Bar calls ex-DAs' actions feloniesEvidence withheld in '96 murder case

Raleigh News & Observer ^ | Jan 13, 2006 | Joseph Neff

[hdrabon]

The N.C. State Bar has challenged the dismissal of disciplinary charges against two former Union County prosecutors, saying they committed felonies to win a death penalty conviction. Kenneth Honeycutt and Scott Brewer were charged with lying, cheating and withholding evidence in the 1996 murder trial. Honeycutt, the former district attorney in Union County, has since returned to private practice; Brewer is now a District Court judge in Richmond County. Last week, the bar's Disciplinary Hearing Commission cited a missed deadline in dismissing the case against them.

But the bar's lawyers say there is no deadline to bring charges because the alleged misconduct of the prosecutors includes multiple felonies.

Honeycutt was once president of the N.C. Conference of District Attorneys. On Thursday, the current president said the charges shouldn't be dismissed on technicalities -- and called for a criminal investigation.

"It's extremely distressing to us that these issues are not resolved," said Branny Vickory, Wayne County district attorney. "The allegations are so serious that, for public confidence in the system, they need to be dealt with on the merits, not on procedural grounds. ... This only adds to public distrust."

[hdrabon]

The NC Bar has more on its hands than it realizes with this case. If Honeycutt and Brewer actually get prosecuted, their testimony against numerous other legal industry individuals in North Carolina may bring-down big names all the way to the attorney general's office.

Ken Honeycutt groomed, hand-picked, and Roy Cooper coronated (unelected) D.A., Michael Parker, who named a room in the new Union County Courthouse after Honeycutt (shortly after getting his new post), will never conduct a genuine prosecution of Brewer and Honeycutt. As a friend of Honeycutt, Roy Cooper is unlikely to do anything other than window dressing himself.

The Honeycutt and Brewer matter is just the pinnacle of the corruption in the Union County, NC legal industry.

[Mrs. Darla Ruth Schwerin]

Yeah. There's more fish to fry, here.

[Talking_Mouse]

Cheating is a charge?

[JudgemAll]

. "The allegations are so serious that, for public confidence in the system, they need to be dealt with on the merits, not on procedural grounds.

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this is a joke, right?

all over the US it's like that. This bringing back confidence is window dressing. The whole system is broken loose cannon out of control mess. This nation is completely confederated by judges and lawyers, and people do not exist except for telling what their bank account numbers are.

[PROSOUTH]

I have always said that many Little League teams are for the esteem of the coach winning at all cost and not the children learning to play ball and sportsmanship. The legal profession is no different, it's not about justice or right or wrong, but winning at all cost, even with a mans life at stake.

BTW, I'm in law enforcement and daily see the defense and prosecutions attempt at justice.

[Mrs. Darla Ruth Schwerin]

"Cheating is a charge?"

No. But cheating is not the only charge. No specific rules were followed. They made up their own rules as they went along. I'm sure North Carolina already had legal rules to follow. Why was it necessary that new ones be independently made?

[Alia]

NC *Ping*

Please FRmail Constitution Day OR TaxRelief OR Alia if you want to be added to or removed from this North Carolina ping list.

[freepatriot32]

Libertarian ping.To be added or removed from my ping list freepmail me or post a message here

[hdrabon]

Don't get me wrong, I'm not for criminals going free. It is whether any of us can expect justice when the rules are broken to win cases. Bless you for the work you do, but there are locals like you who garnered promotions (if not more) for keeping their silence.

In the Union County, NC courts, obstruction is rewarded, and such is sanctioned by silence by the leading law enforcement officials in the state. . . .

[BJClinton]

So was there any physical evidence that the convcted man did it or was it all the testimony of his criminal cousin?

Lovely family, btw.

[hdrabon]

Good question -- Unknown (personally). The issue is that there was not enough evidence, apparently, to convict him without breaking the rules. Of course, shortcuts for the Union Co., NC Bar Gang (and NC Bar Gang, for that matter) (from OUR personal experience) is standard. . . .

Curious about the "lovely family" comment.

Hubert

[BJClinton]

Curious about the "lovely family" comment.

I was referring to his cousin being in jail. Seems to run in the family.

As to his guilt or innocence I was wondering if they did "the wrong thing for the right reason" by bending the rules to convict someone they new was guilty or were they looking for a scapegoat. They were wrong either way and should be disbarred, but if it's the latter then they need to be in jail.