8/9/2019 More Marsupial Madness in Municipal Mansions?

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More Marsupial Madness in Municipal Mansions?

Lexington Courts Examiner Christopher Hignite

It didn't take long after my last article for more marsupial madness to find it'

s way into the headlines. This time three famous monkeys join the fun in the municipal mansions we call the courthouse complex. See No Evil, Speak No Evil and Hear No Evil joined up with Fayette Commonwealth Attorney, Ray Larson, and Fayette Circuit Judge Pamela Goodwine to ensure that Lexington's middle class neighborhoods stay "mostly white and crime-free".

State Auditor, Crit Luallen, went on a crime hunting spree last year and was extremely successful. Among the white collar crime rampant among Lexington and Kentucky found by Luallen, the Lexington airport board was particularly apalling. Her office reported undocumented expenses in excess of $500,000 by 7 top airport officials. The top five officials spent more than $530,000 on travel, meals, entertainment and other expenses including strip clubs and call-girls from 2006-2008

. Rhodes was charged with six counts of felony theft by deception, Coon and Slone were charged with one count, Gobb was charged with nine counts, he is yet to be sentenced. One of the top five officials isn't being charged. Rhodes, Coon andSlone all accepted plea bargains. Rhodes got 2 1/2 years...probated while Coonand Slone got 12 months ... probated on a misdemeanor charge.

Fayette Circuit Judge Pamela Goodwine attended at least three meetings of a BlueGrass Airport citizens advisory committee in 2002 and 2003, according to records obtained by the Herald-Leader.

This is where my monkey friends come in. Four former airport officials appearedand even spoke at these meetings. These same officials have recently appeared infront of Judge Goodwine with what could be described as Shapiro-esque results.

Goodwine was quoted by the Herald-Leader as stating that her service on the advisory committe was "tenuous at best" and that she did not know any of the four airport officials.

Curiously Judge Goodwine decided that her ties to the airport board by her membership in the committee was important in the past. Two civil lawsuits against theairport each thought she was too involved to preside over the cases, she agreedand stepped down.

Goodwine now claims to have little memory of her time serving on the advisory board and gave it little thought while presiding over the criminal cases of Gobb,Coon, Rhodes and Slone. She also claims that she would have stepped down had she

been asked to. It seems that would have been a big mistake for the defense considering the results of leaving her on the case.

"I didn't know these guys," she told the Herald-Leader last month. "I still don't know them." She stated that she didn't remember meeting any of them at the onemeeting she remembered attending. (She attended three of the six and Gobb participated in the discussions with Goodwine on April 21, 2003)

Ray Larson takes my buddy, See No Evil, out for a walk and explains that he hasselective memory, common among the legal profession. Ray "The D.A." holds firm that he has never heard about Goodwine's service on the airport advisory committee or her stepping down from the civil cases. Really? When asked about the sentences passed down on these individuals, Mr. Larson responded, "Our recommendations

in these cases are what they are. It's our job to prosecute these cases, and when a person chooses to plead guilty, to make a recommendation. It then becomes the judge's responsibility to determine the punishment."

8/9/2019 More Marsupial Madness in Municipal Mansions?

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My previous articles have pointed out a history of over prosecuting and discriminating against the poor and minorities in Lexington. I have pointed out that RayLarson not only has a history of racism but actually boasts and celebrates hisracist beliefs on the radio and the internet. Recently Glenn Rahan Doneghy was involved in a hit-and-run accident and killed a police officer. Mr. Doneghy's arrest was violent and the city's propaganda machine went into full speed. Mr. Done

ghy is being charged with murder an extremely rare charge for an identical incident not involving a police officer.

The juxtaposition of the airport board, the library board, KACO, and the Kentucky League of Cities white collar crime sprees with Mr. Doneghy's case is enlightening. The treatment given to the accused and sentences handed down is even moreenlightening.

Moral of the story:

If you are going to steal, steal directly from the taxpayers and make sure thatyou are friends with members of the city government and courts. Oh, and make sur

e that you come from a "mostly white and crime-free" neighborhood as Ray "The D.A." Larson puts it on his website.

See No Evil, Speak No Evil and Hear No Evil have now joined the kangaroos in themadness coming out of our municipal mansions. Monkeys and marsupials...what next? Follow along as we unlock more of the hidden secrets in the courtrooms of Lexington, Kentucky.