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John, the letter was addressed to her, not you. Close, but not quite. I also just heard the FBI cleared Wray. Waiting on front page headline story- or will Taylor Hicks steal his thunder??

I don't get whatever joke this is supposed to be...

I know it came to her, Samuel, which is why I worded that first sentence the way I did.

What's your source on the FBI? They aren't telling us that, and it's a funny thing about newspapers: we try not to pass along rumors, unless we can substantiate them.

I see it now on FOX8's Web site. Assuming the FBI will tell us that, we'll report it. Don't worry. It'll be above American Idol.

For the record, I haven't been sending the GOP any money lately myself. I'm pretty upset with both parties at this point.

Thursday, May 25, 2006
Council Woman Gatten Reveals Truth About FBI Findings! Only on the Troublemaker.

On the day of the GTRC Final Report Ceremony, Council Woman, Florence Gatten, granted the Troublemaker an exclusive interview. The topic was a tough one. Gatten took the challenge head on. She offered Truth wich many times can lead to reconcilliation.

Gatten confirmed that the City Manager and City Attorney Linda Miles reported to Council that the FBI was done investigating the David Wray police fiasco. The investigation dealt strictly with GPD LT. James Hinson and the allegations that his civil rights were violated. The FBI did not see that as the case and ended their investigation. Why was this not reported to the public? Gatten spent a lot of time with the Troublemaker and it was appreciated greatly. The FBI found nothing and Sandy Carmany knew that when she reported that the FBI was still invovled on her comments to Jerry Bledsoe. They were not invovled.

The story was on Fox 8 News last night but they could not reval their sources.

Earlier today, GPD Police Chief Tim Bellamy reported to the Troublemaker that he has been told nothing about the findings the city manager reported to council. Bellamy reported to the Troublemaker that he was informed about three weeks ago that he was going to get a letter from the FBI regarding the Wray mess.

Why is Tim Bellamy not told what council is told? Is somebody lying? Is this story being told in a biased way? Two things are certain:

1. Florence Gatten should be the Mayor.
2. You will only get the whole story here.

John, I have to get on you a little bit about the web headline "Justice department won't prosecute officers". How about "Justice Department Clears Wray in Criminal Probe" instead? The way you guys phrased it almost implies that there is something to prosecute, but the justice department just won't do it. It seems to me the story is that they found nothing or not enough to file charges and that is really the headline.

But I give you the credit for putting it front and center even if the tagline is not as acquitting as it should be.

Sam, the FBI has apparantly been in bed, so to speak, with some of these officers since 1979.

Just because they are the FBI doesn't mean they are above reproach.

I think there are a couple reasons to write it the way we did. First, as far as we know, the FBI investigation involved more than former Chief Wray. (Bear in mind that at this point we only have a council member's word on what she received second-hand during a briefing. We have no official word from the FBI on its decision.) Second, there is a difference between "clearing" officers and deciding that there isn't enough evidence to prosecute. Last, there are other investigations going on. Saying the officers are cleared -- as opposed to them not being prosecuted -- may avoid confusion down the road when the other investigations -- investigations into related and other issues, presumably -- are completed.

Or right, for that matter.

John you said "Second, there is a difference between "clearing" officers and deciding that there isn't enough evidence to prosecute." Do you have any information that it was one or the other? I understand your point, but there seems to be a reluctance to come out and state that Wray and others have been cleared of any federal crimes. You may be right about the other investigations, but as far as federal crimes- they have been cleared.

No. We've had no word from the FBI. Perhaps the letter the city is awaiting will clarify what the DOJ attorneys position is. We, too, would like to be precise. What we've been told, I believe, is that they haven't found enough evidence to prosecute. Is that the same thing as saying officers have been cleared of any federal crime? I'm less sure and would like to have someone say on the record that that is the case. We don't have that now.

No comment Sam? Perhaps this is an issue you don't want attention given to?

And John, for one who runs the News and Record, you've never commented in any regard to anything I've ever posted here. Why is that?

It's nothing personal, Ginger. I have no knowledge about the FBI's relationship with some of the police and therefore have nothing to add.

I suppose you also do not know and have not heard about the issues with racism that exist in northwestern Rockingham County?

That's correct.

John, you never really know unless you are privy to the case or someone reliable tells you. I have never heard a prosecutor come out and say "the case has no merit." Usually, you'll get the "not enough evidence" response which could mean there was no "credible" evidence to substantiate the claim or not enough evidence to likely obtain a conviction. There is a difference between "credible" evidence and "evidence". Not enough credible evidence can mean no evidence- in other words it's not evidence if it can't be entered into the record. It's like someone taking out a warrant on someone else. The charge alone is not evidence, and the person making the accusation has presented some underlying "facts" to support the issuance of the warrant- yet, the "facts' may not be credible. Thus, there is "evidence" (what the person said happened), but not credible evidence, which in a court of law means no evidence.

But I think that the Justice Department not filing criminal charges for "insufficient evidence" is at least as exculpatory as the RMA report was inculpatory. I just hope in fairness to Wray, they are treated equally. That's all.

Thanks, Samuel. We're putting a version of the FBI story on the front page tomorrow. When we actually get the letter from the FBI, we'll try to sort through its meaning in the way you describe. It's hard to determine it through a second-hand report, as you know.

Just to clarify (hope you don't mind, JR): The letter is from the Justice Department in Washington. The FBI didn't write it. I have a standing request in with the city, which has agreed to give us a copy when it arrives. Sam, I see no reason why you wouldn't also be able to obtain a copy (or anyone else from the public). I was told that city legal wants to check it to make sure there is no protected information included, but I doubt that will be the case. Contact Nancy Lindemeyer at 373-2105. She's been my point of contact for the document.

We've received a copy of the letter from the DOJ. We're going to post it, but in the meantime, it says:

"After careful consideration, the Criminal Section and the United States Attorney's Office for the Middle District of North Carolina have concluded that the evidence is not sufficient to establish a violation of the federal criminal civil rights statutes. Accordingly, we have closed our investigation."

The full letter is here.

Well, John, have you heard of the "Home Cookin'" that occurs daily in the Alamance County Civil and Criminal Courts?

John,

For clarification, when I wrote "or right for that matter", I hadn't read nor was I responding to your comment that printed after mine, I was adding to the comment I had made directly before yours. Sometimes when I am in the comment field and post, then go back and read the thread I realize someone elses post has come in before I've read it.

John,

I became aware of the issues that exist in Northwestern Rockingham County by hearing things from people who live in that area and from the sherrif's deputy, and by seeing racist slurs and threats spewn on the rocks by the rapids on the Mayo river. When I reported these comments, the deputy said a woman's car had been attacked previously and all her tires slit because of anger that she was at the river with a black man, the report of the same which is missing, cannot be found. There is also a report of a man who lives in that area who has set on fire and hung black people, according to his own cousin. He is also said to have shot at kayakers with automatic weapons, and to have hand grenades.

We'll look into it. When you say "reports" what exactly do you mean? Something you've heard or reports to the police?

The racist comments I've seen written on the rocks, as have others. Many are painted over now, but some can still be seen. When I reported these comments to the sherrif's department, I was told of another incident by the deputy who came out to respond to my call, about the woman's car being attacked. What I, and two others heard about this man hanging and burning black people came from his own cousin, who described him as highly racist. It was also reported to the police.