Monthly Archive for August, 2003

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NAACP Investigating Lying Deputy Case

The NAACP is concerned about Commonwealth’s Attorney Jim Camblos’ decision not to prosecute lying ex-deputy Stephen Shiflett, after Shiflett claimed that he’d been shot by a black man and Albemarle Sheriff Edgar Robb declaring the shooting a “hate crime.” When it became clear that Shiflett had invented the story, Robb apologized to the black community, but neither Robb nor Camblos (whose offices are just a few feet apart from each other, incidentally) pursued an investigation of what had really happened. The Charlottesville chapter of the NAACP has launched an inquiry as to why Shiflett was never charged, saying that they “are concerned about all issues that might be indicative of some impropriety or injustice.” Reed Williams has the story in today’s Progress.

Progress: Case May Impact Robb’s Election

Charlottesville’s hotshot investigative reporter Reed Williams has a lengthy story in today’s Progress about lying ex-deputy Stephen Shiflett, including interviews with candidates for Albemarle Sheriff, ex-sheriffs, and anonymous sources close to the case. Sheriff Edgar Robb acknowledges that his actions and those of also-Republican Commonwealth’s Attorney Jim Camblos look suspicious, but insists that the two are not in cahoots. One of Robb’s opponents in the November election questions Robb’s judgement in hiring the “cop with an attitude”, which Robb has defended by saying that Shiflett was not only quite punctual, but had never actually been convicted of a crime. (It was a civil suit that Shiflett lost while a Louisa deputy, not a criminal case.) Concludes retired county detective and former deputy Donald Byers, “it’s kind of hard for me to understand that there’s not enough evidence for him to be charged.” Be sure to read the whole story for all of the details.

Weird WINA Programming

empty writes: Today at 5:00 PM I tuned to WINA for the top of the hour news, but heard instead what seemed to be a Schoolhouse Rock parody with lyrics pretty rough for talk AM (“a noun can be a person, like a hooker, or a pimp,” for example, approximately). This was followed by the techno hit “Sandstorm” by DaRude, and then several minutes of silence. Malicious operator? Pirate prank? Format experiment? It wasn’t quite as weird as the time WVIR broadcast porn, but it still caught my attention.

With music like that, I would definitely spend more time listening to WINA than just a half-hour in the morning.

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