This one should be really hard for the taxpayers and voters in Glenwood Springs to take.
Why?
Because last year's Mock Trial team hit up the City of Glenwood Springs to fund and sponsor the trip to championships.
Click the title and read the entire article.
Charlie Wilman is a local attorney who was highly respected and thought well of. Vic Zerbi is a local judge. Possibly a former judge and retired, but nevertheless a pillar of Glenwood's culture and a role model.
"Blown out of proportion?", "target on their back?", "“They’re just the ones that got caught”.
Actually, fellas.
The question is one of ethics in the service of law.
Worse than whether or not the kids are shown that being misled by their coaches who not only know better but are in a position of trust; is the fact that their coaches really don't seem to 'know better':
“This is what upsets me about this whole thing, is that these kids worked very, very hard to accomplish what they accomplished,” said Glenwood’s head coach, attorney Charlie Willman. “Their hard work and dedication is being tainted by something they didn’t even do.”
Yea, but Charlie. Who did do it? It's cheating and setting a precedent to these kids who just may grow up to be attorneys some day that 'borderline' anything goes is "OK".
Is it OK?
“Is that against the spirit of the program? Perhaps it is, but I don’t see any major advantage to anybody in that,” he said. (Zerbi)
Please let one of the local reporters know, Judge Zerbi.
Where we all can go to find that book of ethics and statutes that you're reading from.
It's unfortunate that the kids have to pay for the sins of the coaches but Grand Junction is right.
Strip them of the win, penalize them with a year on the bench (pun intended for sidelines), refund the taxpayers who funded last year's competition and get new coaches for Glenwood's Mock Trial Team.
(Read more? Click title. Comment to discuss)
4 comments:
I agree with you.
This is a disgraceful message for these two trusted coaches to teach these kids.
Have we really reached such lows in the ethics of our judicial system that a former judge and a longtime attorney have become so bold that they advertise their low ethics on this matter in the newspaper?
Nothing worse than to see a really good lawyer become so jaded away from his bar oath that he prostitutes himself and corrupts kids in the process.
You cheated, Charlie.
You cheated, Vic.
You cheated.
I don't think it's the kids who are paying the price because after all it's just an award, some discipline and a public disgracing that came about from something they didn't do.
You did. One of the best lawyers around and one of our judges.
Cheated.
And now trying to disgrace an entire town by making excuses in the media.
Former councilman Russ Arensman, you could clean this up and make a strong statement in the process.
As a parent and as a community leader.
Strip the kids of the award and make their coaches watch. Then park them and their coaches out of the next competition. Make them publically apologize for their coaches and for cheating.
If ever there was a symbolic display of what's wrong in this country's judicial system it's this kind of casual disregard for the rules of law.
Shame on you both.
I'm with you both. How much did we give them for this trip? $3,000? And it was Charlie that made the pitch, wasn't it? Was that before or after you cheated, Charlie.
just sayin.
This isn't disgusting.
It's pathetic.
My god, Charlie. Have you lost your mind bragging about this in the media?
This is the lowest act done in this town in a long time. And that's really, really saying something.
I agree. If those kids mean so much to you as their mentor then they are the ones that should be punished for your actions.
Bet that lesson won't be forgotten.
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