JUSTICE IN A BOX By JIM REDWINE
JUSTICE IN A BOX
GAVEL GAMUTÂ By Jim Redwine
What happened to Christmas? Only one month ago there were carols, candles, colored lights, presents, and happy people. Then came January and cold, grey gloomy weather with glum people wondering where the sun went.
On the other hand, if you are in need of more self-flagellation you could be where American Paul Whelan is, a courtroom in the glummest of all places, Russia in January. You talk about grey. Being in Moscow and Volgograd, Russia in the winter of 2003 was like living inside a wet, icy-cold burlap bag for Peg and me. And as our son, Jim, says, “You can always pick out the American tourists from the Russian natives, the Americans are the only ones smilingâ€.
Of course, as in all of life, there are a few positives of the Russian winter. Russian’s three greatest military generals are January, February, and March. Just ask Napoleon and Hitler. And when the National Judicial College sent me to Russia in 2003 to teach Russian judges about jury trials Peg and I spent four days in Volgograd (the old Stalingrad) where a million and a half Russian soldiers and half a million German soldiers slaughtered one another in six months. It is analogous to America multiplying our Civil War by three and cramming it into half of 1863. No wonder so many Russians are not smiling.
Another reason not to smile is the Russian legal system, especially what they call jury trials. That is why the NJC sent me there. In January 2003 Russia had once again, as part of the country’s long history of their fits and starts “right to trial by juryâ€, reinstituted some jury trials for some alleged crimes. The NJC tasked me to teach Russian judges from all over Russia how America tries jury cases. I do not know what I was able to impart to the Russian judges, but Peg and I sure learned a lot. Mainly we learned that by a mere accident of birth we received one of life’s greatest gifts, American citizenship.
These recollections were brought back to me when I saw a photograph in the Palm Beach Sun-Sentinel newspaper of Paul Whelan in a cage in a Russian courtroom. Hang on. I know it’s Florida, but as you can readily see I am not just lounging on the beach. I am working; at least I am writing this column.
Anyway, back to the matter at hand. I have no idea if the former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan is a spy as charged by Russia. He says he is not, what a surprise. However, he received a Bad Conduct Discharge from the Marines for theft and he has citizenship in four countries, United States, Ireland, Canada, and Great Britain. That sounds suspicious but may just mean he likes Anglo Saxons. That alone might make him a suspect in Russia, a country that used to be the heart of the old Soviet Union with its conglomeration of fifteen countries and seventy-seven languages, none of which had an Anglo, Saxon or Celtic base.
What the photographs show is Whelan in a cage, in a courtroom, trying to communicate through a translator with his attorney and through the bars and in front of everyone. When the Russian judges asked me to critique a jury trial of a man charged with murdering two people, I had difficulty being diplomatic. With the judge and jury in place and the Russian prosecutor wearing a blue military type uniform seated between the mothers of the two murder victims right in front of the jury, the courtroom doors burst open and this is what Peg and I and the judge and jury saw: four guards armed with AK 47 rifles escorting the handcuffed defendant into court and locking him into a cage.
Well, Gentle Reader, you see the problem.
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MAYOR WINNECKE’S 74 PAGES CAMPAIGN FINANCE REPORT FOR 2018
Attached below is the link of  Mayor Winnecke’s political campaign finance report for 2018.  We would like to thank Vanderburgh County Clerk Carla Hayden for sending this report in a timely manner. We consider County Clerk Carla Hayden to be one of the most cooperative elected officials in Vanderburgh County.
We urge you to take your time to read and analyze this extremely interesting report.
We urge you to post your comments  concerning this post in today’s “Readers Forum.”
“READERS FORUM” JANUARY 25, 2019
We hope that today’s “READERS FORUMâ€Â will provoke honest and open dialogue concerning issues that we, as responsible citizens of this community, need to address in a rational and responsible way?Â
WHAT’S ON YOUR MIND TODAY?
Todays“Readers Poll†question is: If the election was held today for the Evansville City Council 1st Ward seat who you vote for?
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YESTERYEAR: L & N Depot
Yesteryear By Pat Sides
This stately limestone building was a landmark on South Fulton Avenue for many decades. Built in 1902, the depot is seen here in the 1960s, when it was still busy but on the decline due to the popularity of airplanes and automobiles.
The station’s use peaked in the 1940s, when passengers could board up to 140 trains daily on the station’s five tracks, including scores of soldiers on their way to and from Camp Breckinridge.
The last passenger train departed in April 1971, and the depot was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Plans to convert the space to a new use failed, and despite fierce opposition from preservationists, the deteriorating landmark was demolished in 1985.
BROADWAY ACROSS AMERICA
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“Servant Leadership�
“Servant Leadership�
by Gail Riecken, Editor Of The CCC Statehouse News
January 25, 2019
Have you heard the term “Servant leadership� I am hearing it more and more from newer politicians. At first, I thought it was because they didn’t want to call themselves politicians, as the term seems to have some negativity these days.
I now think there is another reason, a legitimate reason. These politicians don’t want any confusion about why they are in politics. They want you and me to appreciate they are in their positions to serve us, their constituents, and they are serious about it.
The term – “Servant leadership†– what difference does it really make?  I thought about that when I read a recent article about a conversation between two legislators on the floor of the State legislature
On January 17 Rep. Ryan Hatfield presented an amendment to HB1006 on second reading. The amendment language would mandate a certain annual report from the Department of Child Services (DCS) to the Commission on the Improvement of the Status of Children. The intent of the report would be to monitor caseworkers’ caseload so that they are able to do a good job for the children in their charge.
Rep. Dave Frizzell, standing in opposition to Hatfield’s amendment, said according to the Statehouse File report, “Rep. Hatfield, I can make this promise to you, that we will update people about what’s happening with our caseworkersâ€.
I think he was really saying, “We will let you and the public know what we want you to know when we want to tell youâ€.
“Servant Leadershipâ€, then, would have addressed the response a little differently. The response would have been direct, honest, respectful and trustworthy. It would have focused on the people’s interest to have information.
A“Servant leader†might have presented a solution. It might have been to bring the amendment language before the legislative council for a summer study committee where participants might come up with compromise.
I am convinced the concepts of “Servant leadership†have real value in politics in the legislature.  At least that focus, that reminder, would go a long way toward doing more than making promises.
Evansville Police Arrested Mary Beth Durbin On Drug Charges
News Release
Case # 19-01642
SUMMARY
Evansville Police arrested MARYBETH DURBIN (37) on drug charges after she tried to smuggle drugs into the jail during her arrest.Â
Durbin was being processed into the Vanderburgh County Jail on an outstanding felony warrant and possession of a controlled substance on the evening of January 23rd. During a search, officers found 4 Alprazolam pills in her pocket. She denied have any more drugs on her, but officers requested a female Corrections Officer complete a more thorough search.
When the C/O searched Durbin, she found a plastic container in Durbin’s vaginal area. Officers examined the container and found 76 Alprazolam pills. Alprazolam is a Schedule IV narcotic that requires a valid prescription for anyone in possession of the drug. Valid uses are for panic and anxiety management.Â
In addition to her original charges, Durbin was charged with Trafficking a Controlled Substance with an Inmate.Â
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Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital and Tri-State Orthopaedic Surgeons to Host Opening of Pediatric Orthopedic Surgery Clinic
Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital at St. Vincent and Tri-State Orthopaedic Surgeons are collaborating to bring specialized pediatric orthopedic care to Evansville. Beginning on January 25, 2019, Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Enrico Stazzone, will provide a pediatric orthopedic clinic on the fourth Friday of each month at the offices of Tri-State Orthopaedic Surgeons.Â
Dr. Stazzone specializes in the treatment of children and young adults with orthopedic injuries and congenital disorders – with special interest and training in pediatric spinal surgery and pediatric arthroscopic surgery. He completed his medical degree at Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York, New York. He went on to complete an orthopedic surgery residency at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center in New York and a pediatric orthopedic surgery fellowship at Dupont Children’s Hospital in Wilmington, Delaware.
“We are honored for the opportunity to provide specialized care for the children of Evansville and surrounding areas. Our orthopedic physicians are excited to work alongside such a respected practice as Tri-State Orthopaedic Surgeons. In the near future, we plan to strengthen our continued collaboration with St. Vincent Evansville to bring more pediatric care to the area and closer to patients and their families,†said Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital President, Dr. Hossain Marandi. Dan Parod, President of St. Vincent Southern Region, continued, “Through this exciting partnership and our continued work as one, integrated, statewide health ministry, St. Vincent is providing the southwest region of our state with even greater access to pediatric specialty care.â€
Dr. Stazzone treats patients with the following conditions:
- Bone and joint infectionÂ
- Congenital deformities (including clubfoot and developmental dysplasia of the hip)Â
- Deformity correctionÂ
- Cerebral palsy (CP)Â
- Fractures and traumaÂ
- Genetic and metabolic disorders (including brittle bone disease)Â
- Muscular dystrophy (MD)Â
- Spina bifidaÂ
- Spinal deformities and scoliosisÂ
- Sports injuries
“I have dedicated my professional career to provide excellent orthopedic care with grace, dignity and compassion for the children and young adults entrusted to my practice,†said Dr. Stazzone.
Dr. Stazzone joins Peyton Manning Children providers serving full-time in Evansville at the St. Vincent Center for Children: Dr. Rebecca Carey and Keri Montgomery, NP, who specialize in pediatric gastroenterology, and Dr. Raymond Tervo and Megan Brown, NP, who specialize in pediatric developmental and behavioral medicine.
To connect with Dr. Stazzone’s Evansville clinic, patients and providers may call the St. Vincent Center for Children at 812-485-7425.