In a startling revelation by Liz Nelson and Reed Williams in the Daily Progress, Republican City Council candidate Kenneth Jackson has been found to have been convicted four times for assault and battery, with a knife on three of those occasions. In 1985, the 18-year-old Jackson stabbed a classmate several times; in 1990, he got in a fight, assaulted a police officer and resisted arrest; in 1993, he went after a coworker with a knife; and in 1994, he cut a man in the torso after the man slapped him. Jackson sees no reason why any of this should concern voters. “They were years ago,” he said. “That’s one of the great things about our society. It gives you a chance to change.”
News and meta-news about Charlottesville, VA, since 2001.
Sideblog
Police announced this afternoon that their investigation into what was initially believed to be a fatal fire on Rugby Avenue is now a homicide investigation. #
The Virginia Supreme Court has denied George Huguely’s appeal. His second-degree murder conviction will stand, WRIC reports. #
In a carefully worded story, and not citing specific sources, WTVR reports that forensic evidence belonging to Jesse Matthew Jr., the main suspect in the disappearance of Hannah Graham, matches forensic evidence collected during the investigation of Morgan Harrington’s 2009 murder. #
In the wake of Hannah Graham’s disappearance, and the evidence that came from private security footage, city officials are revisiting the question of installing security cameras on the downtown mall. #
Both Charlottesville Registrar Sheri Iachetta and former Electoral Board member Stephanie Commander have turned themselves in to the police on
foursix and four felony counts of embezzlement, respectively. #Ten years ago, the National Institutes of Health budget doubled and schools like the University of Virginia built massive new research facilities. A decade later, those buildings remain largely underutilized. NPR visits UVA in this story on the effect of federal binge and spurge spending in the sciences. #
In 2012, Council approved a new student housing complex on West Main—now some council members are questioning whether what they were shown matches what was built. #
The Architectural Review Board has approved a bike-themed mural on West Market, below the McGuffey Art Center, although at least one member expressed concerns that it might look like the bicyclists were riding away from Charlottesville’s downtown. #
City Police Chief Tim Longo is meeting with city leaders to work on protocols regarding the use of military surplus police weapons in Charlottesville. #
A 100-year-old Colonnades resident received military honors for her service in the WWII Women’s Army Corps #
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I’d been thinking that Jackson posed a serious threat to the Democratic candidates, but now…not so much.
It’s possible that he can spin this straw into gold. But it’s gonna take some doing, and I’m not sure that’ll happen.
that is what I am talking about the reason why I hate politics today. That is why we scare away anyone who might be a good leader (R) or (D). Do you think this guy was thinking in high school that maybe one day he might run for city council?
The question you have to ask is that is this guy hiding from it or is he facing the music. Take old Billy Clinton (not to be on party lines) but he LIED about taking a hit. You know I wouldn’t care if he was tripping on LSD in the 60’s, heck half of the rich kids were in that era. It is the fact that he thought we were stupid to believe he didn’t inhale.
Yeah, I think he’s a serious threat to the Democratic candidates… a threat to stab them in the gut if he loses it.
Ba-da-bing.
And Dubya was convicted twice for drunk driving. He could have killed somebody.
I think I would have a hard time voting for someone who had knifed a bunch of people.
BTW, does anyone know what he would like to do if he got on the council? All I’ve seen in the news is biographical stuff.
Do you think this guy was thinking in high school that maybe one day he might run for city council?
No, I’ll give him a pass on when he was 18, but I’d say that by nine years later, he should have gotten his shit together enough to have stopped stabbing people.
If the problem with politics today is that serially-violent people can’t seem to get elected… I don’t know, that seems OK to me.
BTW, does anyone know what he would like to do if he got on the council? All I’ve seen in the news is biographical stuff.
Crime reduction.
No, seriously. You just can’t make that stuff up.
Maybe he figures having that officer in Council chambers will cut down on the stabbings?
Personally, I don’t see why this should be of any concern, as long as we keep all sharp pointy objects out of the Council meeting room.
actually he might sound like a good coucilor-
So you don’t want the Meadow Creek Parkway, I think my little friend might say otherwise!
HA
Can someone explain to me why it is considered obvious that Clinton was lying when he said “I tried marijuana, I didn’t like it and I didn’t inhale”? I’ve always thought the awkwardness of the response was pretty good evidence that he was telling the truth. It would be a lot easier to fib by saying either “People I knew used marijuana, but I never did,” or “I experimented with it a few times, but not for long.”
Remember 4 years ago the fight alleged in Mono Loco between 2 former party chairs? Michael Crafaik had taken over the party by flooding the mass meeting to elect a chairman with 25 of his friends and relatives. The former chairman said the fight never happened. (Do you know the link to this story?)
So violence seems to run in the family.
What the Democratic Party has to fear is that as few as 25 independents could take over the Republican party. Republicans have ballot access whereas independents don’t. Any group with an issue or idea can become the Republican party. It takes about a 100 people to take over the Democratic committe and 500 to determine the nominees.
So, for example, an eminent domain party could take over city government without getting a single Democratic vote, and with less than 4,000 of the 20,000 registered voters. You just need to get more votes than the opponent.
Next opportunity to take over Charlottesville is 2008.
My friend Peter e-mailed me a few minutes ago with an excellent question: Under current three-strikes laws, if his most recent crime had been just a year later, wouldn’t Mr. Jackson be serving life in prison without eligibility for parole right now?
I’m curious to find out what Mr. Jackson thinks about these laws.
This horse was dead and buried for me a long time ago. When I was in college, I attended parties where joints were being passed around. I was there to meet girls, not fry my brains, but peer pressure is very acute at that age. There were a couple of times I hung onto a joint, waved it around and pretended to toke, but I was just faking it. Were I to run for public office years later, there very well could be people who "remembered" me partaking of the weed. That is, assuming they remember anything at all…:)
As for Mr. Jackson’s criminal convictions, do not underestimate the power of forgiveness and redemption, particularly among Christians. For some, this may make him a stronger candididate for having sinned and redeemed himself.
if he is a felon, does this mean he can’t vote for himself in the election? How can someone not be able to vote but get elected to city council?
from the progress story it looks like all the convictions are misdemeanors; therefore they would not be subject to three strikes laws which apply to felonies. I believe, also, that anyone convicted of a felony is not able to hold office, unless their citizenship rights have been restored by a judge. Could most definitely be wrong about this though
from the progress story it looks like all the convictions are misdemeanors; therefore they would not be subject to three strikes laws which apply to felonies.
That’s a good point. It hadn’t crossed my mind that stabbing somebody repeatedly could be a misdemeanor, but the others I can see.
I believe, also, that anyone convicted of a felony is not able to hold office, unless their citizenship rights have been restored by a judge.
I believe — but I can’t recall for certain — that an ex-felon may run for office in Virginia, but not actually vote. I may just be thinking of James Traficant, though. :)
That fight sounded great. Supposedly Dale McGlothlin (who was pretty big) threw Crafaik (who’s kind of twerpy) against a plate-glass window.
Davide Dukcevich wrote the story — I don’t know if it exists online anymore. The Progress’ web site really sucked back then, even more.
The charges got thrown out or he got acquitted or something, and I remember all McGlothlin’s drunken red-faced friends accosted a group of reporters I was with one night demanding a front-page retraction.
"Fry my brains"?
What, did the joints have meth in them?
As for forgiveness and redemption, good point, but I think it’s much more important not to underestimate the degree to which people will twist logic and consistency on their heads to support whoever they were going to support anyway.
For years and years now, for example, we’ve been hearing nothing from conservatives but how sacred the Constitution is, and strict constructionist this and Founding Fathers’ intentions that, but as soon as two dudes want to live together they want to tear the whole thing up and start over.
I just want to know if it was Rick James who slapped him.
Hey–I’m voting for the guy. He’ll cut down the government. Give ’em a slice of reality.
In truth we suffer not so much from a bad city council, as incompetant city management. So here’s hoping Mr. Jackson gets elected, and then the city manager does something that really, really pisses him off.