Take down t-shirts at courthouse!!!

I must agree with Attorney Matt Haiduk in his complaint about the t-shirts in the courthouse. Did you read today's front-page article in the Northwest Herald?

I admit, though, that as many times as I have been in the courthouse and walked up and down the stairs from the first to the third floor, I never one read any of the messages on the t-shirts, and my curiosity was not piqued at all by their being there. (Wait, folks; I still do see red lights when I'm driving!)

But I agree with Attorney Haiduk that they do not belong in the courthouse, now that my attention has been called to their message. The courthouse is a place of justice (well, it is supposed to be...). Defendants who enter the courthouse are presumed to be innocent.

A while back I wrote about the comment of a defense attorney to me, when I asked that attorney about Turning Point. I won't repeat the words that were used, but I got the impression that misery awaits any man on whom Turning Point sets its sight. He won't be "presumed innocent."

Court Administrator Dan Wallis ducked when Haiduk complained to him, and he passed the buck to County Administrator Peter Austin. Pete told a reporter that he signed this year's request "without thought" (OK, so I'm quoting him out-of-context), and will bring up the issue at a meeting with courthouse officials tomorrow.

Sorry, Pete; not good enough. You should have revoked the permit and taken down the display. Then bring it up with courthouse officials. Who are those "courthouse officials", anyway.? The buck stops with the County Administrator. By the time a decision is made by a "committee", the month will be over and the display's permit will have expired. That Wednesday meeting must be an internal administrative meeting, not involving elected persons, because it is not on the County Calendar. Thus, won't all the attendees be lower in the pecking order than the County Administrator?

Okay, everyone. Mark your 2012 calendars for May 1 and let the County Administrator know what you think about "inflammatory political speech" (in the words of Woodstock attorney Dan Hofmann) in the halls of justice. Don't let these t-shirts return in 2012.

By the way, how did Jenny Kane get past security with her camera? Anyone trying to enter the courthouse is threatened with having their camera(s) confiscated by courthouse security officers, who tell persons with cameras that they will not get back anything that is confiscated.