Weathersbee Comments on Hospital Probe
I once again feel compelled to respond to the opinions of the editorial staff of The Sun as to how criminal investigations should be conducted in Anne Arundel County.
I feel the public should be more appalled at the media playing amateur sleuth and prosecutor than my attitude toward criminal investigation.
Our office has been involved in the investigation of this matter at Anne Arundel Medical Center from the very beginning, having assigned an investigator upon first learning of the incident. That investigator has been involved in every aspect of the investigation, preserving and gathering evidence. That fact was pointed out in an article appearing in the same (Feb. 10) edition of The Sun containing the editorial.
By the same token, a hospital such as the Anne Arundel Medical Center is a critical institution within the community upon which all of our citizens rely for their medical needs. To create a panic or damage the confidence which the community has in this institution merely to satisfy the editorial desires of the media would be the epitome of irresponsibility.
This investigation will proceed, as all others conducted by our office, in an expeditious and responsible manner with the goal of obtaining the truth and effectively prosecuting wrongdoers if found. Prosecution in this county simply cannot be driven by media hype and hysteria or political whim.
A classic example of this practice is the Valentine investigation. When the media was clamoring for indictments of someone for the murder of JoAnne Valentine, there simply was insufficient evidence to obtain a conviction. When that evidence was developed, after careful and tenacious investigation by our office and the police, indictments were returned and the defendants are awaiting trial.
That is the type of professional prosecution the citizens of this county expect and deserve, and that is what they will receive, opinions of the media notwithstanding.
Frank R. Weathersbee
Annapolis
The writer is Anne Arundel County state's attorney.
It Pays to Lose
Four years ago when the voters of Pasadena rejected Bud Ahern in his bid for re-election, he was given a cushy job by Jim Lighthizer. Last November, we rejected "Dutch" Holland and now we learn he has received a job at $38,000 a year (at least $9,000 more than he earned as a councilman) and a county car.
His new job will be to look at ways to privatize Eisenhower Golf Course. Must we pay someone such a large sum of taxpayer money to investigate this? I am sure we have a large number of county employees with expertise in this field.
I believe the message of the last election was to clean up our county and stop tired old politicians from living off the public dole. I am sick of politics as usual in Anne Arundel County.
David Blanch
Pasadena
Auto Insurance Reform
Gov. Parris N. Glendening's recently announced auto insurance initiative falls far short of the reform needed. Shifting auto insurance costs from city to suburban drivers by abolishing "territorial rating" is not an effective solution.
Maryland has the highest incidence of litigation arising from auto accidents of any state in the union, with fully 66 percent of our auto accidents giving rise to litigation. One more report from yet another insurance study commission cannot alter this fact.
The key to real reform is the creation of a system that allows consumers the option of selecting traditional tort liability insurance and personal injury protection (no-fault insurance) that allows for automatic payment of economic loss in exchange for foregoing claims for non-economic loss.
Maryland is considered an "add-on" state, whereby our $2,500 ++ personal injury protection coverage actually works to subsidize and facilitate the bringing of tort claims. To effectively provide real dollar savings to motorists, personal injury or no-fault reform must couple expeditious compensation for economic loss (medical expenses and wage loss) with a prohibition on lawsuits for non-economic loss.
Complicating the ability to enact auto insurance choice legislation is the mountain of political action committee contributions piled up against it by opposition groups, primarily trial lawyers. A system of personal injury protection coupled with prohibition on lawsuits for non-economic loss would ensure that premium dollars will essentially be spent compensating victims rather than directed to attorneys' pockets and court costs.
Another committee to study auto insurance reform, as proposed by Governor Glendening, is not needed.
We have studied the issue to death. What is needed is the will to stand up to the trial lawyers and the PAC money and provide Maryland motorists, especially our less affluent citizens, with a system that offers automatic compensation for economic loss and real premium savings.
ohn R. Leopold
Annapolis
The writer is a state delegate representing Legislative District 31.
Chapel Hill Murders
I am appalled, though I suppose I should not be surprised, at the random shootings in the peaceful, lovely college town of Chapel Hill, N.C. Considering the moral and social degradation in this country, we can expect random murder and violence to occur anywhere, any time.
When are the people truly going to rise up and say, "I'm mad as hell and I am not going to take it anymore."
The news reports indicate the perpetrator has a history of mental problems. More than likely, he will avoid a murder one conviction and a long prison sentence by pleading insanity. In my opinion, the dealer who sold him the assault weapon and the authorities who allowed the sale also should be prosecuted.
Meanwhile, the Republicans (and some Democrats) in Congress, many of whom, no doubt, have been influenced if not "bought" by the National Rifle Association, are pushing to repeal the ban on assault weapons.
Is there no shame?
Alfred S. Sharlip
Jessup