Letter to editor
A Second Response to Ms. Muir
Dear Editor:
Ms. Muir’s 27 January letter patently disregards facts. She states, “However, as an American citizen and a former child mental health worker, I know that when a man is initially held on one million dollars bail for alleged sex crimes against a minor, there is sufficient legal evidence against him to prove wrongdoing.”
The McMartin-Preschool case puts the lie to her statement. Peggy McMartin Buckley was accused of numerous sexual offenses against minors with bail set at one million dollars. She was acquitted on all counts.
In the same case, Ray Buckley was accused of 65 sexual offenses against minors and denied bail. At his first trial he was acquitted on 52 counts with the jury hung on the remaining 13. A second trial for 6 of the remaining counts resulted in a hung jury. Subsequently, all counts were dismissed.
The recent Strauss-Kahn case also comes to mind.
I gently point out to Ms. Muir and to all citizens that district attorneys’ careers are often made with sensational, especially sex-sensational cases. Some DAs go for broke.
Disclaimer. I don’t point my finger at or question the integrity of any particular district attorney.
Hank Garretson
Mammoth Lakes
(see first response to Ms. Muir by clicking here)
Come on Hank, we know what Ms. Muir meant, she was talking about the specifics of this kind of crime. The McMartin and Strauss-Khan cases were completely different in that they depended on unreliable witness testimony. In Dr. Bourne’s case he was apparently caught by his own written words, much like the men who are caught sending messages to underage girls on the MSNBC show “To Catch a Predator.” It should be noted also that during the bail hearing the DA provided copies of some of Dr. Bourne’s more damaging email messages to the girl, and they were reviewed by the judge before Bourne’s bail was reduced from $1 million to $750,000.
Then you should know what Hank means, too, ShockedLocal. He is pointing out that DA’s can overcharge and that sensational charges may be wrong.
Hank brought up specific cases, in an apples and oranges comparison, and suggested, without any evidence whatsoever, that the Santa Barbara DA might be ‘going for broke’ to further her career. As if prosecuting a couple of Mammoth men on sex predator charges is going to put her on the map. This is pure nonsense and demonstrates the sick lengths some in our community are going to defend the indefensible.
Bottom line: Accused sexual predator Dr. Andrew Bourne killed himself rather than face the charges against him and now many are busy blaming everyone from the victim to the DA for Bourne’s decision. It’s absurd.
Hey Hank,
Great example.
“In the same case, Ray Buckley was accused of 65 sexual offenses against minors and denied bail. At his first trial he was acquitted on 52 counts with the jury hung on the remaining 13. A second trial for 6 of the remaining counts resulted in a hung jury. Subsequently, all counts were dismissed.”
Big difference between the case you mention and Doctor Bourne’s.
Mr. Ray Buckley stuck around to fight the good fight and defend his innocence which he ultimately won.
The “Good” Dr. Bourne did not. Instead, he took himself out of the picture by killing himself. Thus leaving his family to deal with it.