LIP News
Lancaster Independent Press
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AFTERNOON UPDATE – STEP UP, LANCASTER NAACP!
Posted on January 17th, 2019 3 commentsSOTO: “I WOULD
SUPPORT IT”
Continuing Darlene Byrd’s comments and questions to city council regarding a citizen’s review committee for the Lancaster City Police on Tuesday, January 8th, she turns from councilman Ismail Smith Wade-El to councilman Pete Soto who chairs the Public Safety Committee as follows (to read her comments and exchanges with Wade-El click here):— Darlene Byrd – Pete Soto, you’re in charge of the Public Safety Committee?— Pete Soto – Yes.— Darlene Byrd – Would your committee look into reviewing – could we come to your committee and tell you this is what we need to do? Could you look further into that?— Pete Soto – I could look further into that.— Darlene Byrd – Because…— Pete Soto – I’m not making any promises now – please understand that. I will look into your statements and your comments and your suggestions. But I can’t say…— Darlene Byrd – And if the DA says that it’s okay to have a citizen’s review committee to look at the complaints you would support that?— Pete Soto – I’m sorry, say that again.— Darlene Byrd – If the DA says it’s okay to have a citizen’s review committee, you would not support that?— Pete Soto – Oh, I would support it.— Darlene Byrd – Fair enough. Thank you. I can show you an email where he says that if you want to see it – now or after the city council meeting.— Soto then says something [inaudible] about more information and Byrd asks what information and council president James Reichenbach steps in an says, “We can continue that conversation after the meeting.”— You can watch the full video of the meeting here. There will be more tomorrow.*******
ANOTHER TRAGEDY
(Click here for the District Attorney’s press release.)
Perhaps Blanding Watson and the Lancaster Branch of the NAACP could help this woman through the legal system? She has been denied bail because “Defendant can flee to Ghana,” (see her docket below). Can’t they just take her passport?
These stories are always so sad and complex and commenters on the DA’s and Lancaster Online’s Facebook pages are showing compassion and concern for her mental health. It is a wonderful thing to see. Step up, NAACP!
Please check back later today. -
AFTERNOON UPDATE – BY BLANDING WATSON & THE NAACP
Posted on January 16th, 2019 4 commentsSTATE OF THE CITY!
I am doing research this afternoon, but this is a reminder that Mayor Sorace will be giving her “current state of the city” address next Tuesday at 6:00 pm in City Hall prior to the city council meeting that begins at 7:30 pm. Click here for the event Facebook page shown below.
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THE ULTIMATE BETRAYAL!
I am learning that the Lancaster City Police Department is referring minority citizens who are unhappy/have complaints about the police to the Lancaster NAACP because the police know they will not do anything. Do you have a response to that, Blanding Watson, President of the Lancaster NAACP branch?
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UPDATED * – *** BREAKING NEWS *** – GIVE THEM THE BYRD! – 3
Posted on January 15th, 2019 1 commentROUND & ROUND
& ROUND WE GO!
Click here.
This is all simply unbelievable. Stedman is not fit to be the DA let alone a judge! There will be much more tomorrow.
ANOTHER GRAND JURY?
** An investigative grand jury will be utilized to hear testimony in the cases that fall under review. The grand jury does not have indictment powers, but can make recommendations on whether charges should be filed.
From the DA’s press release linked to below.
Another grand jury? Unbelievable! They just got done with a grand jury that did next to nothing!
As a friend said to me, “Stedman really wants to be a judge.”*** BREAKING NEWS ***
Click here for the District Attorney’s press release.
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WHERE IS
LNP’S COVERAGE? In a continuation of the coverage of last Tuesday’s city council meeting, Darlene Byrd turns to Councilman Pete Soto, Director of the Public Safety Committee, in her efforts to get a citizen’s review board for the Lancaster City Police Department.
Please see the post immediately below and check back later today. -
* 1-14-19 UPDATE – “FIGHTING THIS GAME FOR TOO LONG!”
Posted on January 13th, 2019 9 commentsTHE NEXT STEP FORWARD!
Darlene Byrd and City Councilman Ismail Smith Wade-El.
* Darlene Byrd’s conversation with Lancaster city council last Tuesday night continues below and picks up right after Ismail Smith Wade-El’s reply further down in this post.
Her daughter and grand-daughter were involved in a mistaken identity police stop on May 12th of this year. She complained about and worked with council to revise the police complaint form. But she still has not received answers.
Her comments do not end with this. She then turns to the head of the Public Safety Committee, Councilman Pete Soto, and continues. That will be coming…— Darlene Byrd – I understand that’s the whole picture. But we’re talking about a civilian complaint form which is filed and goes through the Lancaster City process. I have came here and I went through that whole process and I took council along with me.
It’s broken and it does not work and there needs to be a step. Maybe we don’t have subpoena power but there’s no reason and the DA has said – and if I need to bring him here I can do that – there is no reason why we don’t have a citizen’s review panel. I think that situation we went through would have came out a lot differently if we had residents hearing the issues that went down. And they have the right to know the same information that I got and decisions could have been made that were not made in our favor and what I think was justice.
Like I said, I’m not looking for revenge. I brought this council solutions. I’ve seen and I went through the whole process. It’s broken. We need to take the next step. You already have that – the NAACP, you have Stand up for Lancaster – you have every committee come to you and say we need a citizen’s review board. So it’s time to take it to the top level and not say, oh, we don’t have subpoena power to do this. We have to start somewhere. We can’t continue to say we are not moving forward.— Ismail Smith Wade-El – Ms. Byrd, I’m sorry that’s inaccurate because Lancaster Stands UP and the NAACP have concluded in their call for a citizen’s review board specifically to include the subpoena power and frankly, uh, uh, I agree with you that often the Lancaster City Police are out of line. That’s me as an individual council member but I also think that my experience with the District Attorney, as regards those cases that you can see in Lancaster Online or as case after case has turned out, has a very different take on what does constitute police misconduct than he may be letting you know.
— Darlene Byrd – Right, and I’m not disputing that. Like I said, we’re talking about civilian complaint form that is filed with the Lancaster City Police. There is no reason why we don’t have residents able to look over that information. You have one Sgt. – Lopez that looks at the information, was hired by the police – who does not even report back to the complainee. We filed a complaint. He tried to justify what the police did. He didn’t investigate and do fact finding. He didn’t come back to us and say this is what we found out. That is something that this board could do that would not interfere with whatever the DA has said but would also give us some justification on what is actually happening with our complaints.
We agreed that the form was wrong. We fixed the form but now the process is wrong. So what are we going to do – stop there? We’ve got to take the next step forward. If the next step forward is to come up with a citizen review board maybe [inaudible] DA said, the next step is where you are trying to fight for that subpoena power. But to sit back and let him tell us no and go no where – is not the answer.— Ismail Smith Wade-El – We have not in matter of fact gone no where. I understand what you’re saying to me, Darlene, but that’s just not true because sitting in the room, the NAACP, Lancaster Stands Up, [inaudible], the police chief, the Pennsylvania – the State Human Relations Commission and the Department of Justice are working on this very thing and it continues. So, um, I just can’t – not even by me – but even by the work of all those people – can’t allow you to just say that nothing is going on because there is important work being done.
1-14-19 UPDATE
From the front page of today’s LNP print edition (left) – you can watch last night’s entire Martin Luther King Celebration including Pastor Amos Brown on the “See-Thru City – Lancaster, PA” Facebook page (click here).
Coming later today – more from Darlene Byrd!
GIVE THEM THE BYRD! – 2
Photo of Darlene Byrd by LNP photographer Blaine Shahan and it accompanies the LNP article, “In the spotlight: South Ann Street activist finds hope in faith, volunteerism,” (click here).*The below is the beginning of Darlene Byrd’s comments and questions to city council at Tuesday night’s meeting. Oh, there’s more – a lot more – and that will be coming. This woman is determined and wonderful!I was here two council meetings ago and I addressed some issues – about how many police and how much taxpayer dollars we are paying for cases in suits. And I think Mayor Sorace approached me today and said she did email me. Unfortunately I did not get to read the email but I did ask for a report from council to see – and I’m hoping that someone from council got that report – on how much taxpayers are paying for lawsuits.You know, we’ve been sued by the EPA and the police department has been sued many a times for misconduct and I would like to know what those are and if council had time to respond and get that message to me? Or are you working on getting that report?*[City Council President James Reichenbach tells her to read Mayor Sorace’s email and that might answer her question.]*The other thing I had asked too was about the two officers that were charged for domestic violence after we and the council and the city declared domestic violence month. We had two officers – what is happening with that and I had again asked council for their comments. I don’t know if you had addressed that or not?Also, as you know we are still looking at the incident that happened on May 12th. I did take the next step. I reported that to the DA and he is now looking into it. I am once again coming to council. I know that Ismail made a comment that the DA could not support a citizen review committee. That is not so. I spoke with him and I think he said he spoke to you, Mayor, saying that he would support a citizen review committee that would address complaints that were made to them.I am asking council what can we do to take that next step? We’ve been playing this game and fighting this game for too long! So what’s the next step?*— Councilman Ismail Smith Wade-El – So, Ms. Byrd, to clarify – I have received a personal no statement on a citizen review board with subpoena power and if DA Stedman came to you and said he would support a citizen review board with the appropriate subpoena power then we would be having an entirely different conversation. But to date there has been no support for it – or – the DA has shown no support for a board or for actually giving that board the power to actually reach into investigations and collect evidence even when the police department or DA decide that information is behind closed doors – which for me is the whole picture. -
UPDATE * WATSON OF THE NAACP SAYS THEY ARE!
Posted on January 11th, 2019 3 commentsThis will be continued tomorrow. I am working on transcribing Darlene Byrd’s full comments to council on Tuesday and her interactions with councilmen Isamail Smith Wade-El and Pete Soto. It is extremely important and then I will come back to Blanding Watson of the NAACP. What is up with this man? He is unbelievable!
WHERE IS YOUR
REPORTING, LNP?
* The below comment came in and it is dead-on so I am moving it here. Also note that I have cropped the picture of Blanding Watson of the NAACP addressing city council that I ran yesterday above – and to his right – that is LNP reporter Tim Stuhldreher! Where is your reporting, LNP?This Watson is something else…he wants council to hold public meetings on a hospital closing if i’m understanding correctly. But somehow the very same people that pay city police salaries are not invited to attend or even allowed to participate in these secret “council” stakeholder meetings where police is meeting with these stakeholders. These 11 stakeholders and 1 citizen that meet every Monday at 10am to discuss issues in Lancaster should be named to the public. They’re making decisions and handling complaints of the city. Who holds these stakeholders responsible. This sounds so crazy! Its bad enough we got a crooked D.A, police, mayor & newspaper. City council also has some members that are in it for their own personal gains. Diaz asked the right questions. People ought to start asking a lot of questions and making a whole lot of noise on this issue.*******
IS THE DEPARTMENT
OF JUSTICE
COMING TO LANCASTER?
Is the U.S. Department of Justice meeting with the Lancaster NAACP and the City Police? Why hasn’t this been reported?
Please see the story immediately below and check back later today. -
AFTERNOON UPDATE – DON’T START YOUR CAREER AT LNP!
Posted on January 10th, 2019 8 commentsWHAT ARE STAKEHOLDERS?
At Tuesday’s City Council meeting, Blanding Watson, President of the Lancaster Chapter of the NAACP, spoke during the comment period at the end of the meeting (click here to watch the meeting). The first very brief item he brought up was that he thought council should hold public forums on the closing of the hospital. Then he said what is immediately below.
Following that he was asked about the NAACP’s Martin Luther King Service this Sunday at 5:00 pm at the Trinity Lutheran Church (click here for the event Facebook page). Following that discussion, Councilwoman Janet Diaz asked him several questions and that exchange is also below. I have some serious questions and concerns about his answers.
They will come tomorrow along with what constitutes a “stakeholder” and more of what Darlene Byrd told city council before Watson spoke.— Watson – The second item I wanted to say in terms of what was discussed earlier with one of our stakeholders – Sister Darlene Byrd – had brought up some items about the complaint form and the police review board. Those are some items that I think we should probably add for the next community police relations council meeting that we have on a pretty much regular basis and those concerns we should add to our agenda because they are concerns of the community and that’s what I wanted to say.
— Diaz – Can you explain to me you were talking about the police and NAACP getting together. Can you tell me is that something that the public is invited to? Or is that something…
— Watson – Oh, what I was speaking to was we have brought in the Department of Justice and the State Human Relations Commission and also there are other stakeholders as well – it’s not just the NAACP – and we talk a lot about the police and the relation issues that are going on. Things like, for example, the body camera program, complaints – some of those things come up. The use of force policy and any other issues that may have been presented. And a lot of the items we had talked about at the forum we had at Brightside. Currently we’re dealing with an RFP but I was just asking for us to add some of those concerns as a part of that meeting. I think Councilman Soto, you even said you were going to look into some – I didn’t hear everything you were saying. So that’s pretty much what that was about.
— Diaz – Is that open to the public?
— Watson – Those particular meetings are not. Those meetings actually have the stakeholders and also there’s a citizen that’s a part of that. It’s a planning – pretty much a planning council kind of council for a larger picture.
— Diaz – How many members are there?
— Watson – Mitzi probably can answer that better than I can.
— Mitzi – It’s 12 people that are involved.
— Diaz – Are they [inaudible] of the city?
— Watson – Yes. We have also been looking at adding some more people to be a part of it as well in the future. [Watson looks at Mizti and asks “right?” She says “Yes.”] This is from last year we were talking about adding more stakeholders of the community and also some citizens.
— Diaz – How many times do you meet?
— Watson – Well we were meeting when we had all these issues that came up pretty much every week. [Mitzi says “every Monday – 10:00 am.”] We didn’t have any meetings last month. I didn’t attend the last meeting.
— Diaz – Thank you.
— Watson – Any more questions for me? [Laughter]DON’T DO IT, KIDS!
There is so much to talk about. City Council met on both Monday and Tuesday and Darlene Byrd was there (yeah!) and so was Blanding Watson of the NAACP.Is the District Attorney investigating the two officers named in two lawsuits in less than three months for false arrest, perjury and assault? Are these officers still on the street?When will the DA inform the families and the public if Juanita Chevalier and Roxanne Myers had the same killer?When will the DA tell us what DNA says about Erma Kaylor’s killer? His race, eye and hair color?How was the last $6.4 million in CRIZ money distributed and why? And why did Charlotte Katzenmoyer sign a non-disclosure agreement and what is the status of MAW and LanCity Connect?And it is that time of year when LNP is looking for summer interns (see below). Shame on you, Ted Sickler! Don’t do it, kids! They have no journalism ethics!*
*Please check back later today. -
WHY ISN’T THE PRESS DEMANDING ANSWERS?
Posted on January 9th, 2019 5 commentsWHO KILLED
CHEVALIER & MYERS?************
From “DO THE TESTS TODAY, STEDMAN!” on this site (click here).
Who killed Juanita Chevalier and Roxanne Myers and why don’t we know if the same man killed both women? Why won’t the press demand an answer from DA Stedman?
Please check back later today. -
AFTERNOON UPDATE * WILL MIRACK’S FAMILY FINALLY GET CLOSURE?
Posted on January 8th, 2019 11 comments
Posted on Christy Mirack’s Facebook page.
Yes, justice was served and it is wonderful for her family and those who knew her.
But there are a lot of other families in Lancaster County who need justice to be served. That will come tomorrow.GUILTY!
PLEADING GUILTY?
(Click here)Is Raymond Rowe going to plead guilty to killing Christy Mirack in 1992 this morning? WGAL thinks so. From the above story there is this:
Family members tell WGAL that Rowe, also known as DJ Freez, is considering entering a guilty plea.
The hearing is scheduled to take place this morning before President Judge Dennis Reinaker in Courtroom #8 from 10 am to noon.
Please check back later today. -
AFTERNOON UPDATE – PART TWO
Posted on January 7th, 2019 2 commentsFALSE ARREST,
PERJURY & ASSAULTThe below email was sent to DA Craig Stedman’s spokesperson, Brett Hambright, and the State Attorney General’s Office this afternoon. There will be more tomorrow.
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** Are these two officers still on the street? Is the District Attorney’s office investigating them for perjury and assault? This is shocking and outrageous. In what world do these men think this constitutes police work?
“EERILY SIMILAR”
* The “Factual Background” from the lawsuit of Damin Burnside v. City of Lancaster and Officers Timothy Sinnott and Jacob Bingham is below.
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WHEN DID
PROTECT & SERVE
CHANGE TO
HARASS & ABUSE?
Coming later today.
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** – * WHEN DID PROTECT & SERVE…
Posted on January 6th, 2019 4 comments** In response to a comment into this site (thank you!):
On the matter of policing, I wanted to give you an update on some of the City residents who took the Police Civil Service Test Prep class organized at City Hall. We’re starting to receive scores back from individuals and generally they have been very positive. Just a reminder that City residents earn extra points on the civil service exam, as do bilingual applicants. We are most definitely going to build on our successes from this year and run the class again next year alongside our City recruitment efforts.
From the mayor’s report to city council on September 25, 2018 (click here).REVIEW THE PROCESS!
* The City of Lancaster offered residents of Lancaster City free test preparation in the weeks leading up to the test, which we will continue to offer in an effort to recruit and hire more City residents. Of the 121 individuals who passed the test, less than 5% were city residents.From the Lancaster City Police Department’s Facebook page on the swearing in of new officers this past Thursday (click here).This is not what Mayor Danene Sorace told a city council meeting several months ago. She sounded very pleased and stated the testing had gone well and a number of city residents had passed.Every city council member should review those test results and every stage of the hiring process. There should also be a citizen review board to review the entire process.The police press release goes on to say:These candidates passed written and physical tests in September 2018. Based on scoring at the top of the list of testing applicants and in accordance with Civil Service regulations, the candidates were advanced to the next phase of the interview process.They went through a lengthy and exhaustive background investigation that includes multiple interviews with the applicant as well as personal and professional references.The candidates also submitted to a polygraph examination, psychological screening, drug test and physical examination.Really? That process didn’t work too well with Officers Jacob Bingham and Timothy Sinnott now did it? Please see the post immediately below this one. What the hell is going on?CHANGE TO
HARASS & ABUSE?Please check back later today. -
WHERE WAS LNP WHEN THEY WERE SUED THE FIRST TIME?
Posted on January 5th, 2019 No commentsTWO SUITS IN THREE MONTHS!
(Click here)
I guess it takes two federal lawsuits in three months for LNP to write a story about two officers accused of excessive force. Click here for “RACIALLY PROFILED – SHOCKINGLY VIOLENT” on this site for the first lawsuit against these two officers that LNP never covered!
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*** BREAKING NEWS *** – ** – * WHAT IS THERE FAVORABLE TO SAY?
Posted on January 4th, 2019 14 comments*** BREAKING NEWS ***
RESIGN, MAYOR SORACE!
This is simply unbelievable (click here)! This is unacceptable and unconscionable. What is the racial and ethnic make-up of the city of Lancaster?
*********** And if LNP is that strict, why does managing editor Tom Murse have this prominent picture of Trump on his Facebook page in what only can be interpreted as an endorsement?
NOTHING IS “PRIVATE!”
* Tom’s mistake: Nothing on the internet is “private.” But yes, everyone wants to know what was in the screenshot and does he have a legal case?
“WRITING FAVORABLY
ABOUT TRUMP?”
Former LNP reporter Tom Knapp posting on Facebook about his being fired.
Why is LNP slanting the news for Trump?
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AFTERNOON UPDATE *** BREAKING NEWS *** – ** – * LNP: FROM PROTECTOR TO PREDATOR!
Posted on January 3rd, 2019 14 comments• In social media posts, our journalists must not express partisan opinions, promote political views, endorse candidates, make offensive comments or do anything else that undercuts The Times’s journalistic reputation.From the New York Times, “The Times Issues Social Media Guidelines for the Newsroom,” (click here).That is a very strict policy and it would seem their journalists should not have social media accounts or limit them to sports and their children. I don’t know what guidelines LNP has for their reporters on social media (they surely do not have a journalism code of ethics) and I don’t know what Knapp posted on his private Facebook account.But to instruct reporters to write favorably about Donald Trump is also absolutely unethical and simply unbelievable. And let’s not forget that LNP owner, Beverly Steinman, has donated huge sums of money to the Republican party and conservative Republican candidates for years.There will be more tomorrow.*** BREAKING NEWS ***
SUE THEM!
Former LNP reporter Tom Knapp just posted the below on his non-private (formerly LNP) Facebook page.
Sue them, Tom!
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** I will ask again: Should taxpayers be paying for Marriott Hotel rooms for LNP?
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* LNP opinion editor Suzanne Cassidy just tweeted today’s editorial (see below).
You are an absolute disgrace to journalism, Cassidy! LNP should be removed immediately from any legitimate news organizations in the state and the country!
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SHOULD TAXPAYERS
PAY FOR MARRIOTT
HOTEL ROOMS?
Today’s LNP editorial (pictured left – click here) and from NewsLanc.com, “REF speaks: The fall of Lancaster,” (click here).
The hypocrisy and lies from LNP are simply believable! How about $5,100 for a yoga room and over $9 million dollars for rooms in a for-profit, off the tax-rolls Marriott Hotel expansion owned by racist LNP? Om, no.
LNP is a predator indeed!
Please check back later today. -
CAN WE AFFORD TO IMPEACH TRUMP?
Posted on January 2nd, 2019 1 comment
[Editor’s Note: I would like to thank F&M’s G. Terry Madonna and Michael L. Young for including me in their email list which they have done for several months now. I am running their column today – not that I necessarily agree with them but I feel the topic is incredibly important.Thank you again, gentlemen, for recognizing this website!]
Seventeen!That’s the number of separate federal and state ongoing investigations targeting President Trump.
This number omits the dozens of civil lawsuits the president or his businesses are also confronting.Under this unprecedented scrutiny Trump is easily the most investigated president in American history. Nor is it ending. As Democrats take over the House, they will initiate multiple new investigations into all aspects of Trump’s personal and professional life, as well as his business empire. That will include his public policies, his business associates, his personal and professional staff, his campaign team, and even his charitable activities.
To add to his woes the incoming New York Attorney General has pledged to open up an investigation into virtually all aspects of Trump’s life, including his vast real estate holdings.
Not surprisingly, the president has confided to close friends his deep concern about the possibilities of impeachment. He should be concerned. Majority House Democrats now can impeach him since the power to impeach resides solely in the House–while actual removal from office requires two thirds concurrence in the Senate after a trial.
The U.S. Constitution spells out the grounds for impeachment: “Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.” In reality, however, impeachment is a political rather than a legal process, Hence the grounds for impeachment are whatever a majority of the House decides. Since the founding of the
Republic, only two presidents have been impeached – while a third, Richard Nixon, would have been impeached and almost certainly convicted had he not resigned his office.In the first case of actual impeachment, President Andrew Johnson was impeached in 1868 on a straight party line vote – ostensibly for his firing of Secretary of War Edmund Stanton, a firing that violated the Tenure of Office Act. But the real cause of Johnson’s impeachment was political. A Democrat, he was
following a more lenient policy towards the defeated states of the South after the Civil War. Republicans running Congress feared he would disrupt their tougher reconstruction policies. Nevertheless, Johnson survived removal in the Senate by a single vote.
The impeachment of President Bill Clinton in 1998 was also rooted in policy differences, exacerbated greatly by Republican dislike for Clinton and contempt for his behavior in office. Ultimately, Clinton’s denial of an affair with a White House intern led Clinton into a maze of legal depositions and Grand Jury testimony in which he perjured himself. This in turn led to accusations of obstruction of justice, perjury and abuse of power. Eventually the House approved two articles of impeachment, alleging perjury and obstruction of justice. Clinton, however, was comfortably acquitted in the Senate.Any fair reading of history must conclude that impeachment has
been a flawed tool for removing a president. Historically, from Andrew Johnson through Bill Clinton, it has not worked as the Founding Fathers hoped it would. (Although in Nixon’s case it can be argued that its threat brought about a necessary end.)Worse perhaps, we don’t really have a better constitutional method to deal with the constitutional crisis brought on by a
failed presidency. Most analysts have concluded the 25th amendment will work only in the narrowly tailored circumstances of an obviously disabled president – circumstances that don’t exist in this situation. Nor do other constitutional remedies exist. We are not a parliamentary system so can’t remove a president with a “vote of no confidence” as for example the UK can (and historically has frequently done). And much to our credit and stability as a nation, we have no history of coups or other non-constitutional methods to remove a president. Consequently, the options to remove a president from office are few. Some sort of negotiated arrangement similar to that accompanying Richard Nixon’s resignation is possible – presumably with similar legal inducements that allowed Nixon to enter private life immune to possible criminal charges. But a Nixonian style settlement seems unlikely today since ongoing separate state investigations might still ensnare President Trump in a legal morass. Even more problematic, the enormous scope of legal issues confronting Trump extend to his family, making a negotiated legal exit a logistical nightmare. The remaining option is to allow Trump’s term to run out, abandoning efforts to remove him early from office. No one fully knows the implication of Trump finishing his term. But America in two and a half centuries has survived much worse than another two years of a Trump presidency. Moreover, he was constitutionally elected –and up to 40 percent of voters still support him. Unlike Andrew Johnson in the 19th century or Richard Nixon in the 20th, efforts to remove Trump early would leave the country even more divided and polarized than it is now. The costs to be incurred from two more years of a Trump presidency may be trivial compared to the costs of removing him.“What can’t be cured must be endured” is a hoary old maxim that nevertheless fits our situation. The problems of the Trump presidency probably can’t be cured – but they can be endured. We can’t afford the alternative.
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12-31-18 UPDATE – A SERIOUS QUESTION: WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?
Posted on December 30th, 2018 5 commentsHAPPY NEW YEAR!
LIP News will return this Thursday!
*
12-31-18 UPDATE
LNP:
INSTITUTIONALIZED RACISM!What was blatantly missing from LNP’s 2019 wish list: A hope for a better relationship between the police and the communities they serve; increasing the diversity of the police forces, the courts, and the DA’s office in the county; and as per Ms. Musser’s wish below – a truly integrated and equal Lancaster.Yes, we still have to say that with the year 2019 about to come in. And sadly, it is the continued institutionalized discrimination and racism at LNP that supports and continues the blatant inequality and racism in the county. And the mayor, the city council and the community need to call LNP out on it now! This has been going on for years and years! It must come to an end!*****“A TRULY
INTEGRATED LANCASTER“
* Another wish for 2019. Wow! You go, Ms. Musser!
WHAT IN THE WORLD?
From today’s LNP, “Wishes for 2019.”
Can someone please tell me what this means? And what is blatantly missing from the LNP editorial board’s 24 wishes for 2019?
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LANCASTER LOSES A GREAT ONE
Posted on December 29th, 2018 No commentsCONDOLENCES
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AN ADMINISTRATION IN TURMOIL?
Posted on December 28th, 2018 2 commentsKATZENMOYER,
PATTERSON & NOW JOHNSON!
I will be mailing LNP reporter Tim Stuhldreher, who wrote both of the above stories, several journalism codes of ethics in case he’s never read one (and it appears he has not)!
Please check back later today. -
AFTERNOON UPDATE – STRANGE HAPPENINGS OVER THE HOLIDAYS!
Posted on December 27th, 2018 32 commentsDOES HE
UNDERSTAND HIS FIELD?
Speaking of lawyers, can this be for real? The lead network engineer for MAW Communications (LanCity Connect) goes on Facebook looking for an attorney for his new business? Oh, I think he’ll need a lawyer alright! This is too much!
There will be more tomorrow.*****
** Dr. Gerald G. Huesken, the longest-tenured superintendent currently in service in Lancaster County, announced his intent to retire from Conestoga Valley School District at the end of the 2016-17 school year.
From “Huesken Announces Retirement,” (click here).
Yes, this is who Barb married. And speaking of school districts, former Manheim Township School Board President William Murry’s lawsuit against LNP, including Barb, continues. On December 17th, Judge David Ashworth entered an order and the first part is below. You can read his entire order here. This is now over my head and all I know is these lawyers are making a bundle and LNP never went after Conestoga Valley! Hmmm…
*******
* This email in my spam folder this morning! Oh, no! What will these crooks come up with next? They need to go back to grammar school!
*******
BACK TO SCHOOL?
Did you notice the change in LNP’s masthead? Barbara Hough Roda got married over the holidays! So who is the lucky man and when will Barb finally retire?
Please check back later today.
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& HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
Posted on December 22nd, 2018 4 commentsFAITH IN THE JUSTICE SYSTEM
From “What are the Benefits of Having Diversity in a Jury Panel?” (click here).
Happy Holidays! LIP News will resume daily publishing on Thursday, December 27th.
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AFTERNOON UPDATE ** – * REPORT CONFIRMED!
Posted on December 21st, 2018 4 commentsTEACHING TOPIC OF RACE?
I’m going to come back to the juries in Lancaster County tomorrow before going on holiday break. Today, I’m repeating two previous pieces that involve LNP reporter Jeff Hawkes and LNP’s reporting on juries (the originals are here and here).*
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STEDMAN: FEAR MONGERING!
“Lancaster County District Attorney Craig Stedman resorted to fear mongering to push for a mandatory sentencing bill to pass the state Senate.”
Thank you to a commenter for linking to the above ACLU article (click here).* “I have a proven record of commitment to fairness and know the role of a judge is to interpret the law. … I want to continue to make a difference and keep Lancaster safe and free, consistent with the Constitution.”
DA Craig Stedman quoted in the article linked to immediately below.
“A commitment to fairness” is simply not true and this site has proven that over and over again and will continue to do so.WHERE ARE
THE DEMOCRATS?
Yesterday’s unconfirmed report has now been confirmed by LNP (click here for the article shown at left and I did put a call into the Republican party yesterday but did not hear back).
The same person has this to say about the DA race and I agree about Fetterman and Mansfield – they are terrible!:
There are 3 people trying to get the Republican endorsement for Stedman’s DA position – Mark Fetterman, Karen Mansfield, both members of Stedman’s staff, and Heather Adams, a former Deputy Attorney General who is by far the best qualified. She is not in the Republican inner circle so she probably doesn’t have a snowball’s chance in hell. Fetterman, who is married, has baggage – emails involving a female assistant DA who is no longer with the office are supposed to surface, but haven’t yet. Maybe a RTK request for his emails would enlighten people. Mansfield comes off as a dope.
Thank you again for the information and please check back later today. -
AFTERNOON UPDATE * – *** BREAKING NEWS *** UNCONFIRMED REPORT
Posted on December 20th, 2018 4 commentsANOTHER ALL WHITE JURY!
Once again, LNP reporter Jeff Hawkes refuses to disclose the race and ethnicity of a Lancaster County jury. The jury in the above case decided today was all white and mostly middle aged or older.
On July 22 of this year, Hawkes wrote about Judge Lawrence Stengel retiring and I was surprised and pleased to see a quote from Stengel which I wrote about as follows (click here for the original on this site and here for the LNP article):
There will be much more on Hawkes and the unbelievable racism at LNP tomorrow.
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* MANHEIM TWP.: A resident of the 300 block of Fern Lane received a call Dec. 14 saying they won a $3.5 million prize but needed to transfer $18,645.13 using a Walmart-to-Walmart transfer. The victim transferred the funds.
From today’s police log (click here).
Do not ever send money! Oh, my heavens! Hang up!STEDMAN & BROWN?
Becky –Thought you’d be interested to know that since Stedman announced he wants the Republican endorsement for the judicial vacancy in Lancaster County, all of the judicial candidates EXCEPT Todd Brown, the Head Public Defender, have withdrawn their names. Stedman, unless he gets stained by the scandal he did nothing about – First Assistant Chris Larsen banging a subordinate in and out of the office – is the shoo-in. That, by the way, is why the First Assistant isn’t running for DA.This email in yesterday from someone who has provided good information in the past (thank you!).Please note the information in this email has not been independently confirmed. I will work today to get the official word on this.As of 8:30 am this morning, the following are listed on the Republican Party website as candidates seeking the party’s endorsement to run for judge (click here).
Please check back later today. -
AFTERNOON UPDATE – LNP: ABSOLUTELY UNPRINCIPLED!
Posted on December 19th, 2018 6 commentsNOT
STATISTICALLY POSSIBLE!
I am told by a person attending this trial that the jury is all white. How is this possible? Why doesn’t LNP report the racial and ethnic make-up of juries in Lancaster County?
This is an outrage and there will be much more tomorrow.LNP: TELL THE TRUTH!
Today’s LNP editorial (click here).This is beyond absurd and disgusting. LNP why don’t you try this basic principle: Tell the truth!
Please check back later today. -
* – *** BREAKING *** – ** – * 12-18-18 UPDATE – SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING
Posted on December 17th, 2018 8 commentsWHERE DO THEY GET IT?
The lead story on Lancaster Online (left) and the DA’s tweet with his mugshot (click here to read the press release).
Eighty pounds is a lot (obviously)! But what I don’t understand about the new ordinance in the city allowing someone to have an ounce of marijuana is once again – where do they get that ounce or less? To possess it someone has to have sold it to them (or they grew it themselves). Where and how do you draw that line?
CORLL APPEALS – AGAIN!
*** BREAKING NEWS *** Former Lancaster City Police Sgt. Raymond Corll has filed an appeal of his conviction and sentence to the Supreme Court of PA (see below). The Superior Court of PA affirmed and upheld his conviction and sentence in the Lancaster County Court on November 20, 2018.
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** Richard B Rodriguez-Ysabel, 21, does not have any other criminal dockets in the state of PA (see below). All of the NT (non-traffic) entries (including one in York County not included in the below) are for noise violations.
WHERE IS LNP?
* That said, we do fully support City Council’s proposal to decriminalize minor marijuana possession.
From the LNP editorial on September 7th of this year, “Decriminalizing (not legalizing) marijuana possession in Lancaster city makes sense,” (click here).
Where are you, LNP? Why don’t you have a reporter questioning the police chief, the DA and the mayor on why the new ordinance that you support was not applied in this case?12-18-18 UPDATE
— OUTRAGE! —
Read the comments under City Councilwoman Janet Diaz’s Facebook post (click here).
— Doing some research this afternoon. —
*** City Council on Tuesday approved an ordinance giving police leeway to treat possession of small amounts of marijuana more leniently than state law does.
…. It allows officers to file a summary charge, similar to a traffic ticket, for possession or use of up to an ounce of marijuana, or possession of paraphernalia.
State law treats possession of small amounts of marijuana as a misdemeanor. Convictions can lead to a permanent criminal record with lifelong effects, barring individuals from educational, housing and job opportunities.
That’s what the council hopes to prevent.
From the LNP article, “City Council reduces penalties for small amounts of marijuana,” (click here).
See immediately below.“HISPANIC JUVENILE MALE“
** VCS POSSESS MARIJUANA
1ST BLK PEARL ST
OCCURRED 12/7/2018 1952 HRS
Richard B Rodriguez-Ysabel, 21, of the 500 block West Orange Street, Lancaster PA and a Hispanic juvenile male passenger were the subjects of a traffic stop. The suspects were found to be in possession of marijuana. Rodriguez-Ysabel arrested and charged with Possession of Small Amount of Marijuana, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Corruption of Minors and Driving Under Suspension. The juvenile was also arrested and charged with Possession of Small Amount of Marijuana.
From today’s police log (click here).
1. City council passed an ordinance making possession of a small amount of marijuana a summary offense. How much did Rodriguez-Ysabel have? He is charged with a misdemeanor for that.
2. Why do we need to know the unnamed juvenile is “Hispanic?” How much marijuana did he have?JUST SAY NO! THEY MUST GO!
James Reichenbach John Graupera
* In part of her comments to city council at their last meeting, Darlene Byrd also talked about the police department and the two current officers charged with domestic violence (also see yesterday’s post).
City councilmen James Reichenbach and John Graupera are up for re-election in 2019. Both of these men (and Mayor Sorace) never said a word during all the years they had a police chief whose ex-wife wrote a book stating he beat her for years. Neither of these men deserve to be re-elected!HAPPY HOLIDAYS?
Part of city council’s agenda for tomorrow night (click here).*In a specially scheduled city council meeting because of the holidays, they will meet tomorrow and take a final vote on all the tax increases and budget for 2019.Please check back later today. -
SPEAK UP FOR JUSTICE
Posted on December 16th, 2018 No commentsDARLENE SPEAKS
TRUTH TO POWER!
Don’t be a yes man. Don’t be a rubber-stamper. Make a difference. We didn’t put you up here just to have colored people or color up here.
We put you up here because we thought you would make a difference and not go the same old, same old, same old toe the line. We need someone who’s going to speak up for justice.
Darlene Byrd addressing city council Tuesday night (you can watch the video here).
Oh, it gets even better! This woman is smart, well spoken and angry! I hope to have a full transcript of her statement to council here tomorrow. She has been seeking an apology from the Lancaster City Police Department since May and has addressed city council numerous times about it. -
THE WORST DAY OF HIS LIFE…
Posted on December 15th, 2018 4 commentsMAY HAVE SAVED HIS LIFE
An inspiring story from the daughter of former Mayor Charlie Smithgall (click here for the Facebook entry):
I’d like to share a story about my dad….. a story of how I think that sometimes there’s a reason for everything that happens …. even the bad things. As most of you know on October 23rd the unthinkable happened at our pharmacy. We were robbed at gunpoint and my dad not only defended himself, the employees and a customer … he was beat up and knocked around and bruised by the bad guy in a lengthy struggle that ended up with my dad being hurt, and everyone there being shaken up, left with nightmares and a new kind of fear they never had before. My dad was taken away in an ambulance to get medical treatment and be observed in the Lancaster General Hospital. While he was there he had a CT scan to check for internal bleeding and they didn’t find any. But they did find a mass on his kidney. Fast forward till this Monday when my dad had his biopsy and after lots of doctors appointments over the past month and a half and tests and second and third opinions we found out it was cancerous and today at FoxChase in Philadelphia my dad had a partial kidney resection (meaning they were able to save 50% of his kidney) remove the tumor which basically doubled in size since October and are very optimistic that they got it all and it didn’t spread. But what if that awful day in October hadn’t happened, how long would it have been till they found it, till he had symptoms, till it spread around his body???
My dads doing well tonight. My mom and Jon spent the day at the hospital, waited during the 5 hour surgery and got to spend time with him after. At 9 tonight my dad called me to say hi and say what he’d like brought in tomorrow. He’s got a long recovery ahead of him and he’s got a pretty good amount of pain tonight. But he’s doing great so far and the surgery went well and that’s the best news I could have heard. I’m so lucky to have him, but he’s so much luckier that they found this early and they were able to help him. Hug those around you a little tighter tonight, tell them you love them …. for you never know what tomorrow might bring.
Please keep my dad in your thoughts as he recovers over the next few weeks. It’s hard for me to put into words what I want to say.. I’m not really a religious person, but I’ll try…. To whomever or whatever is out there watching over my dad and all of us, thank you from the bottom of my heart for this good news, for the discovery of his issue, for watching over his doctors and nurses whom were able to help him and to my amazing and supportive friends and family for thinking of us all… thank you. It’s ironic that the worst day of his life actually may have saved his life. ❤️🤗❤️🤗