The Strange - Reagan and Valeska Fight For $ 283,657.68 Gets Heated Concerning Judge Not Recusing Self

Rickey Stokes

Viewed: 4813

Posted by: RStokes
Date: Sep 11 2012 7:14 PM

HOUSTON COUNTY:     The case filed by Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange and Sonny Regan of the Alabama Attorney General Office and Houston - Henry District Attorney Doug Valeska is drawing fire.

The longest serving Circuit Judge of the Twentieth Circuit, Larry Anderson, was assigned the case where Strange/Regan and Valeska took $ 283,657.68 dollars from the Houston County Center Stage. They want the money. (Strange and Regan had to give the $ 7.9 million BP Dollars they had Riley steal from the victims of the BP Oil Spill and give to Strange to fight electronic bingo...so they want MONEY!!!)

Anderson recused on the motion of HEDA based on a 2009 recusal which cited (1) a ex parte communication from the Houston County Commission and (2) the publicity and public outcry about Country Crossings. The case then went to the Presiding Judge, Butch Binford. He wasted no time in punting the case to Judge Mendheim. It did not collect dust before Judge Mendheim punted the case to Judge Conaway.

Judge Conaway said, I am your man and will not recuse. Judge Conaway said I was not a Judge in 2009, The ex parte communications the other Judges cited, well I ( Conaway ) did not get the communication. And as to the other reason HEDA cited as to publicity, Conaway cited that would have no affect to his making a decision in this case. Judge Conaway said, sorry but I am the Judge in this case and for the reasons you cited in the motion, Judge Conaway saw no legal basis for recusal.

All the other Judges, not spoken but implied since 2009, this issue is a hot potatoe. They are Republicans and the poster child, Republican Bob Riley, referred to in the filings as "Bingo Bob" is leading the fight. The Alabama Legislature could care less about the people’s wishes ( Paul Lee, Donnie Chesteen, Steve Clouse, Dexter Grimsley ) and will not let the people vote. The people who affect the Judge’s retirement ( voters ) are divided and we are getting out!!! The Judge’s implied in their recusal, they needs their $ 9,000.00 a month plus retirement and voters might get mad and kick my butt to the curb!!!

Today HEDA filed plenty of reasons for Judge Conaway to recuse himself from the Strange/Regan/Valeska taking of the money from Houston County’s Center Stage.

Among the reasons cited in the filings of HEDA for Judge Conaway’s recusal are (1) Judge Conaway was recomended to be appointed by Dothan Businessmen John Downs and John Watson. Both of which oppose electronic bingo, both heavy money contributors to anti bingo fights, good friends of Judge Conawayand good friends with former Alabama Governor Bob Riley. (2) Judge Conaway is business partners with Dothan Businessman John Watson and makes a reported income of $ 78,000.00 per year in that business, (3) Dothan businessman John Downs was the "largest" financial contributor to Luther Strange when he was seeking election as Alabama Attorney General (4) John Watson arranged for John Tyson, former Gambling Czar under Riley, to speak to the Dothan Rotary Clubm, which both Watson and Judge Conaway are members of.

The filings cite that Sonny Reagan was a member of Former Alabama Governor Bob Riley staff. That when Conaway was interviewed for Judge Reagan, Ken Wallace and Josh Blades interviewed Conaway for the Judge position. The allegations are questions were asked about his position on electronic bingo. Today Reagan is a members of the Alabama Attorney General’s Office and is the Chief Litigator in this case of Strange/Reagan and Valeska takes of the $ 283,657.68 of money.

In 2009 there was a bond validation process for the developers of Country Crossings to get millions of dollars for construction. The process called for the "Cooperative District of Houston County" to file a lawsuit against the citizens and taxpayers of Houston County. Today’s filings claim Judge Conaway was a defendant in the lawsuit and therefore that makes it a conflict.

Today’s filing also makes accusations the Attorney General judge shopped. At the time of the search warant Circuit Judge Kevin Moulton was in Houston County. However the Attorney General Office agents drove 200 miles from Dothan to Baldwin County in order to get judge Conaway to sign the search warrant for Center Stage. The filings allege that was judge shopping.

NOTE:   Judge Conaway was appointed in April 2010 as Circuit Judge replacing Lawson Little when he retired. A person can not seek election as a Judge in Alabama after the age of 70. Reports are Judge Conaway will be 70 at the time he is sworn in and can never seek election as a Judge again.

Case law states "...the courts of this state must avoid even the slighest appearance of impropriety. The impartiality of the courts and the citizens’ confidence in that impartiality are the pillars that support our legal process".

Prior to the filing of this motion Judge Conaway denied the motion to  recuse from the case. He set a hearing for September 26 at 9:00 AM.

Center Stage was open for almost one year  until the Strange/Reagan/Valeska raid and taking of the money. The agents refused to count the money taken in front of Center Stage counsel and witnesses. They hauled the money from Center Stage to an undisclosed location to count it.

We will see where things go from here.

 

 

Con Away Motion to Recuse 091112

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