I don't recall many Greek root words from my limited scholastic experiences, but I do remember that the phrase "empirical" is similar to the English word "evidenc"e, so I suppose "empirical evidence" could be translated as "evidence evidence".
And, as any lover of the old "Matlock" television series will tell you, twice as much proof is always better than none.
Let me talk to ya...
Back on July 16, when we learned the Fort Smith City prosecutor was no longer employed by the city of Fort Smith, there wasn't much emotion on this end. Having interacted with the previous city prosecutor on a personal and professional basis, I believed it was just a matter of time.
Rarely. in that role, do you get to choose who you prosecute depending on whether or not you have personal relationships with the people being investigated for a potential violation of the law. Or if you're scared of what they may say about you.
As my first submission of empirical evidence, I'd like to bring to your attention the case of Maple the Cow.
Some of you might remember. Many of you undoubtedly don't, because I've learned the hard way the bulk of our wonderful town's citizens are unconcerned about an issue or condition until it directly affects them.
The killing of Maple the Cow had an influence on the owners' family dynamics, and I'm sure it "kind of bothered" others in our village, but not to the point of raising a stink or seeking to insure the correct outcome.
I will give you the Cliff Notes version. A family on the extreme south side of town who owns exotic creatures had an exotic cow named Maple. Maple was a bit of an Internet sensation, with a good following.
The neighbors dogs get out and attack and kill Maple and also injury another of the family's pets. The police were called, and were in the process of investigating the situation--and possibly taking possession of the dogs.
It's all going well until the former prosecutor discovers the dog owners are her good friends, who supported her failed campaign for a judgeship to the point of creating a fluff piece video that they then disseminated to their entire community.
"Naw...we're not going to pursue that matter...and let them keep their dogs!"
Let's just say that multiple parties were extremely frustrated, not the least of which was Maple's family, who had to file a civil lawsuit. Sone other folks wearing badges were a little verklempt as well.
Civil court? That appears to be a recurring trend during the former city prosecutor's term when she just did not want to deal with a situation.
Despite what some of you may believe, I have friends and allies in various law enforcement organizations throughout the area, and I occasionally hear a little birdie chirp from inside the courthouse.
So here is a revelation for you. The death of Maple the cow was only the bloody tip of the iceberg in terms of problems, issues, and discontent with the process within the City Prosecutor's office for the last 20 months.
Isn't that shocking?
People talk. Other folks, maybe, are finally listening.
I'm not even going to talk about the initial hiring process, the lack of administrative oversight, the unwillingness to prosecute crimes based on whether or not it would affect someone's status with the Women's League, or the violations that went unchecked for a combination of all of those reasons.
And yeah. I said it.
This is where the situation gets incredibly frustrating for me. It's possible I was aware of possibility of the former city prosecutor's approaching "former" status before she realized what was going to happen on July 16.
And therein lies the rub.
The official story, which I have received twice after submitting a Freedom of Information Act request, is the former municipal prosecutor simply walked into the city administrator's office on July 16 after deciding to leave a six-figure job for no apparent reason.
Let us ignore the fact later that day, the same former city prosecutor shared a Facebook rant that indicates she wasn't happy about her sudden change in career paths.
Let me paraphrase for you:
"It was just a matter of time"
"These folks were never going to let me be great."
"I was leaving anyway; not sure what was the point of tarnishing my career."
"A racist will always be racist. "
"The road has never been easy, but some of y'all may want to tuck in that hood"
Those words, deleted almost as soon as they were posted, does not sound like the joyous salutations of someone setting off on their own.
Once again. Empirical evidence.
I have no doubt the former city prosecutor did, as the city claims, present her resignation letter on July 16. I've seen copies of it. Twice.
However, little birdies chirp, and the twittering is she did not do so because she wanted to. It was an 'either/or' issue. And, with an inquisitive mind, I wanted to know why.
I had heard there were concerns with her job performance. I had heard that some local law enforcement officials were unhappy with some of the prior city prosecutor's judgments. I was told that peculiar choices had been made about whether or not to prosecute, and not just for Maple the Cows' family, but others as well.
Don't get me started on what I've heard about DWI prosecutions.
So I did what I do, and it appears that I will have to do much more of in the future. I addressed the city with several queries regarding the situation.
Of course, some in the city administration dislike being questioned. Especially when they are questioned about a decision they made just for check marks on a form, and how that decision fits in with their mission of making Fort Smith more "progressive".
After the predicted delays and semantic gymnastics, I didn't really obtain any answers.
But maybe I did. Because there is enough empirical evidence in this case for everyone to anticipate exactly what happened.
All I wanted to know from the start was what I, and every taxpaying person in this city, deserved to know. Why? And what finally, pushed us to the forced option of "quit or be fired".
Was it, as stated by a number of insiders, based on less than stellar job performance?
Or, in the end, did the former municipal prosecutor get it correct? Was she a victim of the racism charges that always seem to come to lighwhen one of these situations goes off the rails?
In the end, we will never know. Personally, I believe the people involved signed some form of non-disclosure agreement. We'll probably never know for sure, even though I've submitted another Freedom of Information Act request asking that very question. (Actually, I asked for a copy of the NDA document. The gatekeeper gets pissy if you ask him a question.)
When I got the "official' redacted response to my query, I received her original application, and resume, a copy of a laudatory press release from the city administrator, a signed employment agreement with her starting salary, a document noting the fact she had to obtain a replacement Social Security card, and a picture of her driver's license along with her letter of resignation.
That was it.
No job evaluation sheets, Nary a letter from the public complaining about unfair treatment or favoritism (of which I know exists.)
One would think the body blows the city took over Maple the Cow would have warranted at least one time she had to stay in at recess or sit in a corner. Or something.
Nothing, Nada. She resigned for no reason, called out the city for "resigning" her and the official stance is she could have just kept on not prosecuting certain people and/or playing favorites without any repercussions?
I ain't buying it, and neither should you.
Regardless of how I felt personally or professionally about the former city prosecutor, I wish her well in her future pursuits. Getting fired... or, more accurately, "resigning", is never easy.
The funny part is had my FOIA request resulted in a vague explanation (such as "she was an at-will employee"... which, by the way, would have been a perfectly logical response), I would have taken my "L" and gone about my business.
But no.
"You people" just had to piss my fat ass off, and now I'm out here in the hot sun running down water leaks.
