Judge Mills has ruled (5-page pdf) that reporters from the Daily Mississippian, the Daily Journal, and the Oxford Eagle may view letters sent to him about Joey Langston during business hours day after tomorrow. (h/t and congratz, Paul Quinn)
UPDATE: Here’s the salient graf:
In this case, there is, in fact, a compelling reason to disclose the letters in question, since the defendant pleaded guilty to having engaged in a “conspiracy to corruptly influence an elected state official” under circumstances which have caused considerable damage to the justice system in this state. Accordingly, it is particularly important that these proceedings be open and transparent, and the public’s interest in the presentence letters in this case is not merely of a “sensational” or “impure” nature, as Judge Block found to be the case in Gotti. The presentence letters in this case were written with the express intent of influencing this court’s sentencing decision, and the court’s eventual sentence will have important public consequences. In the court’s view, defendant, and those who have written letters on his behalf, must accept the fact that the judicial system has an interest in upholding the public’s confidence in its own proceedings. This interest outweighs any confidentiality interest possessed by those who elected to write letters on behalf of the defendant in this case, and defendant’s objections to the release of these letters (and his alternate request that the letters be withdrawn) will therefore be overruled.
RandomThoughts, N.B. this footnote:
Why do I have the urge to just yell, “HA!”
Ya know…I wonder if the judge reads Folo.
Things that make you go “Hhhhmmm.”
I have it on pretty good authority that he doesn’t read folo, but sometimes, his staff and friends will print something out and leave it on his desk. Now I don’t know if he reads the print out or not…
I know that he’s looking for a less eventful new year.
I know that he’s looking for a less eventful new year.
Lawdy, ain’t we all!
Here’s what I don’t get. After the Scruggs’ letters were allowed to be viewed, why would someone think that Langston’s letters would not get the same treatment? I cannot imagine that there is anyone that wrote on behalf of Langston with the understanding that it would be kept in confidence? I’d like to know how many wrote for Langston that also wrote for the trio that has been sentenced. I’m hoping some people learned a very valuable lesson the last time, but I’m thinking, probably not.
So let it be written so let it be done. I was pondering the same thing as Lydia, and if the Judge isn’t a fan maybe one of his clerks.
Or maybe take him at his word: he just responded to Paul’s letter (to avoid any future confusion for journos).
A most excellent ruling by Judge Mills. Bravo.
Scandaljunkie wrote:
“Here’s what I don’t get. After the Scruggs’ letters were allowed to be viewed, why would someone think that Langston’s letters would not get the same treatment? I cannot imagine that there is anyone that wrote on behalf of Langston with the understanding that it would be kept in confidence?”
Scandal, as I said in an earlier comment thread about this very question, you just can’t fix stupid. I share your bewilderment with the arrogantly stupid.
True Lotus, but isn’t just a bit more fun to think otherwise?
AFOTL, I recall an excellent English teacher remarking similarly, but she said that nothing — particularly not education — can fix stupid. She indicated that there is really nothing sadder than an educated stupid person, and this was, of course, before our current POTUS was elected. But she nailed it. Not the Phillips Academny, not Yale, not Harvard. Nothing can fix it.
Those Langston letters must be mighty dull — it’s Wednesday Afternoon and none have been reported.
Well they weren’t that exciting. I just got back. Most interesting to me was the letter from Travis Childers who said he would go to jail in Langston’s place if he could. 320 letters in all. Mostly from attorneys and lots of Booneville and Prentis County officials.
I remember several submissions of predictions on new indictments, wonder who will have guessed right?