Yesterday, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals decided that Ken Hodges had immunity from the legal ramifications of his actions in regards to the now infamous “Phoebe Factoids”. No crimes were committed, and no crimes regarding thesending of the Factoids was ever alleged by any so-called victims, and yet Ken Hodges used his power to find out who was bloodying Phoebe’s nose in a public relations blitz. And yet, according the the Appeals Court, Hodges was just “doing his job” as he keeps claiming.
So I guess we’re all screwed now.
Hodges is the front runner for the Democratic nomination for the Attorney General’s office. There’s a good chance that he’ll win, as things stand right now. And with the power of the AG’s office, he’ll be free to abuse power in even more ways.
Frankly, I have a problem with any elected official having immunity from lawsuits based on them “doing their job”. Why? I think people need to think very carefully about their actions. Immunity means that DA’s and such can go off half-cocked and not have to live with the ramifications of their actions. Hodges is a prime example.
Let’s also note the curious circumstances regarding Hodges “involvement” in the Phoebe case. First, the Factoids are sent out. They make Phoebe look bad. Then, Hodges gets involved. A short time later, Hodges girlfriend (now wife) gets hired by Phoebe from WALB. Then, Hodges decided to step down in his last weeks in office to enter “private practice”. That practice? The Baudino Law Group, which happens to represent Phoebe.
Of course, his “private practice” time didn’t last long. He announced for Attorney General a relatively short time afterwards. Really though, why should we expect honesty out of Hodges mouth? I’d just as soon expect a zebra to become Hiedi Klum. There’s a better chance of the zebra changing.
I love my home state. I’m proud to be a Georgian. I love my home town too. But right now, I don’t hold out a lot of hope for Georgia. If Hodges wins, I might have to think about relocating to Alabama.
If I follow the Albany Herald article correctly, the appeals court did not rule that Mr. Rehberg’s allegations regarding Ken Hodges’ actions were unfounded, untrue, or frivolous. The court ruled that Ken Hodges was immune from prosecution.
There’s a huge difference.
If he had nothing to hide, why wouldn’t Mr. Hodges want a trial to clear his name? Mr. Rehberg won’t be allowed to try his case. I’m not sure this decision is really such a “victory” for Mr. Hodges. And this man may be our next Attorney General?
But Mr. Rehberg should not be disheartened. If you look at the whole forest instead of the trees, there should be some comfort in knowing that the eyes of the community were opened a little wider. Because for the first time, despite the power, despite the money, despite the public relations campaign, despite the political connections – someone told the truth and stood their ground; someone stood up to Phoebe.
For that I thank you, Mr. Rehberg and Dr. Bagnato.
That’s how I read it too. Frankly, I can’t imagine how any rational human being could look at what happened and think that Mr. Rehberg’s case was without merit.
If Mr. Rehberg is convinced he has a righteous position, he should appeal to SCOTUS. If not, he should fold his tent and move on. From the looks of this I’d guess Hodges has won this one hands down.