Gordonsville police officer Emerson Brown — who disappeared in October of last year, then reappeared claiming that he’d gone on a mission to hunt down some people who stole his gun, then was fired, then turned out to have just gone on a cocaine bender in Fredericksburg, where he traded his service pistol for drugs — has been sentenced to five years in prison (4.5 suspended), having pleaded guilty to felony embezzlement and another six months (suspended) for making false statements to police. Apparently, the cocaine wasn’t a problem, since that charge was dropped. (“It’s not the cocaine that bothers me…it’s that you lied about it.”) Olympia Meola has the story in today’s Progress.
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 #
-
Archive for Sideblog »
If this statement in the Progress is true:
“Brown later confessed that he had used drugs, though no cocaine was found on him, according to Sharp.”
they probably focused on the more egregious and better-sticking charges to get him to plead guilty, hence why the possession charge was dropped. Also, it seems like obstruction of justice charges are commonly dropped when someone confesses and submits a guilty plea — mind you, I have no data on this and ain’t no lawyer, but it certainly appears to happen with some frequency.
"I have no data on this and ain’t no lawyer, "
Me too, but I expect if the prosecutor`s case load was lessened by a significant number, there will be fewer instances of plea bargaining. Courts are so backlogged that plea bargains have become a way of life. Takes too much of everbody`s time. Is it Justice? I dunno, but I have noted recent instances ,in major cases ,where there was no plea bargain and the inept prosecutor blew the case – maybe it`s a good thing to have plea bargaining as a trade- off for better prosecutors………………..