Chuck Turner
Moot point? Supreme Judicial Court to consider Chuck Turner's ouster before he was sentenced for taking a bribe
By adamg - 1/30/12 - 9:02 amThe Supreme Judicial Court next week hears arguments from the lawyer for convicted felon Chuck Turner and the city of Boston on the way the city council ousted Turner after he was convicted in 2010 but before he was sentenced.
In Roxbury, out with the old, in with the new
By adamg - 3/27/11 - 8:15 amChuck Turner leaves (his complete farewell address); Tito Jackson enters.
Why the feds never got beyond Dianne Wilkerson and Chuck Turner
By adamg - 3/21/11 - 9:04 amCommonWealth takes a look at Ron Wilburn's grand jury testimony (with transcript provided), discovers the Cooperating Witness proved unable to deliver the goods on anybody else involved in liquor-licensing issues in Boston and the feds, so far, have either failed to follow up or decided there just was no there there.
Speaking of Turner, he is not going silently into that prison term. On Thursday, the night before he's scheduled to show up for his federal incarceration, he'll be on a panel discussion at Northeastern titled Framing the Innocent.
Judge to Chuck Turner: You're being replaced
By adamg - 2/7/11 - 10:32 amThe Globe reports a federal judge has rejected ex-Councilor Turner's effort to block the Feb. 15 and March 15 elections to replace him.
Meanwhile, one of the candidates for the seat, the Stassenesque Roy Owens, has a platform that calls for fighting abortions and spending $500 billion (yes, billion) "to build facilities to deal with our emergency loss of life, while at the same time create jobs and saving lives," according to his answers on a survey by One in 3.
Outside the federal courthouse yesterday
By adamg - 1/26/11 - 7:56 amThis pro-Chuck Turner video makes the argument that Boston's just a racist hellhole, but does include US Attorney Carmen Ortiz's post-sentencing comments (starts around 2:20):
Turner gets three years
By adamg - 1/25/11 - 5:02 pm
The Dorchester Reporter reports on Turner's sentence for accepting a bribe and then lying about it to the FBI.
That's only six months less than Dianne Wilkerson got for accepting more money after a career filled with criminal and disciplinary issues, but unlike Wilkerson, Turner didn't plead guilty and never expressed remorse.
He's scheduled to turn himself in March 25; his lawyers promised an appeal.
If it stands, the sentence will render Turner's suit to get his council job back moot, since state law calls for booting elected officials sentenced to prison.
City Councilor Mike Ross, who presided over Turner's expulsion hearing in December said in a statement:
This is a sad day for all of us. Chuck was a colleague of mine for a decade. My thoughts are with Chuck and his family as they process the sentence handed down this afternoon.
Chuck Turner has a fan club across the river
By adamg - 1/23/11 - 10:01 amThe Herald reports on some "ragin' grannies" serenading the ex-city councilor in Cambridge:
City Council: Constitution doesn't guarantee Chuck Turner a seat
By adamg - 1/22/11 - 11:31 amThe Boston City Council says its vote to boot Chuck Turner doesn't violate his constitutional rights, so a federal judge should dismiss his lawsuit - which might become moot on Tuesday when he's sentenced on his federal corruption conviction.
Reports from last night's Roxbury city-council forum
By adamg - 1/21/11 - 11:53 amBlackstonian reports from last night's forum for candidates seeking to replace Chuck Turner; also rates their performance and fact-checks some of their statements.
The Dorchester Reporter zeroes in on how the candidates feel about the legality of the City Council's vote to expel Turner.
Judge won't delay Chuck Turner's sentencing because one of his lawyers is out of the country
By adamg - 1/16/11 - 5:56 pmThe federal judge who will sentence Chuck Turner for his bribery and perjury charges has denied a request to postpone sentencing until at least March.
In an order issued last week, Judge Douglas Woodlock said it's simply too late for Turner to request anything just because he disagrees with one lawyer and wants counsel from another - who just happens to be on an extended overseas stay. Turner is scheduled for sentencing on Jan. 25 on his bribery and perjury convictions.
