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Police Beat: Arrest for assault, under-age drinking party and four DWI's from weekend police reports

By Howard B. Owens

Andrew J. Ashley, 22, of Le Roy, was arrested in connection with an alleged altercation on March 15 in which Ashley reported punched another person in the face. The victim suffered a broken nose and a cut cornea. Ashley is charged with assault in the third degree.

Neil H. Farley III, 18, of Elba and his 17-year-old brother were arrested at their Ridge Road home Friday evening for allegedly throwing an under-age drinking party. The 17-year-old was allegedly found in possession of marijuana and several marijuana pipes were reportedly found in his room. Both are charged with unlawfully dealing with children in the first degree.

Kevin E. Moscicki, 21, of Oakfield, was arrested Saturday morning in Batavia and charged with DWI. The Sheriff's office reports that Moscicki's vehicle was observed making an unsafe lane change and an improper right turn, which led to a traffic stop.  Further investigation revealed Moscicki was allegedly operating the vehicle while intoxicated. He was charged with driving with at BAT .08 or more.

Gregory L. Brennan, 40, of Batavia was charged with DWI following a traffic stop on Slusser Road in Pembroke. He is accused of driving with a BAT .08 or greater and operating a motor vehicle without a license. Brennan was arrested early Sunday morning.

Robbie J. Stanton, 31, of Batavia, is charged with a felony DWI and operating a vehicle with a revoked license following a traffic stop in Pembroke Saturday morning.

Joseph M. Menas, 30, of Elba, was arrested and charged with DWI Thursday night after the Sheriff's office received a report of a car of the road on Route 98. When deputies arrived, the driver was not with the vehicle. Menas was subsequently found at a nearby residence. He is charged with DWI and aggravated DWI.

Barber Conable is number two on HLOM history list

By Howard B. Owens

I spent a good portion of the morning reading about Barber Conable. What a good man.

No wonder he made number two on the list of 25 Things that Made Genesee County Famous.

Not only did Conable give us the term "smoking gun" (during the Watergate Scandal), but he was regarded by his peers as the most respected member of Congress (he never accepted an individual campaign contribution for more than $50); he also "put the 'K' in 401(k)" when he helped rewrite the tax code to help protect pensions at Eastman Kodak; and. as president of the World Bank, he transformed the organization into an institution that assisted women and children in poor nations.

Throughout his career, Conable maintained his connection to Batavia, returning home every weekend to meet with his friends and constituents.

My favorite passage in articles I read about Conable came from historian Yanek Mieczkowski:

I noticed framed, meticulous pencil sketches on some walls, and he explained that they were just doodles that he had made while a congressman.

Just doodles? They looked beautiful, and they had been enough to impress Ronald Reagan. The president had heard about the congressman's drawings, and asked to have some. Conable sent a few samples to the White House. In return, the president sent a page of his own sketches, on White House stationery, to the congressman. "Barber," the president wrote. "These are just doodles. Yours are art."

Mieczkowski's piece on Conable is outstanding, I recommend reading the entire piece.

I also found these two notable quotes from Conable:

"He (the first President Bush) thought I should be supporting an American agenda (as World Bank president). I thought I was there to help the poor people. So I got the reputation of not being a team player, and that was the one thing George wouldn't stand for."

"I could have stayed in Washington at six figures if I had wanted to. I considered it. But they wanted a stuffed exhibit and not a lawyer, and I didn't want to be a stuffed exhibit. They wanted to use my name and put me in the firm and give me a special 'of counsel' status. At the appropriate time the senior partner would push a button and I would come into the consultation he was having with his client and he'd say, 'You remember former Congressman Barber Conable, don't you? Remember the great role he played in Ways and Means?' That image frightened me."

Not only did Conable help make Genesee County famous, he should be at the top of any list of things to make Genesee County proud.

NYPA kills chance to bring 200 good jobs to WNY

By Howard B. Owens

OK, Medina is outside of our coverage area, but the Daily News has a story this morning that concerns all of us, because any chance to create 200 good paying jobs in Western New York is an issue that impacts the entire region's economy.

Google wanted to build a server facility Medina, but the New York Power Authority would not help Google get low-cost power to the plant, which is a prerequisite for any of Google's hosting facilities.

The Daily's story fully captures the frustration over the situation.

State Sen. George Maziarz blasted NYPA for denying Google and other companies that have wanted to build in Western New York. Maziarz lambasted NYPA officials Thursday in Albany during a public hearing to raise electric rates by 12 percent.

“I personally worked over two years with a small company headquartered in San Francisco called Google that wanted desperately to locate in Western New York and were told there was no power available to them,” Maziarz said during Thursday’s hearing.

He blamed NYPA “for killing the deals and the jobs that go along with them.”

Maziarz went on to call NYPA officials liars and thieves.

If Niagara power can potentially  be acquired cheaply, as Tom Rivers points out in the story, to spur business growth, how does it possibly make sense for NYPA to thwart business expansion in a region that desperately needs that job growth?

Sen. Ranzenhofer calls on Paterson to rescind plan to end STAR rebate checks

By Howard B. Owens

Property taxes in New York are outrageously high. In that context, it's kind of amazing that Gov. Paterson would suggest the STAR rebate checks be discontinued.

Sen. Mike Ranzenhofer held a press conference in LeRoy yesterday to call on Paterson to rescind his plan elimination of the checks. It's not surprising that I was the only reporter to show up, but as a property owner (for now) in New York, I think those checks are kind of important.

Further, when you consider, as Ranzhofer points out, that the checks return $8 million a year in cash flow to Genesee County, the rebate program is exceptionally important to the local economy.  It is ironic that at a time when the Federal government is spending trillions of dollars under what the president and Congress label a "stimulus" program, Gov. Paterson would take money out of the economy as fast as he can.

However, I think weakest among Ranzenhofer's arguments against elimination of the checks is the notion that elimination of the checks could cause people to lose their homes.  This sounds more like a play on emotion rather than reason. According to Ranzenhofer's own press release, the average check is for $335 and $420.  At $420, that's $35 per month. I just wonder how many property owners are gazing at the precipice over $35 per month? Yes, I can imagine a retired person on fixed income finding $35 very hard to muster, but when the alternative is losing your life-long home, you're probably going to find some way to make sure that tax is paid.

That said, the effort shouldn't even be necessary. Property taxes in New York or too high and the last thing Gov. Paterson should be doing is essentially increasing those taxes.

Introducing The Batavian's Community Calendar

By Howard B. Owens

For months we've offered the "Announcements" section as a place for civic groups to share information about their events and news, but the section isn't as useful if you're wondering what's happening on a specific date.

Today, we added an actual calendar to the site.

To add an item to the calendar go to "Create Content" and then click on the "Event" link.

If you tag your event "announcements" it will also show up in Announcements.

To view the calendar, you'll find it on the right side of the page.

St. Joseph School Penny Carnival

By Howard B. Owens

St. Joseph School Penny Carnival!

Please join us for our 20th Annual St. Joseph School Penny Carnival. March 28th 11-4.  Corner of Main and Summit in Batavia.
The fun includes: games and prizes; our famous "Cake Walk"; food and refreshments; baked goods sale; numerous raffles including:  $1000 cash giveaway; $250 Toy-R-Us Shopping Spree, $100+ lottery-ticket basket, 13 different theme baskets. Please call the school at 343-6154 with any questions.
Hope to see you there!

Event Date and Time
-

MAMMOTH Indoor Garage Sale

By Howard B. Owens

MAMMOTH Indoor Garage Sale

Saturday, April 18th 9AM-4PM

St. Joseph School
corner of Main (Route 5) & Summit
Batavia

*  "It's a widely-acclaimed, super-enormous, ultra-gigantic quality sale!"

*  Everything from A-to-Z (clothing excluded)

*  New this year: a wide variety of quality, used furniture

Please call Kathy Stefani at 585-344-2701 with any questions.
Hope to see you there!

Event Date and Time
-

Batavia Police seek witnesses to attempted robbery on Ellicott Street

By Howard B. Owens

Batavia Police are looking for a hero who broke up an attempted robbery by two young thugs on Ellicott Street near Jackson on March 5 at about 1:30 p.m.

The victim was a 90-year-old woman.

She was accosted by two young men in their late teens, but an unknown passerby chased the suspects away.

Police want to talk to the hero as well as any other witnesses.

The BPD's press release does not indicate whether investigators have yet identified the suspects.

The hero or other witnesses are asked to call Det. Kevin Czora at 585-345-6311 or the BPD at 585-345-6350.

Second Annual Experience Genesee Offers An Open House and More than 25 Free "Fun-Shops" for Everyone

By Howard B. Owens

Press Release:

BATAVIA, NY -- From science to Second Life, fashion to fitness -"Experience Genesee," an all-ages Open House on Thursday, March 26 from 5:00 PM to 8:30 PM has something for everyone!  Every floor and building of Genesee Community College's Batavia Campus will be alive and in action with "Experience Genesee," an evening of free, enjoyable learning, entertainment, refreshments, and a wealth of fun and informative short workshops, including an educational Open House for all potential new students.

"From young children to traditional age students, older adults or retirees, this is a great evening for all kinds of interesting activities, mini workshops, music, and learning throughout the College," Tanya Lane-Martin, assistant dean for Enrollment Services and Recruitment and a member of the Experience Genesee Planning Committee said. "There are so many dynamic things happening at the College each and every day that we wanted to give the community and perspective new students the chance to enjoy an impressive one-night sample. There truly is something for everyone at Experience Genesee!"

In addition to more than 25 "funshops" covering an array of different topics, there will be live music by the Batavia Brass Society, the Forum Player's The Incredible Jungle Journey of Fenda Maria in the Stuart Steiner Theatre, and the CoolKids Bubble Man show for children starts at 6:30 PM in the Forum. Free refreshments and a College Information Fun Faire will occur in the cafeteria, and the evening concludes with a telescopic view of the sky and stars outside in the Clock Tower Plaza (weather permitting).

Prospective students will be able to tour the state-of-the-art science, health and computer labs and classrooms, as well as College Village, Genesee's apartment style housing complex. They can explore potential career opportunities at the Career Center and learn and witness Genesee's active student clubs and student government in the Student Union.

Any person interested in signing up for the Open House can pre-register online at: www.genesee.edu/openhouse.

The complete schedule for Experience Genesee follows, and a full brochure with detailed information about each event is available at www.genesee.edu/Experience.

Experience Genesee - 5:30PM Workshops
GCC Men's Lacrosse Practice,  4:00-6:00 PM - Outdoor Fields
Riding the Radio Waves with WGCC - Room A327
Exercise and Fitness Today - Room A236
Spanish Activities: Music, Videos, Scrapbooking, Card Making - Room A312
Nursing Demos with Simulators & Blood Pressure Checks - Room B202
Earning College Credit in High School - Room B358
Physics Alive with Light, Mechanics and Magnetism - Room B302
Forensic Corner - Connecting with Biotechnology - Room B304
Art History: Exploring Art Treasure of the Ages - Room B360
School's Cool for Kids of All Ages - Rooms B309 & C305, C307,  C309
What's in the Water? Exploring the Environment - Room C310
Create a Business Opportunity - Room D254
Do-It-Yourself Computer Repair - Room D205
Building a Positive Image Fashion Workshop - Room D260
Travel Savvy Workshop - Room D258
We Are Our Voice - Introduction to Vocal Performance - Room E215
The Magic of Clay, Ceramics and Pottery - Room E217
Creative Arts, for kids ages 5 and up - Room E217
Affording College - Financial Aid Information & Presentation - Room T119
FISH- Inspiring Others with Energy and Enthusiasm - Room T122
Touring GCC's TV Studio - Room T137
Second Life: Creating Avatars and Navigating Virtual Worlds - Room T206
Sport Mini Clinics - Gym / Pool
Grow It and Eat It! Gardening & Cooking Resources - Library
Experience Genesee - 7:30PM Funshops
Riding the Radio Waves with WGCC - Room A327
Exercise and Fitness Today - Room A236
Spanish Activities: Music, Videos, Scrapbooking, Card Making - Room A312
Nursing Demos with Simulators & Blood Pressure Checks - Room B202
Earning College Credit in High School - Room B358
Forensic Corner - Connecting with Biotechnology - Room B304
School's Cool for Kids of All Ages - Rooms B309 & C305, C307,  C309
What's in the Water? Exploring the Environment - Room C310
Create a Business Opportunity - Room D254
Do-It-Yourself Computer Repair - Room D205
Building a Positive Image Fashion Workshop - Room D260
Travel Savvy Workshop - Room D258
Creative Arts, for kids ages 5 and up - Room E217
Affording College - Financial Aid Information & Presentation - Room T119
Touring GCC's TV Studio - Room T137
Second Life: Exploring Virtual Worlds and GCC's Island - Room T206
Sport Mini Clinics featuring Competitions & Prizes - Gym / Pool
Spring is Near with G.C. Cooperative Extension Master Gardener - Library
"The Incredible Jungle Journey of Fenda Maria" Rehearsal - Theatre
Experience Genesee - Not to Miss - Events
Physical Rehabilitation - Bodies in Motion (Physical Therapy) PTA Lab - Room  A216
Planting Hairy Heads - take them home & watch them grow - all evening / Library
CoolKids Bubble Man Performance at 6:30pm - Forum
Free Pizza and Soda (with coupon enclosed in folders) at 7:00pm - 7:30pm - Cafeteria / Forum
Batavia Brass Society Performance at 6:00pm - 8:00pm - Tech. Bldg Lobby (2nd Floor)
Experience Genesee Pre-K - 6th Grade Coloring Contest Exhibit Best of Show Award presented at the Forum at 6:25pm - Cafeteria / Forum
Performances & Entertainment at 5:30pm - 8:30pm - Student Union
College Info / Fun Faire at 6:30pm - 7:30pm - Cafeteria
Telescopic View of the Sky & Stars (weather permitting) at 8:00pm - Clocktower Plaza
College and College Village Tours - all evening / starting from the Cafeteria
This schedule is subject to change.

For further general information, contact Valerie Hale at 585-343-0055 x 6200 or send an email to vahale@genesee.edu.

Local Residents Keeping a Watchful Eye on Our Area’s Vulnerable Seniors

By Howard B. Owens

Press Release:

Four very special individuals from Genesee County have taken on an important role in our community as Volunteer Long Term Care Ombudsmen. ‘Ombudsman’ is an unusual word with Swedish roots, defined as a person who investigates complaints and mediates fair settlements.  Under federal and New York State law, all residents of long term care facilities (nursing homes, adult care facilities, assisted living facilities and family-type homes) have the right to speak confidentially with an ombudsman about their concerns.
Ombudsmen are volunteers who enjoy working with the elderly. They are charged with resolving complaints, monitoring quality of life issues and helping to preserve the dignity of residents living in long term care facilities. Their primary goal – protecting the rights of residents.

Richard Neth, a Batavia resident who has been a volunteer Ombudsman for over six years, attests, “It’s very rewarding to know the residents appreciate our help. I really look forward to seeing them each week.” 

Catherine Stone, a LeRoy resident who has been with the Ombudsman Program for eight years, covers two different facilities, visiting residents each week and helping where she can. She talks modestly of her role. “It really isn’t much,” says Stone. “Some people can’t speak for themselves, so I help wherever I can.” Stone especially enjoys weekly visits to a new family-type home in LeRoy. “They truly are a family there, and it brings such joy to me to visit with them.”

Neth, Stone and three other volunteers each spend 2-4 hours per week visiting residents in the long term care facility to which they are assigned. Together, they visit over 600 residents at 7 different facilities every week. In 2008 alone, they investigated and resolved over 77 complaints.

“A very big job for our small group of dedicated volunteers,” admits Leanne Rorick of Lifespan, the Program’s local Coordinator. The Genesee County Long Term Care Ombudsman Program is managed by Lifespan, a senior service agency in Rochester, NY. Other counties covered by Lifespan include Livingston, Wyoming, Monroe, Ontario and Yates.

Complaints range from minor to major and can include lost laundry issues, care-related concerns, food complaints, and even abuse allegations, neglect, or mistreatment.

“We’re friendly visitors, but we’re so much more,” says Rorick. She reflects on the past few months and some of the cases she and the team of volunteers have assisted with.

“Privacy issues, lost laundry, emergency call bells not being answered in a timely manner, and staffing issues are just some of the situations that we’ve dealt with recently.”

Complaints are given to ombudsmen during their regular weekly visits with residents. Staff members sometimes request the assistance of the ombudsman to mediate difficult situations, as well. Residents, staff, family members and friends can contact the regional Ombudsman Program office at Lifespan with concerns and complaints, at (585)244-8400 x114. Discussions with ombudsmen are always confidential.

The Long Term Care Ombudsman Program was developed as a demonstration program in 1972, and is currently established in all states under the Older Americans Act. Over 1,000 volunteers serve more than 150,000 long-term care residents in New York State, alone.

Volunteers for the Ombudsman Program have come from all backgrounds and experiences, including but not limited to the banking and finance industry, the legal field, teaching, nursing, social work and homemaking. They are people who enjoy the elderly, who are dedicated to helping others and who can commit to weekly visits to their assigned facility.

Certification is free, and includes a 36-hour training course provided by Lifespan of Rochester, where experts cover topics such as the aging process, levels of care, the inner workings of long term care facilities, advocacy strategies, and more. The next annual training program will be held May 13-20.

An application process, interview and background check are necessary to begin training for the Certification Program. Volunteers are assigned after successful completion of training. A one year commitment is recommended, but most ombudsmen continue long after.

If you interested in becoming a Certified Volunteer Ombudsman, or if you would like more information about the Ombudsman Program, please contact Marie Frey, Ombudsman Program Coordinator at Lifespan, at (585) 244-8400 x114 or local Coordinator, Leanne Rorick at 402-8480 or lrorick@lifespan-roch.org.
 

Woman drives car into Wal-Mart

By Howard B. Owens

An unidentified woman was taken to UMMC after driving her vehicle into Wal-Mart late this morning, according to WBTA.

The woman was apparently the only person injured, after her car smashed into the vestibule.

WBTA posted an audio interview with an eyewitness.

Sheriff's deputies told WBTA that the woman may have become confused the gas pedal and brake pedal of her car.

WBTA has posted a picture from the scene.

Genesee Student Finalist in National Essay Contest

By Howard B. Owens

Press Release:

BATAVIA, NY -- Genesee Community College is pleased to announce student Leah Reino was a finalist in the Community College Week NISOD Student Essay Contest. The National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD) and Community College Week magazine together sponsored an essay writing contest for community college students based on their most rewarding learning experience with faculty, staff or administrator at their college. There were over 1,300 entries, and Leah's essay, Professor Weston and the Last Crusade, was one of nine finalists who were recognized.

Leah has been a full time student since fall of 2007, when she was 15 years old. She was home-schooled through middle school and then completed her high school requirements through Genesee in the spring of 2008. She is now working on her associate's degree with plans to graduate in the fall of 2010. She is currently studying Biotechnology and plans to someday earn a doctorate degree in science.

Leah first learned of the essay contest through a posting at the Arcade campus center where she takes most of her classes. Professor Michael Weston also mentioned the contest to Leah and she found it fitting to write about his impact on her as a student. Michael Weston is a history instructor at the Arcade Campus Center and has had a huge impact on how Leah has developed and how she sees the world.

"His classes helped me adapt to college life and becoming an adult, and also formed my opinions about current events and the global situation," Leah said. "In my opinion, these things are essential for any scientist. In order to conduct relevant research or contribute to the scientific community in any way, you have to understand the world around you. Not just in the scientific sense, but also in the political, economic, and social sense."

Mr. Weston's classes have established this groundwork for Leah in a way that is invaluable. Because of him, she is now fascinated by history, politics, and the economy, subjects she previously found dull and irrelevant to her scientific studies. Leah has taken four classes with Mr. Weston in the five semesters she has been enrolled at Genesee. Weston's classes are engaged with thought-provoking debates about current events and he shows his classes how complex the world is. Always questioning the issues presented, he offers alternative viewpoints to his students in order to show them an unbiased view of the current topic at hand.

Leah's essay, Professor Weston and the Last Crusade starts out as a movie trailer-like description of the events happening in Weston's class. He is often compared to Indiana Jones and his classes like an entertaining movie, where students are his audience. She goes on to tell of the effects he has had on her academically and personally and describes him as "a crusader against the forces of ignorance and complacency in the world."

 

In the future, Leah plans on transferring to a university where she can focus on her love of science, possibly studying medical research, biomedical/genetic engineering, forensics or astrophysics. As an alternative, Leah is also interested in global studies and political science, with thanks to Mr. Weston. She also would like to publish a book sometime in her life.

"Because my fields of interest are so grounded in reality, my favorite genre of writing is science fiction and fantasy," Leah noted. "They provide an escape for me from the toils of everyday life. I would love to become a science fiction or fantasy author sometime in the future."

Leah also has plans to someday 'retire' to teach in an academic setting at a college, due in large part to Professor Weston. "He has inspired me; I would want to inspire my own students."

Leah resides on a family farm in Farmersville, NY and lives with her mother and father, David and Gail Reino, and with her brother David Benjamin, who has also started his education at Genesee at 15 years of age. Leah's father, David, is an emergency room doctor in Jamestown, NY, and has been her mentor and inspired her interest in science at a very young age. Leah is an avid horseback rider and competes at fairs and shows throughout Wyoming, Cattaraugus, and Allegheny counties. She also enjoys reading extensively in many genres, from fantasy to historical fiction to science magazines. She is an active member in Genesee's chapter of Phi Theta Kappa Honors Society, Alpha Iota Upsilon chapter as the chapter Webmaster.

Officials arrest 23 people for possibly illegally selling native reptiles

By Howard B. Owens

State officials announced in Albany yesterday the arrest of 23 people -- including an unidentified Genesee County man -- for allegedly dealing illegally in New York native species.

The group of people were allegedly capturing and selling native rattlesnakes, salamanders and turtles.

"We were addressing what was becoming a mammoth industry in New York, and that was the illegal trade in New York reptiles," said Thomas, a law enforcement lieutenant at DEC's regional headquarters in Avon, Livingston County.

Thomas said that reptiles and amphibians should be valued and protected as bedrock species in their ecosystems that consume insects and small mammals perceived as pests, and in turn being consumed by larger animals.

UPDATE: The D&C's version of the story includes this information:

Among those charged with misdemeanor counts were Kenneth R. Howard Jr., 53, of Oakfield, Genesee County, and Michael J. Loveless, 58, of Machias, Cattaraugus County. Both men are accused of illegally trapping snapping turtles and selling them in Maryland for meat.

Police Beat: Man arrested for alleged endangering a child

By Howard B. Owens

Emmanuel Williams, 33, of Batavia was arrested Thursday night for allegedly having "physical contact with a child less than 17 years old," according to the police report. He is charged with endangering the welfare of a child. Williams is being held on $7,500 bail.

Introducing blogger Tyler Barrett

By Howard B. Owens

We discovered a new local blogger this week: Tyler Barrett. He's a young, aspiring fiction writer. In an e-mail, he told me he's looking for other younger writers in the area who want to work on growing and learning together.

Scott Doll scheduled to be released this afternoon

By Howard B. Owens

UPDATE 4:15 p.m.:  Scott Doll was released this afternoon.

Yesterday, I sent a series of questions about the planned supervised release of Scott Doll to Genesee Justice, which will supervise Doll while he's out on bail.

A few minutes ago, I received this response Tiffany M. Szymanek, Assistant Director:

In response to your inquiry, we are limited in our ability to respond to all of the questions you are asking at this time.  We can confirm that this afternoon the Defendant, Scott Doll, will be released on bail, as well as on Electronic Monitoring, which will be supervised by our office.

Our questions related to the level of supervision and monitoring Doll might receive.

UPDATE: Genesee Justice sent us a PDF copy of a brochure that explains more about the agency's services.

Scott Doll deserves a fair trial

By Howard B. Owens

In all likelihood, Scott Doll will be released on supervised bail today (if he isn't already out of jail).  From all appearances, it looks like he and his attorney are planning a vigorous defense, as is his right.

One of the advantages of the United States is that we have a judicial system that presumes innocence and requires the government to prove its case before incarcerating an accused criminal for any length of time.

Suspects are afforded due process, the rule of law and all of the burden for proving guilt rests with the government.  It isn't up to the accused to prove his lack of complicity.  It is up to the government to win a conviction.

This is good for all of us.  It protects us from arbitrary arrest -- as often happens in less enlightened countries -- and assures us a fair chance to avoid an unjust conviction.

Our legal system isn't perfect, as no human-run institution can be perfect, but it works pretty well.

Based on some comments we've seen on The Batavian, some people are assuming Scott Doll is guilty.  The case against him doesn't look good. He was found covered in blood not far from the scene where Joseph A. Benaquist was found beaten to death. Doll and Benaquist had a prior business relationship. They once worked in the same detention facility.  The circumstantial evidence against Doll is reasonably strong.

But none of us were there. And none of us have yet seen the direct evidence that might convict Doll. 

In our legal system, it's dangerous to jump to conclusions, no matter how compelling the initial case may seem.

Unless the judge grants a change of venue, 12 honorable people from Genesee County will be called upon to judge Mr. Doll's guilt or innocence. Some of those people may be regular readers of The Batavian or aware of the case through other media. It's important that those jurors maintain an open mind, giving Mr. Doll every benefit of the doubt and requiring the government, as is its obligation, to prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt.

The legal system protects all of us. We should be sure to protect and preserve the system.  We're long past the days of vigilante justice and kangaroo courts. Let's keep it that way.

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