az-tears
08-27-2004, 07:09 AM
Has any AZ's heard of any of these deaths? 18 in 18 months? one death a month in the Lewis prison and some are covered up!
Romley cries foul on judge
Says ruling hurts investigations
Amanda J. Crawford
The Arizona Republic
Aug. 27, 2004 12:00 AM
Related links
Romley wants prison standoff report released
• Special report: Prison hostage standoff >>
Maricopa County Attorney Rick Romley said a Superior Court judge has compromised his investigations of potential crimes uncovered as part of a grand jury probe into the hostage standoff at a state prison.
Investigations into a death, another incident at Arizona State Prison Complex-Lewis and a potential cover-up, all unrelated to the hostage standoff, are continuing, Romley said. But those investigations have been hampered because Judge Colin Campbell of Maricopa County Superior Court told some of the subjects that they were being investigated and refused to turn over to Romley's office the full grand jury report and transcripts, Romley said.
"I may not be able to do an adequate investigation into the cover-up because of Judge Campbell's actions," Romley said.
Campbell, who decided Monday that the 337th Grand Jury's report on the standoff would not be released to the public, declined through a court spokeswoman to comment.
Romley has already challenged Campbell's decision to deny his office access to the grand jury's report and transcripts, which he said he needs for his other investigations. Campbell provided him only information from the report he deemed relevant.
After those other investigations are completed, Romley will ask Campbell to reconsider his decision to keep the grand jury report under seal. If Campbell refuses, Romley said he will file a special action asking the Court of Appeals to make the report available to the public and policymakers.
"We need to find out what happened," Romley said. "This grand jury of citizens said there are significant findings that the public should know about."
In his long-awaited decision Monday, Campbell said criminal grand jury proceedings are kept secret to protect the innocent and the reputation of those investigated but not charged with a crime. He also cited the separate, ongoing investigations in his decision not to release the report.
While Romley gave few details of the other investigations, he did specify that he is investigating individuals at the Department of Corrections in a non-slaying death at Lewis prison. He said he was not sure how high up a suspected cover-up goes.
Cam Hunter, a spokeswoman at the Department of Corrections, said the agency "just don't know what he is talking about" in regards to a cover-up. There were 18 deaths in the past 18 months at Lewis prison, and the agency investigates and takes all of them seriously, she said. She said she could not discuss any grand jury matters or ongoing investigations.
The 337th Grand Jury spent three months and nearly $400,000 investigating the 15-day standoff in January at Lewis prison, in which two inmates took control of a watchtower and held two corrections officers hostage. Republican legislative leaders and Romley pursued their own investigation into the standoff after criticizing the independence of a panel appointed by Gov. Janet Napolitano. Romley appointed private attorney and former Judge Mel McDonald to the task, and the grand jury was convened to look into crimes that may have been committed during the standoff, other than those of the two inmate perpetrators.
Print This | Email This | Most Popular | Subscribe This is the first I have heard of it.
Romley cries foul on judge
Says ruling hurts investigations
Amanda J. Crawford
The Arizona Republic
Aug. 27, 2004 12:00 AM
Related links
Romley wants prison standoff report released
• Special report: Prison hostage standoff >>
Maricopa County Attorney Rick Romley said a Superior Court judge has compromised his investigations of potential crimes uncovered as part of a grand jury probe into the hostage standoff at a state prison.
Investigations into a death, another incident at Arizona State Prison Complex-Lewis and a potential cover-up, all unrelated to the hostage standoff, are continuing, Romley said. But those investigations have been hampered because Judge Colin Campbell of Maricopa County Superior Court told some of the subjects that they were being investigated and refused to turn over to Romley's office the full grand jury report and transcripts, Romley said.
"I may not be able to do an adequate investigation into the cover-up because of Judge Campbell's actions," Romley said.
Campbell, who decided Monday that the 337th Grand Jury's report on the standoff would not be released to the public, declined through a court spokeswoman to comment.
Romley has already challenged Campbell's decision to deny his office access to the grand jury's report and transcripts, which he said he needs for his other investigations. Campbell provided him only information from the report he deemed relevant.
After those other investigations are completed, Romley will ask Campbell to reconsider his decision to keep the grand jury report under seal. If Campbell refuses, Romley said he will file a special action asking the Court of Appeals to make the report available to the public and policymakers.
"We need to find out what happened," Romley said. "This grand jury of citizens said there are significant findings that the public should know about."
In his long-awaited decision Monday, Campbell said criminal grand jury proceedings are kept secret to protect the innocent and the reputation of those investigated but not charged with a crime. He also cited the separate, ongoing investigations in his decision not to release the report.
While Romley gave few details of the other investigations, he did specify that he is investigating individuals at the Department of Corrections in a non-slaying death at Lewis prison. He said he was not sure how high up a suspected cover-up goes.
Cam Hunter, a spokeswoman at the Department of Corrections, said the agency "just don't know what he is talking about" in regards to a cover-up. There were 18 deaths in the past 18 months at Lewis prison, and the agency investigates and takes all of them seriously, she said. She said she could not discuss any grand jury matters or ongoing investigations.
The 337th Grand Jury spent three months and nearly $400,000 investigating the 15-day standoff in January at Lewis prison, in which two inmates took control of a watchtower and held two corrections officers hostage. Republican legislative leaders and Romley pursued their own investigation into the standoff after criticizing the independence of a panel appointed by Gov. Janet Napolitano. Romley appointed private attorney and former Judge Mel McDonald to the task, and the grand jury was convened to look into crimes that may have been committed during the standoff, other than those of the two inmate perpetrators.
Print This | Email This | Most Popular | Subscribe This is the first I have heard of it.