Sen. Klobuchar’s Should Be Ashamed
As Sen. Klobuchar (D MN) is trying to use her past as a Prosecutor to seem like an expert regarding AG Gonzalez, we might want to keep in mind just what kind of a record she had as Hennepin County Attorney, and how she tried to (mis)use that to get elected to the US Senate.
Let’s start with a quick history lesson. Amy Klobuchar took great pride in a certain case, so much so that she made a powerful campaign ad including it.
The one at the end, where the mother says Mark Kennedy should be “ashamed”. It was definitely a powerful and effective ad, but how truthful was it?
As I had pointed out in my time with the blog formerly known as KennedyvMachine, this as was based on numerous lies and half truths. The person who was charged with actually pulling the trigger in this case had had his conviction thrown out by the Minnesota Supreme Court well before this ad was created. Many of us thought the ad was misleading and approaching the level of being full of lies on many aspects, but the all-too-willing local media went to bat for Klobuchar, and never even looked into the questionability of the ad.
This was a very public case and crime because it involved an eleven year old girl who was struck down by a gangbanger’s bullet while she was doing her homework at her kitchen table. Due to misandling of the case by prosecution, the conviction was thrown out. Remember, then County Attorney Klobuchar was the Chief Prosecutor who had her hands on every case that passed through her office, and took credit for every single prosecution.
Well here we are years after the murder, and the man charged with being the trigger man is still waiting to have his day in court. The his second trial for murder is due to take place this week finally, but it doesn’t look good.
he circumstances are drastically different.
“I feel like the whole thing was unfair in the first place now they’re trying to cover it up,†Burrell’s aunt Nadine Holm said.
Even Judge Charles Porter questioned the case. In court, Judge Porter indicated there might not be enough evidence to convict Burrell a second time. Defense attorney’s picked up on that and decided to change their strategy, letting Judge Porter decide the fate instead of a jury. The first time, Burrell was convicted by a jury.
Tyesha’s parents are worried they won’t get a fair trial from the judge. Prosecutors have asked Judge Porter to recuse himself.
Prosecutors are appealing Monday’s decision. At the end of the week, there will be more hearings to decide what testimony and witnesses will be permitted this time around — important because when the Supreme Court overturned Burrell’s first conviction, it also determined some evidence shouldn’t have been allowed.
It will be very interesting to see if the fact that in the Klobuchar approved ad where the suspect is referred to as a gangmember is brought up. That was one of the reasons the last conviction was overturned. Calling defendants gangmembers was considered intimidating the jury. An ad by the the former Chief Prosecutor of Hennepin County is a pretty public and strong message that was viewed on a state-wide basis. Countless potential jury members may have in fact been tampered with in this case.
This was exactly the kind of behavior cited many times that was glossed over by the media. They in fact ignored repeated instances of complaints from with in the HCA’s office, and often spewed Klobuchar talking points in her defense. Now that it is too late to let the voters know about the real Chief Prosecutor Klobuchar’s past, maybe they’ll at least get the story straight for the sake of Tyesha Edwards, the young girl struck down on Klobuchar’s watch.
Klobuchar should be ashamed for misleading people with an ad that said she had put the murderer behind bars, when the man who pulled the trigger’s conviction had been over turned. She should also be worried as heck that the ad intended to portray her as tough on murderers may in fact get the murderer off in this case.
