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<DIV>[Vision2020]</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Matt writes: "<FONT color=#0000ff>Thompson has been a joke for years.
But yet he keeps getting voted</FONT> <FONT color=#0000ff>in.</FONT>"</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Thompson and other shoddy public officials keep getting elected, in part,
because, of less than stellar or even truly informative local media
coverage.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Media coverage about events like crimes/trials/outcomes simply parrot
the statements of public officials (and public records) without asking
penetrating questions designed to either elicit clearer explanations or to test
the truth of such statements.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>For example, when Thompson tried to defend his plea bargain for killer and
burner Silas Parks, he claimed that by not being able to introduce evidence of a
two year old domestic violence incident prevented him from proving
premeditation. Why didn't the media ask: "How could this be?
What is the relevance to premeditation of a murder is a two year old
domestic abuse incident?"</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Now that the plea bargain has been made, why hasn't the local media asked
questions about the evidence, forensic and otherwise, the scope and intensity of
the investigation, including, but not limited to those I raised
below?</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>[<FONT size=2>Was the victim asleep when the strangulation began?</FONT>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Was an accelerant used in the arson? If so, when and
where was it purchased?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Was there evidence that the victim intended to leave the
murderer?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Etc.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Etc.</FONT>]</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Also, why hasn't the media asked the question that is on the lips of almost
all who I have heard discussing this case: "Why is a confessed murderer
and body burner out on bail while awaiting sentencing?" WTF! [Both
PA William Thompson and Judge Brudie should have been asked that
question.] Given that Parks is out on bail, why haven't we learned
from the media if he is being electronically monitored or not?</DIV></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>In the Sitler case, why didn't the media ask the many questions raised by
the extreme sweetheart plea bargain in that case? Questions including, but
limited to:</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Why was Sitler allowed to stay at his parents home in Stevens County,
Washington for six months after there was clear probable cause for his arrest
here?</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Why did PA Thompson, with the urging and assistance of Douglas Wilson,
convince the Stevens County PA [Wetle] (since removed from office) to drop
charges of a similar nature against Sitler there, as part of Thompson's
sweetheart agreement here?</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Why did Sitler do only seven months soft time for admissions of child
molestations much more numerous (both in terms of victims and
incidents) compared to those that get anywhere from 10 years to life
hard time for similar child molestations?</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>In the Hawkins water matter, why didn't the media ask Walther Steed about
his long/prior to becoming a city councilperson and ongoing personal
relationship with the Hawkins family? A relationship that Steed did not
reveal (and has not revealed to the city council in session as far as
I know) while he was negotiating allegedly on behalf of the City of Moscow with
the Hawkins Corporation to produce that now infamous and invalid sweetheart
agreement for Hawkins.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Until the local media does more than just parrot public officials and
public records, until they actively investigate and test the officials'
assertions, explanations, and excuses, and then report their findings wherever
they lead, we citizens are left without sufficient information and/or
outrage to do anything about becoming more active in the political process
and/or becoming more active about casting an educated vote.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I didn't know Sarah Parks personally. From accounts of her friends
and associates, it is clear that she was a person with a charming, infectious
smile, many very endearing traits and talents, and those touched by her,
especially children, were much happier and better off for that contact.
She would have undoubtedly been a very nurturing, loving mother. Now
she is nothing but dead, disassociated chemicals, thanks to brutal,
cowardly, and lying murderer.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>If we want to live in a county where there are a lesser number of Sarah
Parks type and similar tragedies, then all of must be more willing to expend a
bit more time, energy and money to improve the criminal justice system and other
parts of our society which may help cause such tragedies.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>This means:</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Demanding that the media be much more penetrating and
informative in their reporting of crime, trials, outcomes, and other
issues;</DIV>
<DIV>Be willing to openly criticize inept, lazy, and/or corrupt public
officials;</DIV>
<DIV>Be willing to encourage, support, and vote for skilled and honest public
officials;</DIV>
<DIV>Be willing to support and retain judges who have the wisdom
and courage to reject questionable plea bargains;</DIV>
<DIV>Be willing to demand competent, complete investigations of major
crimes, particularly crimes against persons;</DIV>
<DIV>Be willing to demand that competent, honest, dedicated persons are in
positions of PAs, judges, investigators, etc;</DIV>
<DIV>And most of all, be willing to pay taxes sufficient enough to attract and
to keep well trained such officials.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I didn't know Sarah Parks personally. But her horrifying and brutal
murder, and what her murder has cost our community in terms of what her
contributions might have been has touched me greatly.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><IMG border=0 hspace=0 alt="" align=baseline
src="cid:C2842E696CA74ABCABFBAAD4F48A6C07@LocalHost"></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Wayne A. Fox<BR>1009 Karen Lane<BR>PO Box 9421<BR>Moscow, ID
83843</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><A href="mailto:waf@moscow.com">waf@moscow.com</A><BR>208 882-7975</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV
style="FONT: 10pt arial; BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=mattd2107@hotmail.com href="mailto:mattd2107@hotmail.com">Matt
Decker</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=deco@moscow.com
href="mailto:deco@moscow.com">deco@moscow.com</A> ; <A
title=vision2020@moscow.com
href="mailto:vision2020@moscow.com">vision2020@moscow.com</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Thursday, April 01, 2010 6:55
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> RE: [Vision2020] Whitewash</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>Thompson has been a joke for years. But yet he keeps getting
voted in. <BR> <BR>MD<BR> <BR>
<HR id=stopSpelling>
From: <A href="mailto:deco@moscow.com">deco@moscow.com</A><BR>To: <A
href="mailto:vision2020@moscow.com">vision2020@moscow.com</A><BR>Date: Thu, 1
Apr 2010 11:41:45 -0700<BR>Subject: [Vision2020] Whitewash<BR><BR>
<STYLE>
</STYLE>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Below is a <EM>Daily News</EM> article wherein PA
William Thompson attempts to justify the plea bargain in the Parks Kill and
Burn case.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Thompson argues that because Judge Brudie disallowed
evidence of domestic violence occurring two years ago, Thompson was left
without evidence of premeditation.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>What a whitewash!!!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>What happened two years ago may be evidence of Parks'
propensity to use violence against his victim, but how is it evidence of
premeditation of the actual murder that took place? Two years later?
What a disgusting prevaricator Thompson is!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>There were/are other ways to attempt to discover evidence of
premeditation, both by interviewing, careful investigation, and forensic
analysis, for example: </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Was the victim asleep when the strangulation
began?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Was an accelerant used in the arson? If so, when and
where was it purchased?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Was there evidence that the victim intended to leave the
murderer?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Etc.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Etc.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Note: 'Sgt. James Fry, the investigating Moscow Police
Department officer for the case, also was present during the mediation.
He said the plea agreement "was the best deal for the evidence that we had
<STRONG><FONT color=#ff0000>at the time</FONT></STRONG>..."</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Very interesting.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Thompson's explanation for his cop out, (one of many in
serious felony cases), is about as believable as his claim that "<FONT
color=#0000ff>he was unaware of any public criticism from local residents in
relation to the agreement</FONT>." </FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Thompson's career as a PA after the departure of Robin
Eckmann is nauseating display of ineptitude, lack of energetic diligence,
taking the path of least resistance, and catering to special friends and
interests in my opinion.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>I said it elsewhere: If you want to commit murder with
the least consequences (if any), do it in Latah County and have Judge Brudie
hear the case.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>I cannot look at a photo of Sarah Parks [</FONT><FONT
size=2><A
href="http://media.klewtv.com/images/Sarah_Parks_Gfx_KLEW.jpg">http://media.klewtv.com/images/Sarah_Parks_Gfx_KLEW.jpg</A></FONT><FONT
size=2>]</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>without feeling deep sadness for her, her friends and
family, and feeling great anger towards her cowardly murderer and the criminal
justice system which has failed us all again, and especially failed past,
present, future victims of domestic violence.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Wayne A. Fox<BR>1009 Karen Lane<BR>PO Box 9421<BR>Moscow,
ID 83843</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2><A href="mailto:waf@moscow.com">waf@moscow.com</A><BR>208
882-7975</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>___________________________________________</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>
<H1>Prosecutor defends Parks case plea deal</H1>
<P id=ecxbyline>By Christina Lords Daily News Staff Writer</P>
<P id=ecxstorydate>Posted on: Thursday, April 01, 2010</P></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=ecxstorybody>The prosecution's inability to use evidence relating to
Silas Parks' criminal background played an integral role in a plea agreement
reached between Latah County Prosecutor Bill Thompson and Parks' attorneys,
Thompson said Wednesday.</P>
<P class=ecxstorybody>On Tuesday, Parks, 26, pleaded guilty to voluntary
manslaughter charges for killing his wife, Sarah Parks, and their unborn
daughter, Lilly Ann Parks, on June 24. </P>
<P class=ecxstorybody>He also pleaded guilty to one count of first degree
arson for setting their Moscow apartment on fire the day of the killings.</P>
<P class=ecxstorybody>Second District Court Judge Jeff M. Brudie last week
denied the prosecution's motion to admit evidence relating to Parks' 2006
domestic violence case.</P>
<P class=ecxstorybody>Parks was initially charged with domestic battery in the
2006 case, but the charge was later amended to disturbing the peace.</P>
<P class=ecxstorybody>Brudie wrote in his opinion that "the court is simply
unable to find that the 2006 domestic battery charge is relevant" to the June
24 murder case. Any evidence related to that case would not have been
admissible at trial.</P>
<P class=ecxstorybody>"We were told none of the evidence in relation to
(Parks') conduct could be used," Thompson said. "Those were important
decisions for us to have from court to be able to assess, then, what we were
going to be able to go (with) at trial."</P>
<P class=ecxstorybody>Thompson said with Parks' character evidence from the
2006 case, he had a provable case for premeditated homicide.</P>
<P class=ecxstorybody>Without that evidence, "there would be no background
information to put his conduct into context in terms of premediation <FONT
color=#0000ff>[sic]</FONT>," he said.</P>
<P class=ecxstorybody>Thompson said the cost to Latah County to conduct a
murder trial was not considered while making the plea agreement.</P>
<P class=ecxstorybody>"It was never a factor," he said. "Cost is never a
factor in a case like this."</P>
<P class=ecxstorybody>Thompson said he was unaware of any public criticism
from local residents in relation to the agreement. </P>
<P class=ecxstorybody>"He's pleaded guilty to homicide," he said. "Anyone who
doesn't understand that just doesn't understand what has occurred and what the
crime is. ... (Parks) is facing the prospect of a substantial sentence."</P>
<P class=ecxstorybody>People need to remember the statutes applied to
voluntary manslaughter and maximum prison sentences that apply to the case are
decided by the Idaho Legislature and not the prosecuting attorney, Thompson
said.</P>
<P class=ecxstorybody>"This is a horrible crime, particularly because it was
completed by arson, but that doesn't change the facts," he said. "We have to
apply the facts to the law."</P>
<P class=ecxstorybody>Parks' plea agreement was finalized during a mediation
hearing with Nez Perce County Magistrate Judge Kent J. Merica on Tuesday.</P>
<P class=ecxstorybody>Thompson said the mediation took the majority of the
day, and Merica met with the prosecution and defense separately.</P>
<P class=ecxstorybody>Parks and his attorneys, D. Ray Barker and Charles E.
Kovis, met with Merica around 10 a.m. Tuesday.</P>
<P class=ecxstorybody>Barker said while he didn't feel comfortable discussing
certain aspects of the plea agreement, he did say he thought the agreement was
fair.</P>
<P class=ecxstorybody>"I think it's fair because there is no evidence of any
homicide other than manslaughter," he said. </P>
<P class=ecxstorybody>Sarah Parks' mother was on a conference call from
Alabama as a representative of the family for the prosecution's portion of the
mediation, Thompson said.</P>
<P class=ecxstorybody>"The biggest thing the family wants to know, and
rightfully so, is what happened, what really happened," he said. "That is part
of the (plea) agreement." </P>
<P class=ecxstorybody>Thompson said the sentencing range Parks is facing - up
to 40 years in prison for the three charges - was "actually more than what
Sarah's family was asking for themselves."</P>
<P class=ecxstorybody>Sgt. James Fry, the investigating Moscow Police
Department officer for the case, also was present during the mediation.</P>
<P class=ecxstorybody>He said the plea agreement "was the best deal for the
evidence that we had at the time," Fry said.</P>
<P class=ecxstorybody><STRONG>Christina Lords</STRONG> can be reached at (208)
882-5561, ext. 301, or by e-mail to <A href="mailto:clords@dnews.com"
rel=external>clords@dnews.com</A>.</P></DIV><BR>
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