Today’s quote comes to us from one Ryan Tronovitch – a spokesperson for North Carolina’s Republican Governor, Pat McCrory, while speaking about the case of Henry L. McCollum and his half-brother, Leon Brown.
In 1983, Mr. McCollum and Mr. Brown, then teenagers, were arrested and charged with the rape and murder of an 11 year old girl, Sabrina Buie. They were convicted in 1984 and spent the next 30 years in jail.
In September of last year, however, their lawyers introduced DNA evidence proving the men, now 50 and 46 years of age, did not do it.
Moreover, the Judge concluded that “no physical evidence, either at the time of their arrest or at any time since, linked Mr. McCollum or Mr. Brown to the scene or the commission of this crime. and the case was built on little other than an immediate – which, based on Allan Blinder’s article in today’s New York Times, they were probably tricked or coerced into making – and which both McCollum and Brown quickly recanted.
Now, Mr. McCollum and Mr. Brown, who have lived in poverty since being released (try to find a job as an uneducated ex-con with no work history), would like to sue for compensation (not that any amount of money would compensate for 30 years of incarceration).
But they can’t.
The reason? Under North Carolina law, the legal moves which resulted in their being freed, require that the lawsuit cannot be filed unless and until they are pardoned by the Governor of the state.
Earlier, I mentioned that these two men were freed in September of last year. That was a half year ago. But there still has been no pardon from Governor McCrory.
WHY?
The DNA shows they didn’t do it, and the way they were “convicted” is an embarrassment to the state – and quite possibly a racist embarrassment, given that McCollum and Brown are Black (would the same railroading of a prosecution have taken place this way if they were White?). But still no pardon after all this time.
Asking again: WHY?
In answer, here is the statement, issued last week, by Governor McCrory’s spokesperson, Ron Tronovitch:
“Our extensive review is ongoing, and we need to ensure that we have gathered and considered all relevant information as part of our process. While we can’t put an exact time frame on when a decision will come, this is a top priority for Governor McCrory, and he has made that abundantly clear to those involved.”
Lucky for Tronovitch’s face that I am not Henry L. McCollum or Leon Brown. Because if I were either, about halfway through that impossibly cliché-ridden load of pig manure I would have broken his nose and separated him from most of his teeth.
Extensive, ongoing review? Of WHAT? The DNA exonerated them. There was never any evidence either man was even at the scene of the crime.
Top priority? After a half year of being ignored? That would insult the intelligence of an average goldfish.
I award Ron Tronovitch Quote Of The Day honors for showing us a level of depravity that is not often seen, not even in politics, by saying something so dishonest and so repulsive that it would embarrass a serial liar.
To Ron Tronovitch, I urge you to stay in this line of work…because if you are soulless enough to say something like that for McCrory, you will be able to say anything on behalf of any politician at all.
And to North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory, I make a simple, obvious request. Stop this crap. Stop this crap immediately, and give these men the pardon they should have gotten within a week of their exoneration.
What kind of a man are you, anyway?
