Murder victims Channon Christian and Christopher Newsom
By David in TN and Nicholas Stix
Knox County District Attorney General Randy Nichols announced Wednesday an appeal of the ruling granting new trials in the Christian-Newsom torture-murders.
Judge Richard Baumgartner, or as we at WEJB/NSU call him, Judge Mischief, presided over the four state trials while frequently intoxicated from painkillers he got illegally from a convict under his supervision, was having sex in his chambers and elsewhere with another (female) convict under his supervision… it all sounds like a soap opera, but it's all true. We called Baumgartner Judge Mischief based not on such salacious matters that were unknown to us at the time, but due to his manipulation of the jury pool, in order to confound justice, and ensure that Thomas and Cobbins did not get the death penalty, and that Coleman got as light a sentence as possible. Baumgartner was unable to save Davidson from the latter's own stupidity, but the latter was saved by Judge Blackwood's adherence to the unwritten code, whereby it ain't over 'til the black felon wins.
Baumgartner was convicted, forced to resign in disgrace, and disbarred, but will do no jail time.
It is not at all clear, however, that Judge Baumgartner's escapades had any effect on the fairness of the four state trials. (That's notwithstanding his jury tampering, with which Judge Blackwood has had no complaints.)
The above picture of Judge Baumgartner's replacement, Judge Jon Kerry Blackwood is not out of context. Judge Blackwood has not been able to suppress his anger and distress over Judge Baumgartner's crimes and trespasses. Judge Blackwood ruled that, based on Judge Baumgartner's condition during the four state trials, all four defendants convicted of murdering or facilitating the murders of Channon Christian and Christopher Newsom must be granted new trials.
Left to right, above: Eric Boyd, George Thomas, Lemaricus Davidson, Letalvis Cobbins and Vanessa Coleman. Boyd was convicted in federal court as an accessory after the fact to carjacking. He is appealing his conviction. Thomas, Davidson, and Cobbins each was convicted in state court of murder and dozens of other charges. Davidson was sentenced to death, while Thomas and Cobbins were sentenced to life without parole. Coleman was convicted in state court of facilitation to murder, etc., and sentenced to 53 years in prison.
2 comments:
We should point out that there was no problem with the evidence. There was no prosecutorial misconduct, no juror misconduct, and no doubt about guilt was raised to affect Judge Blackwood's ruling.
Also, there was no perjury from government witnesses as has been revealed in the murder trial of author Michael Peterson, who was convicted of killing his wife in 2003. Peterson's conviction was overturned yesterday.
The Knoxville Horror convictions were overturned solely becasue of Judge Baumgartner's conduct OUTSIDE the courtroom.
David In TN
David,
Thanks for making all of those points.
In other words, the cases were, if anything, unusual in the high level of professionalism with which they were handled, and re-trials could only see a deterioration of said professionalism, but certainly not an improvement over it.
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