George Seymour, the owner of the Import Car Store who shot and killed his neighbor’s cat earlier this year, has been sentenced to ten days in jail, fifty days suspended, The Hook reports. Though Seymour could have received a harsher punishment had he been charged with a felony, Commonwealth’s Attorney Jim Camblos failed to file those charges for reasons he won’t explain. Camblos got Seymour’s wife to admit, on the stand, that he had previously shot and killed their family dog. What a bastard.
News and meta-news about Charlottesville, VA, since 2001.
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NBC 29’s Paul Merrill interviewed Commonwealth’s Attorney Jim Camblos about the widespread criticism of Camblos’ handling of the smoke bomb case, and Camblos isn’t exactly contrite. The big news is that he intends to run for reelection next year, but there are some choice quotes from the piece, with my favorite being, on the recent acquittal in the case: “We were disappointed with the decision, but the system works.” If he was disappointed — meaning that he believes boy should be in prison right now — wouldn’t that mean that the system doesn’t work?
What’s amazing is Camblos chalking up the concerns of y’all on cvillenews.com as nothing more than whines. If a single person has defended Camblos in this entire kerfuffle, since all information came to light a couple of months ago, I’m yet to hear of them. The fact is that he’s screwed this case up royally, and is in the process of screwing up the case against the other three kids.
I’ve got to put together a Camblos’ Greatest Hits blog entry. It’s quite a remarkable list. If Camblos “gets grief after every trial,” as he says, perhaps it’s time he figured out that might have something to do with him doing a lousy job.
The 13-year-old acquitted of plotting to attack two local high schools was permitted to return to school today, Liesel Nowak wrote in Saturday’s Progress. He was expelled from Jack Jouett after being convicted in juvenile court, but after his acquittal in a proper trial last week he met with AHS principal Matt Haas to prepare to start school. That may well close this chapter in the boy’s life so that he can move on.
Howard Barnet and his 13-year-old son were guests on Coy Barefoot’s “Charlottesville Live” on Thursday, one day after the boy was acquitted on charges of conspiring to attack two county high schools. Sean Tubbs podcasts the interview on Charlottesville Podcasting Network. It’s a must-listen for anybody following the case. The guests reveal that the kid had no attorney at his intake hearing, that it was four days until his parents were allowed to see him, and that the computer evidence used to convict him in his first trial was so lame that it was never even entered as evidence in the second trial. The senior Barnet, when asked about Commonwealth Attorney Jim Camblos, said that, under him, Albemarle “looked more like a fiefdom than a county.”
The worst thing to come out of all of this may be the lesson to parents and kids: never talk to police officers, and always demand a lawyer. We may end up with a generation of kids taught to fear police.
The students and their families will descend upon town this weekend, so if you want to go anywhere in town, don’t. Remember, too, that area schools start up on Monday, so expect to be stuck behind buses if you’ve got a morning commute.
My morning commute extends from my bedroom to my living room, so I figure I’ll be OK.
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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