You’re on. Close-outs:
* THE MIRACLES OF DNA: The affidavit filed by Sherwood police to get an arrest warrant for a capital murder suspect in the death of Katherine Cleary, 74, shows the case eventually was made on a DNA finding. Police were led to Carter Wilcoxson by two women who’d been seen using Cleary’s car and credit cards. An interview with one uncovered information that she’d been with Wilcoxson and that he’d dumped something near Prothro Junction. Police checked the scene and found Cleary’s body. The police, who’d arrested Wilcoxson because he was in possession of Cleary’s checks, said they found her DNA on his right shoe at the time of his arrest Aug. 23, the day after Cleary’s disappearance.
* DOUBLE DIPPING JUDGES: Sen. Jeremy Hutchinson, looking to make a little hay from the double-dipping topic, has joined with Rep. David Sanders to call for a review of state judges who retire and then seek district judgeships, typically municipal or county courts. Said Hutchinson: “If a circuit judge decides not to run for re-election, but instead chooses to run for district judge, in my view the judge should not begin collecting retirement benefits. It amounts to double dipping because the judges receive a paycheck at the same time they get retirement benefits.” Key difference is that the paycheck is for a totally different job — such as a retired Army military police officer who took, say, a State Police job and drew a retirement check and paycheck for similar but unrelated work. A small number of judges have made this move. The study proposal would find that number and report on what the law allows judges to receive.
Could we also get a study of the number of legislators who’ve moved into higher paying state jobs and significantly ratcheted up their retirement benefits? THAT is a report I’d really like to see.