothing. Ok...

Then it turns out Burtsche offered the police keys to the property, but they used a battering ram instead. I understand. How many times in your life do you get to use a battering ram. Keep the keys, I'll do some busting.

The message here, as always, is don't do meth. But you should not only avoid doing meth, you should avoid having police suspect that people that live in properties you rent are on meth. Because even if they're wrong, you're going to be out a few grand.

Suspicious fire kills 4 in Snohomish

The Apprentice — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 17:13:29 -0800

A fire that killed two sisters and their two young children earlier this morning may have been the result of arson, according to police reports.

The fire that engulfed the mobile home before 7 am on Tuesday morning may have been started by hydrocarbon liquid, a flammable substance that seems to indicate a purposeful setting of the fire.

The two women were 25 and 28 and their children were 7 and 4. The women were immigrants from Mexico.

I'm guessing we're going to get a jilted lover story out of this that we'll never fully hear because the local media tends not to follow up on tragedy that involves immigrants. Not trying to rip on them, just stating the truth.

To the readers, I apologize for the drop in stories, but promise to get back to a regular schedule in the next couple of weeks.

Child killer rightfully sentenced to death

The Apprentice — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 20:12:29 -0800

True psycho Joseph Edward Duncan III has been sentenced to death by an Idaho jury.

It's not Seattle news, but its northwest and I have to write about a truly sick man like Duncan. Duncan kidnapped a pair of children after murdering the rest of their family, then kept the two captive for months in the woods of Idaho in order to torture them sexually, emotionally and physically before murdering one of the children, 9-year-old Duncan with a close-range gun shot to the head.

Duncan's fate was sealed after jurors were allowed to see a video of him torturing young Duncan, making him perform a sexual act, then choking the boy into unconcsiouosness with a wire noose. Jurors wept during the video and, a few days later, made the right decision in sentencing Duncan to death.

The death sentence is a flawed practice that I find many faults with, but, when it comes to demented molester/murderers like Duncan, it can't happen soon enough. Duncan deserves to die for his crimes. The only shame is that he won't have to suffer the same torture as his victims.

Duncan has also been linked to the deaths of two Seattle girls in 1996 and another death in California.

Richard McIver: A Study in Stupidity

The Apprentice — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 09:50:56 -0800

It's hard to say what happened to Richard McIver. Just a few months ago, he seemed to be a respectable member of the City Council. Then there was the incident with the wife, then the fines for awarding no-bid contracts, and now the latest situation which tops them all.

It appears that McIver has used city funds to pay the $1000 in fines he was levied for awarding the no-bid contract. McIver apparently he thought it would be ok to pay those fines using money from the city's legal department. But, listening to McIver, you wouldn't think he had any idea that doing so was a problem.

"It is regrettable that I am now caught in the middle of a disagreement over the interpretation of the law," McIver said in the statement.

Seriously Mr. McIver? Even if the law was in question, did you really think it was a good idea, given the hot water you're in, to pay this fine with the city's money?

McIver's decision is a perfect example of the ineptitude of politicians in this city. He was fined for something that he did wrong, then thought it was no big deal to have the city pay for his mistakes. You were fined by the city!

The worst part about this situation is that probably nothing will happen to McIver. Those of us in Seattle seem to care more about staging mass cycling protests that accomplish nothing than paying attention to what those we elect to power are doing with that power.

McIver crossed one line by unethically awarding a contract that the city was going to be paying for. He lept over that line and off a cliff when he tried to use the city's money to pay the fine for his actions.

Wayne Barnett, Director of the Ethics and Elections Committee, summed up the situation in one of those no B.S. ways I like best.

"It is absurd," Barnett said. "It violates the public trust to pay the fine with public money.

Couldn't agree more. McIver, for his part, doesn't seem to think it was any big deal. And until the people he represents let him know what a big deal it was, there's nothing to stop him, or any other local politician from doing the same thing.

Now excuse me, I have to go buy my girlfriend a birthday present using her credit card.

City Gets Back 0.25 Percent on Investment

The Apprentice — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 15:46:18 -0800

If you bought a car in 2004 for $30,000, wouldn't it seem appalling if four years later you sold that car for only $75? You'd conisder that a bit of a terrible investment, right?

Well, the City of Seattle knows what that feeling is like after it's $5 million craps of toilets sold for a combined $12,500 on eBay this past week.

Granted the car analogy only works if that car was known by all potential buyers to have been a haven for drug-dealing and five-minute long relationships between complete strangers. But still, you get the point.

I have to admit, the city surprised me by breaking into the five-digit area, but it's still a laugh that these things that just a few years ago were million dollar prizes are now taking in the same amount as scalped Seahawks playoff tickets. Even a few weeks ago the city was asking $89,000 for the toilets, but got no bids.

Apparently that first posting was just to "stir up publicity," and according to City spokesperson Pat Miller, that hunt for publicity worked.

But Miller said the first auction seemed to catch buyers' attention; there were between 25 and 40 bids on each toilet during the second listing, which didn't stipulate a price.

I would love it if things in my life could be considered a success when they only accomplished 0.25 percent of what they were supposed to. Maybe I'll start telling people that I'm a millionaire if you use the City of Seattle success formula.

The city should spend the money it recouped on plaques commemorating the worst buy in city history.

South Sound Speedway swooped up one of the models, so if you want to check it out, feel free to breathe in a little piece of history we'd all rather forget.

Threatening email prompts follow-up on Marysville teen's death

Seattle Crime Blogger — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 20:01:52 -0800

Received this charming message through the Seattle Crime Blog contact form last night:

You need to get your facts strait about the Randy Privrasky case. Update your website. The toxicology report came out and PROVED that he was sober during the incident. Before you make an assumption about what has happened know, your fucking facts. If you don't update or change your website's blog, I will find a way to find you and it will cost you. I'm not talking about money either. Go ahead and laugh at this message all you want. Be warned though. Change your fucking information or fucking pay. I will find you if you don't. When I do, I will NOT have second thoughts about anything I choose to do. Like your website says, "It's not always pretty." Change it. You will not be able to ever even type on the computer at the least when I get done with you if you don't change it. Get your shit together or pay.

The author, who called himself "Bill Langer" (and claimed his e-mail address to be sno67blurt@aol.com), was referring to this post written back in March by The Apprentice. In it, my co-blogger contemplated that perhaps Privrasky, not the 25-year veteran deputy chasing him, was responsible for the accident that took his life...and that people blaming the officer would be singing a different tune if this teen's failure to obey the law had killed an innocent bystander. The Apprentice and I both still stand by that claim.

The commenter does make one good point, though: we failed our readers by neglecting to follow up on this story to the extent that we should have. Toxicology reports did come back for Randy Privrasky in mid-May, and according to family members did confirm that he was NOT under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the crash. From a brief in the Everett Herald:

A Marysville teenager who died after crashing his car during a police chase was not drinking the night of the accident, according to state lab results obtained by the boy's relatives. [...] Ron Privrasky, the boy's father, said he was given a copy of the Snohomish County medical examiner's autopsy report. Among those records were toxicology tests conducted by state experts that show the boy was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol when he died.

The problem is that The Apprentice never claimed that Privrasky was drunk (only said it was a possibility, which based on all available information was accurate at the time), nor was the alcohol factor the main thrust of his argument.

When it comes to sno67blurt@aol.com's complaints about "assumptions", he fails to see that the post in question was written before any toxicology reports, when there were still many questions surrounding the case. This site isn't an encyclopedia...it's a blog, where we provide our take on issues - the vast majority of them unresolved - that are currently making news.

This individual seems to think that because we had an opinion about an ongoing investigation that differs from his own, he can intimidate us into removing any record that such opinions ever existed. Well, his e-threats failed. SCB will not be take down anything we've published on the Privrasky incident so far (though we have updated the original post with a link to this one making note of the toxicology development).

The beauty of America is that everyone is entitled to their opinions, no matter how upsetting or outlandish they may be. We at Seattle Crime Blog have spent nearly a year calling local cases like we see 'em...and that's not going to change anytime soon.

Situation Critical: reflections on an ill-fated ride

Seattle Crime Blogger — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 08:59:03 -0800

At a post about the recent Critical Mass debacle at Big Blog, P.I. commenter J.P. Patches Pal succinctly sums up the two-wheeled terrorists:

Let's be honest. A lot of these riders are just passive-aggressive twits trying to make drivers mad. The riders I've talked to who believe in the concept of CM usually go along for one or two rides and then get so turned off by the idiots in the group they don't go out with these toads again.

One thing is certain: the next time these jokers go out on a ride, there will be probably be more cops in the crowd than actual bicyclists.

Couldn't have said it better myself. One can only hope that last Friday's stupidity marked the beginning of the end for this misguided group of local "activists."

Seattle bag tax approved: unsurprising, but depressing nonetheless

Seattle Crime Blogger — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 19:36:32 -0800

Not a crime in the traditional sense, but still downright criminal:

Beginning in January, shoppers must pay 20 cents for each plastic or paper bag they use at grocery, drug and convenience stores in Seattle.

The Seattle City Council this afternoon also passed a ban on foam containers at food-service businesses that also will take effect in January.

The stupidity of people in this supposedly educated city continues to amaze me: so afraid that they'll miss the trendy "going green" bandwagon, local busybodies are willing to put aside all common sense and dictate the shopping habits of those in their community, justifying it with claims that such meddling is acceptable because it's the "right thing to do." The idea that protecting the environment starts and ends with you has been twisted by these individuals: rather than the reasonable approach ("OK, our household will just stop using plastic bags") they're taking an unreasonable one ("We don't like plastic bags in the grocery stores, so we want to make sure anyone who uses them has to pay the price") and have somehow convinced the Seattle City Council to agree with them.

Well, the City Council, and its president Richard Conlin in particular, should be ashamed of the decision they made today. The only solace a reasonable man can take is knowing how foolish these folks will look when it's three years from now and the "positive impacts" of the tax that so many people are counting on will have proven to be nonexistent.

By the way: there's plenty more research into the ill effects of such a policy at the Northwest Economic Policy Seminar's site Seattle Bag Tax.org, which features information put together by a nonpartisan group of individuals who don't have an agenda beyond offering up the facts and examining the potential outcomes a bag tax could have on our city. The treehuggers rallying behind the tax should take some time to look over the site and see what impacts similar approaches have had in the rest of the world. But of course, I wouldn't expect them to. After all, what good are facts - and there are plenty of them here - when they prove your flimsy argument faulty?

Police name suspect in traffic circle homicide

The Apprentice — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 08:47:52 -0800

Four days after James Paroline was brutally murdered following a traffic dispute in Rainier Beach, police have named a suspect.

28-year-old Brian Keith Brown is believed to be the man who delivered the fatal punch to Paroline's head after Paroline had engaged in an argument with a group of women who were angry that he had blocked traffic to water the traffic circle. It seemed strange to me that no one, including the girls involved in the case had been able to give any information about the assailant. Police have now figured out why, saying it's possible that the girls called Brown after Paroline squirted one with his hose.

Chuck Benson, one of Paroline's neighbors who spoke to girls at the scene, was not surprised that police identified a suspect. He believed the girls had phoned the assailant for help because the man arrived so quickly to the scene.

"I think (police) had a suspect from day one," Benson said Monday. "The rapidity of his response to the situation -- he was no stranger."

If the girls did in fact call Brown, this situation is even sadder than it seems. Paroline was guilty of nothing but creating a minor traffic nuisance. Calling someone to, as witnesses put it, "sucker punch" a sixty-year-old man over a minor disagreement is one of those gross overreactions that remind us why it's sometimes better not to try to reason with the irrational.

Police are now looking for Brown, who they have already charged with second-degree murder. Apparently a neighbor happened to have a video trained on that situation that catches Brown in the act, meaning a conviction should be a slam dunk.

Paroline's death was an unnecessary one. Finding the killer should help bring solace to the situation, and anyone with information should come forth and call 911.

Drug trafficking at 13th & Thomas? One community member thinks so

Seattle Crime Blogger — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 09:20:00 -0800

Saw this flyer on a light post at the corner of 13th Avenue East & East Thomas Street yesterday:

The gist of it is that community residents are upset about perceived drug dealing in their neighborhood. This surprised me on a few fronts: most notably, the fact that I walk down East Thomas on a near daily basis and rarely see anything suspicious (in fact, the entire area from Denny to Harrison between 12th and 17th has always seemed like a very quiet neighborhood). On top of that, local blogs and newspapers have said nothing on the issue.

So I did what any self-respecting crime blogger would do: sent an e-mail to the address listed on the flyer. Turns out that part of the reason we hadn't heard anything on the matter was because the original flyers - posted last week - were ripped down over the weekend.

The community member behind this campaign, who identified themselves only as 13th Avenue East Resident, provided some background on the issue (I've added emphasis at certain points):

13th Avenue East held a block party and garage [sale] on Saturday, June 28th for residents between John and Harrison Streets. The intent of this was to clean out the closets and more importantly, get to know our neighbors.

One unexpected benefit to getting to know our neighbors is that we became aware via the neighbors that our building in the 300 block of 13th Avenue East has a drug problem. ( not sure which type).

Reports from two different neighbors informed us that our building has is being regularly used as a place to purchase drugs from. People are seen making phone calls on the corner of the block or waiting at the front door of our Condo building until they are met from somebody inside the building. The deal then goes down around the corner or inside the building.

We are not 100% able to identify the residents / or Guest of a resident who are selling - but we have a pretty good idea. And thanks to our neighborly tips - we are on the look out.

This is community policing at its finest: residents getting together with other folks from the neighborhood to identify socially deplorable behavior and tackle it from the ground up. While I have no problem with responsible drug use by adults in the privacy of their own homes, blatant dealing in a shared apartment building is a whole different story: distrust between neighbors, potential for more crime, and undesirable individuals who otherwise have no reason to be there are just a few reasons why.

So what will come of this? So far, very little. According to 13th Avenue East Resident, reports to the Seattle Police Department have had little impact so far:

I have gone to the police, but I was a bit disappointed in their response. The response was to call 911 when I see it happening. Otherwise, they really can't do much, but they have been place on notice to our issue.

Not surprising that the police aren't able to do anything on this based on hearsay (no matter how reliable it may be), but the fact that they're clued in is progress enough at this point - after all, awareness of the issue seems to have only come about after the block party two weeks back.

Should be interesting to watch where this one goes: just what, exactly, is going on around 13th & Thomas? If drugs really are being dealt, what types, and how widespread is the issue? Are other community members aside from 13th Avenue East Resident taking action? Only time will tell.

In the interim, this proactive community member is looking for suggestions on how to end drug dealing in this otherwise peaceful neighborhood. If you've got any ideas, shoot them an e-mail.