FL Mayor indicted in election case

“http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/florida/orl-asec-dyerstory031105,0,7150.story?coll=sfla-news-florida

Orlando Mayor indicted and suspended in election case
Special election will be held to replace him

Here's a question for all you libs that insist 'the media' isn't biased.
Why is there no mention of party affiliation each time a Democrat is caught?
If he was a Rep, it would be all over the papers.

My goodness, everyone KNOWS the Repubs were trying to STEAL the election in FL!!!!!! ;-)
last edited: 3/11/05 4:09:24 PM”

“SS, it does say he was a democrat

"The charges are without merit and are totally politically motivated," Dyer said this afternoon, relying on a "vague Florida statue that has never been applied." Dyer, a Democrat, was first elected mayor in 2003. Brad King, the special prosecutor who conducted the investigation is a Republican.”

“derrr...”

“So, if no mention of his party affiliation had proven a a liberal bias, does the fact that there IS mention prove anything? Probably not, eh?”

“I stand corrected....SIX paragraphs into the story, one little time.
Kinda buried, don't ya think?”

“I know you're new here and all so I'll go easy on you.

1) You should really read articles before you post them here. You end up looking clueless otherwise.

2) In the interest of housekeeping, do not make a new thread every time you have a new thought. Search old threads and tack yours onto an appropriate thread, if one exists. This one should have gone on the "Life in Jeb Bush's Florida" thread.

Thanks and better luck next time.”

“Life in Jeb Bush's Florida was not the thread I wanted.

So the DEMS were stealing the election instead!
Glad you agree! LOL”

“I know it would have been in the HEADLINE if he had been a Rep.”

“Orlando Mayor indicted and suspended in election case


Special election will be held to replace him

By Mark Schlueb
Sentinel Staff Writer
Posted March 11 2005, 4:40 PM EST

In a day of swift and stunning developments triggered by four grand jury indictments, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer was charged with violating state absentee ballot law during last year's mayor's race and quickly removed from office.

Dyer; his campaign manager Patti Sharp, accused ballot broker Ezzie Thomas and Circuit Judge Alan Apte braved a phalanx of news reporters at the jail this morning as they entered a booking area to be fingerprinted and processed.

Florida Gov. Jeb Bush suspended the mayor this afternoon, issuing an executive order prohibiting Dyer "from performing any official act, duty, or function of public office."

Orlando's city attorney concluded that a special election should be held in the next two months to replace Dyer with a temporary mayor while Dyer fights the charges. Mayor Pro Tem Ernest Page, who coincidentally was suspended from the Orlando City Council in the 1980s and eventually served time in jail, will take over until the election.

Dyer, Sharp and Apte are each accused of "providing pecuniary gain for absentee ballot possession or collection," according to their arrest affidavits. Thomas -- who was hired by Dyer's and Apte's campaigns -- was charged with "accepting" payment. A 1998 state law prohibits paying someone or being paid for collecting absentee ballots.

"The charges are without merit and are totally politically motivated," Dyer said this afternoon, relying on a "vague Florida statue that has never been applied." Dyer, a Democrat, was first elected mayor in 2003. Brad King, the special prosecutor who conducted the investigation, is a Republican.

Gov. Bush, also a Republican, was visiting the University of Central Florida campus this morning, and said it is his policy to suspend public officials under indictment.

"I'm disappointed," Bush said. "I admire Mayor Dyer. I'm sad for him and his family. It's always difficult when public officials....allegedly, and that's what we're talking about at this point, allegations...are accused of wrongdoing because it violates the public trust."

Dyer showed up at the jail at 8:35 a.m., accompanied by his deputy chief of staff, Joe Robinson, a captain with the Orlando Police Department. Agents from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, which investigated the case, arrived at the same time in separate vehicles.

Defeated 2004 mayoral rival Ken Mulvaney later told reporters that the grand jury confirmed his suspicions and should open the door for a run-off from the 2004 contest.

Dyer won that race with roughly 51 percent of the vote to Mulvaney's 30.5 percent. By gaining 50 percent plus one vote, Dyer won it outright. But Mulvaney's pending civil lawsuit requests that a judge throw out certain absentees ballots from that race, thus pushing Dyer's victory margin under 50 percent.

"Hopefully justice has been served," Mulvaney said. "We knew the evidence was there."

Patti Sharp's attorney, Bill Sheaffer, denounced the charges, saying none of those indicted did anything wrong.

"This indictment, in my opinion, is the result of a number of circumstances that created an imperfect storm, the circumstances being powerful political operatives behind the scene, witnesses who have not told the truth and a rogue grand jury that does not have the ability to discern the truth," Sheaffer said.

Sheaffer said his client will plead not guilty, and he will file motions to dismiss the charges.

Thomas' attorney, Dean Mosley, described the indictment as politically motivated and said his client probably would not have been charged if the case did not involve the Mayor of Orlando.

Mosley said his client never hid the fact that he was paid by local campaigns and did not know it was illegal. "He never thought he did anything wrong and nobody ever informed him," Mosley said.

Thomas said he expects to be vindicated and to return to his volunteer work, boosting minority voting in Orlando's black community. "I do plan to return to helping people in my community because we share the same values and there is power in the vote," said Thomas, the head of the non-partisan Orange County Voters League.

Apte had no comment.”

“lol@SS”

“If it's found to be true, I hope he goes to jail alongside someone he put there.”

“If you commit a crime and are found guilty you should go to jail. It doesn't matter what party you belong to.

Tenn had a DemocraticGovernor that was removed from office for selling paroles to inmates. He got caught and went to jail. He deserved it. There wasn't a big deal made of it. In fact he was replaced by a Republican..again no big deal made of it.

I am trying to understand why you think liberals or conservatives have a problem with someone going to jail who commits a crime.”

“I shot the sherrif...


...but I did not shoot the deputy
last edited: 3/11/05 5:27:22 PM”

“Some people in Atlanta would like to talk to you MarkO.”

“SS, I can confirm to you now that each day a notice goes out over the AP wires that editors should not identify Democrats accused of crimes, but any Republicans accused of crimes should be identified prominently.

It's a fact.”

““I know you're new here and all so I'll go easy on you.

1) You should really read articles before you post them here. You end up looking clueless otherwise.

2) In the interest of housekeeping, do not make a new thread every time you have a new thought. Search old threads and tack yours onto an appropriate thread, if one exists. This one should have gone on the "Life in Jeb Bush's Florida" thread.

Thanks and better luck next time.”
vioLIN

Violin, you ignorant slut.

Of course he looks clueless. How else would you expect a NeoCons to look.

He does not post a new thread whenever he has a new thought. If he did, he wouldn't post any threads at all.

Damn man, get it right next time!”

“SS, I can confirm to you now that each day a notice goes out over the AP wires that editors should not identify Democrats accused of crimes, but any Republicans accused of crimes should be identified prominently.

It's a fact.”
Geobeet
6:28:24 PM
3/11/0

I figured the article would meet with your approval, George. I see you, as an editor, have the same sense of high journalistic standards as CBS News. LOL

Hey Ewker, the Democratic Party IS the party of felons. Not only do they want felons to vote, but they want their leaders like Dyre to be able to vote from jail.”

“so your saying that anyone who is a Democratic is a felon since the Democratic party is the party of felons...lmao

you must think a Republican has never commited a crime. Take off those rose colored glasses.”

“BTW, you are already assuming that Dyre is in jail. If he is found gulity he should go to jail.

You should read your links a little better.

Not only did you miss him being called a Democrat you missed this stated from Gov. Bush

"I'm disappointed," Bush said. "I admire Mayor Dyer. I'm sad for him and his family. It's always difficult when public officials....allegedly, and that's what we're talking about at this point, allegations...are accused of wrong doing because it violates the public trust."
last edited: 3/12/05 10:23:55 AM”

“Hey Ewker, the Democratic Party IS the party of felons. Not only do they want felons to vote, but they want their leaders like Dyre to be able to vote from jail.”
StoveStomper
8:33:11 PM
3/11/05

In Texas, under the tenure of then-Governor George W. Bush a bill was passed in 1997 that removed a two-year waiting period for ex-felons, automatically allowing them to register to vote upon release from supervision, including parole or probation.

In 1997, as governor of Texas, the president signed a bill eliminating a requirement that felons wait two years after completing their sentences to vote again.

The American Correctional Association agrees. This January, the world's oldest and largest correctional trade organization plans to adopt a formal policy supporting automatic restoration of voting rights for felons who have finished their sentences -- a position with which President Bush apparently also concurs.

A growing number of states, nine in the past several years, are allowing convicted felons to regain their voting rights.

Since 1996, nine states, including Maryland and Virginia, have eliminated some voting barriers for people with felony convictions,

Other states that have approved enfranchisement policies for some felons are Maryland, Virginia, Connecticut, Delaware, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas and Wyoming.

"This is not necessarily a partisan issue. Republican governors of Connecticut, New Mexico and Alabama have signed bills" enhancing voting rights for felons, said Mark Mauer, assistant director of the Sentencing Project.

Three states — Utah, Massachusetts and Kansas — have toughened voting policies for felons in that same seven-year period,


But lets not let facts get in the way of a good lie.
last edited: 3/12/05 4:00:37 PM”

“Ha Ha Ha Ha”

“bump, just for the heck of it”

“I stand corrected....SIX paragraphs into the story, one little time.
Kinda buried, don't ya think?”
StoveStomper
5:16:21 PM


You can't accuse the media of bias here, Stovie. But, you can accuse them of assuming your reading level exceeds the fifth grade!”

““Ya know what? I think it’s time we all got brutally honest with each other. It’s time we all come right out and say what no one wants to. To say that one single thing that will get us all called closed minded, un-PC, and ignorant. OK, I’ll go first…

“I, Nigal J. McGillicutty, don’t give a shlt what anyone thinks. Don’t agree with me? Tough shlt brother. I don’t give a flying phuck what the left thinks. I don’t give a flying phuck what the right thinks. I don’t give a flying phuck what YOU think. Forget all the ‘Let’s have an open dialogue and learn from each other.’ PC bull chit. You don’t care, I don’t care, WE don’t care. These are my beliefs. This is what I think. Do you really, really think that anyone on here as the credibility to even comment on another‘s views? Think again.”

Now, if we get that out of the way we can all agree that all we are engaging in here is shouting. Who can shout the loudest, longest and shrillest. That’s who wins on TT.””

“Once again, reality conspires to make StoveStomper look foolish:

Orlando Mayor Is Cleared of Election Law Violation”