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Editorials
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Wednesday, November 19, 2008, 10:30 AM
Don't let logistics delay Johnson trial It is welcomed news that we might finally be inching our way toward a trial date for James Arthur Johnson and a legal resolution to the Brittany Willis murder case. Monday in Wilson Superior Court, Johnson pleaded not guilty to the charge of accessory after the fact of first-degree murder in the 2004 death of Willis, clearing the way for him to finally stand trial. Johnson was indicted by a Wilson County grand jury Jan. 4, as an accessory after the fact of first-degree murder in the rape, kidnapping and murder of 17-year-old Willis. Johnson stands accused of helping Kenneth Meeks clean Willis' SUV after the murder. Meeks pleaded guilty in 2006 to second-degree murder and is now serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole. According to both the prosecution and the defense, if all of the logistics for Johnson's trial can be worked out, the case could be heard early next year. That's good because this case has gone on far too long already. Hopefully, the logistics of the case won't stand in the way of getting this trial on the court calendar. During Monday's hearing, Resident Superior Court Judge Milton F. Fitch Jr. ruled that the trial will be held in Wilson but gave his OK for a jury selected from Wake County to hear the case. Prior to Monday's hearing, one of Johnson's attorneys, Irving Joyner, who is a professor at N.C. Central University, filed three motions on behalf of his client including a motion for a change of venue. Special prosecutor David W. McFadyen, who is handling the case for the state, said he supported the change of venue motion. Fitch, however, denied the request to move the trial, stating that he believed it should take place in Wilson. Fitch did rule, though, that the jury should be picked from another county and brought to Wilson. Both McFadyen and Joyner agreed that Wake County would be a good place to obtain jurors, and Fitch said that as long as the logistics could be worked out, his ruling would stand. We agree with Judge Fitch that Johnson should be able to get a fair hearing in Wilson and that it is preferable for the case to stay in the community. But we question whether the logistics of bringing in a jury from Wake County will outweight the benefits of keeping the case here. Furthermore, does the fact that we have to go outside of Wilson to find an impartial jury mean that the attorneys and judge believe that most people locally have already made up their minds about the case and won't be able to look at it with a fresh set of eyes? If we can't seat a local jury, then shouldn't the case be moved to them and not the other way around. For everyone concerned, but especially for the family of Brittany Willis, this case has gone on long enough. If moving it to Wake means that we can avoid any logistical hassles getting the trial started, then that seems like the best course of action.
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truth be known said...ONCE AGAIN I SEE THE BIAS OF A VERY SMALL PORTION OF THE COMMUNITY. TRUST ME I AM FAR MORE INFORMED OF THIS TRAVESTY THAN YOU COULD EVEN IMAGINE BEING. ANY TRUTHFUL PERSON IN THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM WILL TELL YOU 3 DAYS TO SOLVE A CRIME OF THIS MAGNITUDE, IS VERY QUICK. OH I 4 GOT THEY DIDN'T SOLVE IT JOHNSON TURNED THE PERPATRATOR IN. TRUTH IS YOU HAVE KNOW IDEA HOW YOU WOULD HAVE REACTED IN JOHNSON'S SITUATION. GUESS I AM TALKING TO A MCCAIN SUPPORTER. ONCE AGAIN FULL OF THREATS. THANKS FOR YOUR OVERALL COVERAGE JAMES, THIER ARE OTHERS WHO KNEW AND NEVER SAID A WORD.... TO THIS DAY. YOU MY DEAR LADY DON'T KNOW HALF OF WHAT YOU THINK YOU DO... THIER IN LIES THE PROBLEM OF YOUR CLOSED MINDEDNESS. Tuesday, November 25, 2008 at 9:03 PM Norma Jean said... Evidently, you are not aware of alot of the facts in this case. We will simply have to agree to not agree because I see him far from innocent. It would not have taken me 3 days to tell if I had been totally innocent. I have no sympathy for him at all and don't believe the original charges should have been dropped. And yes, they did clean the truck of fingerprints. Maybe you need to do a little more research on this case. And for the record, the Willis' have been alot more civil about this whole matter than I would have been. If it had been my daughter, a trial would have been the least of his worries and the other two involved also. Tuesday, November 25, 2008 at 10:58 AM Truth Be Known said... Norma you don't get it, everyone realizes the Willis's loss. Unfortunately thier have been many families who have suffered similar losses. Johnson is the poor innocent victim because he had noyhing to do with the death of this poor child. Most teenagers will understand more than us self righteous adults, he had to wrestle hard with whats right and the code of the streets. In the end he did whats right, and it cost him over 3 years of his life. For the record they never cleaned the truck, thats how they found her body so quickly. H e wanted nothing tp do with it so he cleaned his finger prints off the door.... period. I am sure yoy or anyone else would have done the same at that time. Monday, November 24, 2008 at 8:16 PM Norma Jean said... I really hope that "truth be known" does not honestly believe that James Johnson is the poor little innocent victim in this crime. The Johnson's can still talk to and hug their son but the Willis family has to visit a grave to "see" their child. He is a far way from innocent when he admittedly cleaned evidence away. If he had done the right thing, it would not have took him 3 days to do it. Monday, November 24, 2008 at 2:55 PM justice said... The only thing I care about is that justice is served, and I hope moving this case or people involved in the case do not prevent this from happening. Wednesday, November 19, 2008 at 5:55 PM truth be known said... some how it it seems lost on this community that the ajaohnson family has been going through it as well. We all feel for the Willis family, but the Johnson family has suffered as well. Remeber they feel thier soon has been persecuted in a place he called home for doing what hew was taught. The right thing, telling what he knew. God bless him for that. Wednesday, November 19, 2008 at 12:48 PM |
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