Columnist James-Ingram
Ever wonder why so many criminals and even upstanding citizens have such contempt for politicians, lawyers and the judicial system of America?
Well, just consider the latest case of “judges gone wild” on the East side of the Mississippi.
On Sunday, December 3, St. Clair County Judge Patrick Young and his boss, Chief Judge Jan V. Fiss, were headed home following a St. Louis Rams game, only to find themselves involved in an accident.
The charge: drunken driving, on the part of Young. He crossed the center lane and slammed his Yukon SUV into a Toyota truck driven by Abel Muhammad of Swansea, at the intersection of Frank Scott Parkway and Dutch Hollow Road.
Muhammad withstood facial cuts, a broken leg and had to be cut from his vehicle. He was transported to Barnes-Jewish Hospital where he was listed as being in “good condition” at press time.
According to Belleville Officer Shane Brown, Young appeared to be drunk, with “glassy, red, bloodshot eyes.” He was “staggering” and “swaying forwards and backwards,” but not too drunk to refuse to answer the question as to whether or not he’d been drinking.
Young also refused a sobriety test, despite the strong scent of alcohol on his breath, according to police.
In the meantime, “Hizzoner” Judge Fiss was busy destroying what appeared to be evidence, as Officer Jeffrey Sheary reported observing Fiss pouring out a can of Bud Light, then attempting to conceal the can in his coat.
When confronted, Fiss was quoted as saying that he was “told to get rid of it (the beer).” And you wonder how these knuckle-heads ever became lawyers, let alone judges?
Since the incident, Fiss has temporarily stepped down as chief judge. An interim chief judge will be voted upon (by the circuit judges) on December 13.
This will usher in the request for a special prosecutor to review the case, prosecute Young for the DUI charges and consider any additional charges, according to St. Clair County state’s attorney Bob Haida.
Okay, those are the technicalities. The real issue here is the audacity of two judges, the newly elected Circuit Judge Young and the newly retained Chief Judge Fiss.
Only a few months ago I reported a gathering of St. Clair County judges and elected officials “kicking it” at a bon voyage party for convicted felon Charlie Powell.
Now we find a couple of St. Clair County judges “cruising and boozing” as if they were on some college spring break road trip!
It is precisely this sort of flagrant disregard for law, by the very people who are sworn to uphold it, that disgusts the average tax paying citizen.
Drunken driving, destruction of evidence and refusing to take a sobriety test would earn you or I a stiff penalty, at the very least.
Unfortunately, these two nitwits have provided a refresher course for what elected officials should do when caught in similar circumstances. Number one: refuse a sobriety test, because it deprives prosecutors of clear evidence. Number two: destroy any evidence (in this case booze) because driving with open containers of alcohol is illegal.
Worst case scenario: refusal of a blood alcohol test in Illinois is punishable by a six-month suspension of one’s license (for us normal folks). But don’t hold your breath that Young will ever lose his driving privileges for even one day.
After all, after the holiday season who’ll even remember that these guys ever screwed up? Boys will be boys, right?
Personally I think that, at the very least, they should be removed from the bench. It’s sort of hypocritical to judge others, especially when you flagrantly break the law yourself.
However, with the right kind of lawyer, these rodeo clowns could be swerving all over the roads just in time for the Rams season opener in 2007. Go Rams!
Email: jtingram_1960@yahoo.com.