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Wednesday, May 03, 2006

Thoughts on Mayor Hutcherson

After the verdict has been handed down on our Mayor, I have mixed thoughts. Here is a man who has dedicated his life to serving others, but he went astray. What bothers me the most is the Social Security fraud. He took advantage of those who could not help themselves and earned only 500 per month.

I imagine it started out as I will use this money now, but I will pay it back. And what happened continued as a pattern of commingling funds, his and those he was entrusted to help. It was a wrong path and led him down a slippery slope, and perhaps through rationalization he justified to himself his actions. And perhaps he forgot at times whose money was whose, and the logic and the self justification became foggier even to him.

But his first step in commingling the funds was wrong, he should have know this and understood the implications.

What also disturbed me was the point of the prosecution naming a mistress in the case. I bit my lip and did not comment on this. I waited to see if this was important to the prosecution's case. And as far as I can see from were I am sitting, this did not need to be brought out. After all, this was a trial of broken laws not broken morals. And no matter how you feel about the moral issues, what was germane here was the broken laws. And the judgement of the jury should not be clouded by what moral bounds the Mayor did not maintain.

Often I do not find myself agreeing with Rev Jerry Falwell, although I do at times. And though I cannot locate the written statement, that was read on WSET last night, I do remember the gist of what Jerry said. This is a time for compassion of all parties that have been hurt. My first thoughts are for the victims who could not take care of their meager funds. Then for the Mayor himself who fell prey to temptation in using their funds.

Now, there will be appeals, and sentencing. The Judge will lay down the sentence and most likely the appeals will fail. A great part of the sentence will be mitigated, and if the Mayor will spend real time in jail is still anyone's guess. My opinion, is that at least some jail time is appropriate, he should be held to the same standard every common citizen would face in similar circumstances.

4 Comments:

At 1:11 PM, Blogger corndog said...

Yes, I have to agree with what you are saying here. He should have known that what he was doing was wrong, and I believe he would be in far less trouble had he just admitted it, apologized and made whole his victims, thereby saving the Commonwealth from all this time, money and trouble (Not to mention the embarassment to Lynchburg citizens).

The penalty for not doing so, in the face of this kind of evidence, should be some jail time.

 
At 4:48 PM, Blogger Ken Martin said...

When this news orginally broke I was in shock. But as I said then, "if the Feds come after you the odds are in their favor 80-90 percent. My heart and thoughts go out to all involved.

 
At 11:10 PM, Blogger B O B said...

Hi Rebecca I this is what Falwell said on his written statement according to WSET:

"I'm sure all of Lynchburg is saddened by the entire matter. As Christians, we have a clear mandate to pray for the mayor and his family, and everyone involved or hurt in this situation."

 
At 7:46 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I am an individual Macintosh sales and technical support person in Lynchburg, Being an honest man who has had his share of problems and issues to overcome in life I know only too well the truth that you always must follow the straight and narrow course of truth justice and the american way. I therefore have NO sy,mapathy for Carl Hutcherson, that I find to be only the most EVIL of men, hiding behind the cloth while supporting a mistress for over 25 years or more, the LEAST of his evil. It is however a christian thing to absolve his sin. Therefore may he stand before heaven itself to judgement!!!!
And for honest easy computing by a hard working honest boy visit my web site at http://macguru.biz/ and call me at 509-4137 and I'll make your computing needs a pleasure! Old boy services for good ol girls and good ol boys ;-)

 

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