COUNCILMAN LEASHORE'S RECKLESS DRIVING TICKET TO BE FIXED BY POLICE DEPARTMENT
2-14-07
POLICE CHIEF JIMMY MARTIN IS FIXING THE RECKLESS DRIVING TICKET THAT CITY COUNCILMAN JOHNNY LEASHORE RECEIVED ON THE NIGHT OF JANUARY 28. LEASHORE WAS TICKETED BY THE SELMA POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR DRIVING 103 MILES PER HOUR ON A CITY STREET!! This ticket was for reckless driving because it was more than 15 miles over the speed limit on Broad Street---in fact it was 15 miles over ANY speed limit except the Indianapolis Speedway!
Leashore tried to keep Officers Whitt and Harris from writing the ticket by CALLING MAYOR PERKINS; however, the Mayor told them to write the ticket. But before Whitt and Harris left the reckless driving scene, one of them told Leashore NOT TO WORRY BECAUSE THE TICKET WOULD BE TAKEN CARE OF.
Officer Whitt is a relatively new officer and wrote the ticket for Leashore, as well he should have. UNFORTUNATELY, WHITT HAS NOW GOTTEN THE WORD FROM HIGHER UPS TO VOID THE TICKET FOR LEASHORE. EITHER MAYOR PERKINS, BUT PROBABLY THE INCOMPETENT CHIEF MARTIN HAS GOTTEN WORD TO WHITT TO VOID THE TICKET. If Perkins did this or if he goes along with it, how can anyone respect him again? If Martin did this, IT IS JUST ONE MORE REASON HE SHOULD BE FIRED IMMEDIATELY!!!
Not knowing what to do, Whitt has turned in a form to void Leashore's ticket, BUT there is a legal catch for the Councilman. Leashore's RECKLESS DRIVING TICKET HAD ALREADY BEEN ASSIGNED A CASE NUMBER AND A HEARING SET FOR FEBRUARY 27th BEFORE WHITT TURNED IN THE VOID THE TICKET FORM.
ONCE A CASE NUMBER IS ASSIGNED, ONLY JUDGE CHITTOM OR NEW JUDGE PRINCE CHESTNUT CAN NOW VOID THE TICKET. We hope Judge Chittom has more integrity than to void a RECKLESS DRIVING TICKET for a City Councilman - even if Officer Whitt recommends it - AND WE CERTAINLY HOPE Judge Chestnut does not begin his tenure on the bench by voiding a ticket for a City Councilman.
Leashore should be thankful he didn't kill someone with his RECKLESS DRIVING of 103 mph on City streets and HE SHOULD PAY HIS TICKET AND BE DONE WITH IT. After all, he is ripping-off the taxpayers of Selma for nearly $40,000.00 a year from the Water Board and City Council. The least he can do is pay the CITY FOR HIS RECKLESS DRIVING TICKET.
TO THE YOUNG OFFICER WHITT: Everyone tells us you have great potential to be a good police officer; however, is a job with the SPD worth SELLING OUT YOUR INTEGRITY AND COMPROMISING YOUR PRINCIPLES FOR?? If you follow these orders from Martin and void this ticket for Leashore, WHAT WILL THEY ASK YOU TO DO NEXT TIME?
TO JUDGE CHITTOM AND CHESTNUT: A court system which does not treat everyone - average citizen and councilman - alike will not have the respect of the people and neither will Judges who bow to political pressure.
TO COUNCILMAN LEASHORE: Pay your ticket like everyone else has to! WHY SHOULD YOU GET SPECIAL TREATMENT? Right is right and you are dead wrong trying to get this ticket voided!!! Thank heaven you didn't kill yourself or someone else drving 103 mph like a maniac on City streets!
