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City Council to consider whether to expel Chuck Turner on Dec. 1
By adamg on Mon, 11/01/2010 - 5:29pm
The City Council won't wait until after Chuck Turner is sentenced on extortion and perjury charges to consider whether to strip him of his seat on the council.
In a letter to Turner today, Council President Mike Ross said he's called a hearing of the council after its regular meeting on Dec. 1 - a date chosen to let whoever wins the vacant District 6 (West Roxbury and Jamaica Plain) have a say. That district's next councilor will be selected in a special election on Nov. 16.
Turner will be sentenced in federal district court on Jan. 25. Yesterday, he announced he would not appeal the verdict but would instead seek to have his supporters convince the judge to give him only probation - and to appeal to Ross to delay any expulsion hearing until after his sentencing.
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Comments
Why not wait until he's sentenced, so it's automatic?
They might as well just wait until Jan. 25th when his removal, if he's imprisoned, will be required by law. Problem is, he can run again when he gets out. If it's a short sentence, I wouldn't be surprised to see him elected again. At least he won't be pension eligible, having been convicted of a felony related to his job.
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Ch. 269 Section 30. If a convict sentenced by a court of the commonwealth or of the United States to imprisonment in the state prison or by a court of the United States to a federal penitentiary for a felony holds an office under the constitution or laws of the commonwealth at the time of sentence, it shall be vacated from the time of sentence. If the judgment against him is reversed upon writ of error, he shall be restored to his office with all its rights and emoluments; but, if pardoned, he shall not by reason thereof be restored, unless it is so expressly ordered by the terms of the pardon.
Downtown rules
The Council regs have already kicked in, with the felony conviction. The whole body agreed (unanimously, including Charles A. Turner) that when one of them is convicted of a felony, that is one-and-out. The hearing is politesse and crossing the t, a formality that requires a two-thirds vote of members. Our views of the venality of pols aside, Turner is the first caught after the Council rule.
Score one for Ross
Kudos to Mike Ross for not falling for Turner's BS. I might just have a renewed hope in his leadership abilities.
Turner's sentence (whatever it may be) is the result of his conviction. Period. Why should anyone wait and see what that might be? It will never mitigate the fact that Turner was convicted of a felony and his continued presence on the Council becomes a stain on the entire body's reputation.
Hopefully he and others will understand that the decision of his fellow Councilors - who should not think twice about expelling him should he not resign - will have absolutely nothing to do with the color of his skin but everything to do with him being found guilty after having his day in court.
Council President Mike Ross
So Ross is making someone new dirty their hands, when they weren't around when Turner was in office and committed his crimes? Nice. i'm sure that person will be happy to vote a long-time black politician out of office.
Meh
Arroyo and Pressley weren't in office when Turner committed his crimes, either.
Chuck Turner: Bold, Bald & Bribed
Like the 'Fire Chuck Turner' Facebook community page and join in forcing Turner out of office. Turner belongs in jail, not in the city council.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fire-Chuck-Turner-Bo...