Great opener, Joan :-)

"...was a reporter's picnic, giving little heed to facts while utilizing words which described much but said little of any substance. What has continued for several weeks is a spectacle of accusations, innuendos and counter attacks which would never be permitted in the UK or any other democracy."

Ms. Christian: I have enjoyed your columns over the years, and am glad to see you on Bowie Patch. However, are you serious when you posit that the mostly incredulous reporting of the $80K in cash stuffed in the bra of the wife of the County Exec/elected Council member "would never be permitted in the UK or any other democracy"?

Sorry, but methinks you have your head in the sand on this issue. IMHO.

so if you're caught with your hand in the cookie jar.. or say, with almost $80,000 in your brasierre, you're innocent? This I gotta hear.

"Innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt" is the criteria for conviction in a criminal court, and that same criteria will be used with the Johnsons in criminal court. Is that the criteria that we should always use for making judgments in our daily life? If your neighbor was charged with a crime against a child, would you allow that person to babysit your kids up until the time that they were convicted? Of course not.

As a matter of fact, "innocent until proven guilty" is not even the criteria used to determine whether or not someone is jailed. There are many alleged murders in jail right now that the law officially assumes are innocent, but there is enough evidence for the courts to decide that these people pose a danger - so into jail they go.

I'm as eager as the next person to hear the Johnsons' side of the story. At this point, you either have to believe that the Johnsons did nothing wrong or there is a huge conspiracy on the part of the FBI and federal prosecutors. Is Jack Johnson guilty of a crime, or did prosecutors present fabricated evidence to a judge? You decide. If you think Jack Johnson is guilty, I wouldn't accuse you of a rush to judgment. But I have yet to hear anyone say that Jack Johnson should go to jail without his day in court.

Ms. Christian, Paint it any way you choose, it won't change the fact that the Johnson's are as crooked as the day is long. What is the real deal you ask? You are kidding correct? They took all public trust and literally flushed it down the toilet. Together they are a poor representation of their community and just once, I'd like to see someone in this community write in defiance of them as opposed to supporting them.
p.s. I dont give two winks to what would happen in the UK.

As a five year Bowie resident transplanted from the aforementioned "UK" I was greatly amused by your deliciously ridiculous statement claiming "accusations, innuendos and counter attacks ... would never be permitted in the UK or any other democracy". I'm assuming you have never read any of the multitude of British Newspapers to which these kinds of "accusations, innuendos and counter attacks" are the coin of their trade. To see how recklessly they spend this coin you might want to browse over to "The Sun" newspaper website and catch up on the latest manifestations of this kind of British democratic free speech. I must warn you however that for one as seemingly innocent as yourself it might prove a little bit racy especially considering your interesting reaction to the local reporting on your obviously corrupt politician friends. Here's the link but remember, you have been warned. http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/

I am personally relieved that 'Councilwoman' Johnson was not given a 'free pass' as to her duties and participation on the council, until her legal issues are resolved. Although this does a disservice to the residents of District 6, it shows me that the 'winking' at the graft and cronyism that has been the norm for far too long in our county is no longer to be tolerated. I consider this a great start. It is a wonder that Leslie Johnson even believes that she can effectively represent ANYONE, and as a former administrative judge for the county, should have known that her actions on that fateful day were illegal, so pleading ignorance out of misplaced loyalty is no excuse. Does she expect anyone to 'overlook' the taint that she has helped to perpetrate on our county and its residents? This venal duo is a blight on our county, and the sooner their names are sanded off of our government cornerstone and they can be ignored (but not forgotten), the better. Anyone with a scintilla of self-respect should have known that crimes (or even accusations) of this magnitude could not simply be overlooked, and not attempt to proceed with business-as-usual! Honestly, I think their talents are being wasted; they would make really great authors! If convicted, they will have lots of 'free time' to ponder and reflect on the impact of their ignorance, arrogance and selfishness. I got it! They should write a book together, and I've even come up with a catchy title: Call it 'The Audacity of Dopes'!

Dahms and his same old, tired tunes. Originality and fact are are obviously alien concepts to this guy. Though he does seem to be semi-creative in vulgarity. Then they always have been. Oops, I'll probably be getting an attack on my anatomical attributes now..

The fool Dahms wouldn't know truth if it slapped him in the face. Oh, what a nice idea :)