4. The District Attorney’s Office led by DA Mike Miller. Some might say this office also deserves to be first place on the worst governmental agency in Cleveland County. I would not argue much about that.
Several of the biggest problems in the DA’s Office that directly affect people is the lack of administrative control of the Court Calendar. If you are a victim of a crime you will end up coming to court at least four times that are totally unnecessary. But, if you don’t show up the case will probably be dismissed because you are not in attendance. When the case finally comes up, the person charged with the crime is probably a repeat offender many times over who knows how to game the system-and how to game you too. Court appointed lawyers help the alleged criminal with the gaming of the system. The assigned DA helps too as they do not speak to the victim to get the actual details of the alleged crime. They just wing it. All the repeat offenders know this and lie through their teeth and end up getting found not guilty by a judge that doesn’t care. When a defendant is found guilty, they most likely get probation, a small fine and maybe an order to pay restitution. Occasionally the convicted criminal will take a small amount of jail time to get out of paying the fine and restitution. Serial thieves like Jeremy Grayson and Wesley Austin know how to take advantage of that. But, don’t believe me, look it up.
Political wheeling and dealing by DA Mike Miller and previous DA Rick Shaffer are also indicative of potential corruption in the DA’s office. Shaffer declined to run for the DA Office last time and Assistant DA Mike Miller ran for the DA’s Office. Six months or so after Miller is sworn in, Miller hires Shaffer as Assistant DA. My prediction is once Shaffer’s daughter gets a few years experience in the DA’s office in Brevard, Miller will hire Shaffer’s daughter into the DA’s Office in Cleveland or Lincoln County. After a few more years, Miller retires and Shaffer’s Daughter runs for the High DA Office. That’s my prediction and I am sticking to it. In the meantime political intrigue and political shenanigans permeate the DA’s Office in Cleveland County while protecting the public by putting crooks in jail falls way down the priority list.
And, I haven’t even mentioned all the plea bargains the DA dishes out so they don’t have to try cases and the lawyers make a ton of money for just wheeling and dealing. Well, we will talk more about that in 2018 when the DA is up for election.
5. The Court System in Cleveland County. This includes the District Court and the Magistrate Court. Superior Court is where they have jury trial. Juries are members of the public so the DA usually tries to avoid jury trials.
Both District Court and Magistrate Courts are run by the Chief District Court Judge, Judge Larry “Pud’nhead” Wilson. I once gave Judge Wilson a “NitWit” award for a stupid ruling that totally defied comprehension. But, I found out there was a knitting club who called themselves the “Knitwits.” Nitwit and Knitwit sounds exactly the same so I withdrew my Nitwit Award from Judge Wilson, apologized to the Knitwits for using their name and decided to nickname Judge Wilson “Pud’nhead” after a character in a Mark Twain novel, Pud’nhead Wilson, who like Judge Wilson in his crazy ruling just didn’t have much sense. So, with Judge Pud’nhead Wilson in charge of both the District Court and Magistrate Courts in Cleveland County, what can you expect???
Judge Wilson is running unopposed in tomorrow’s elections so he will still be mucking up the court system until his mandatory retirement in a few more years. That is too bad for justice in Cleveland County for a few more years. It is too bad also from the prospective of a judicial system that is run by lawyers for the benefit of lawyers and the people can’t do much about it. But the people messed up twenty or more years ago by voting to exclude non-lawyers from the office of District Court judges. That referendum was pushed as a way to improve the judicial system with the unintended consequence of setting up judicial dynasties of unqualified judges.
Oh well, Cleveland County has been good at electing unqualified judges and voting themselves tax increases. Part of that can be remedied by voting for Justin Brackett for Judge and voting against the sales tax increase.
See you at the polls tomorrow. Print off a copy of CGG recommended candidates and help save the US, NC and Cleveland County from the liberal pinkos.
