The World Around You

Mary Orndorff and Brett Blackledge at the Birmingham News continue to try to piece together an alternative theory on the Siegelman case and its root motivations.

Acting U.S. Attorney Louis Franklin,
the Montgomery prosecutor who managed the government’s case against Siegelman, said he assigned Assistant U.S. Attorney Steve Feaga to the investigation in early 2004, and the two agreed to request a special grand jury that would hear evidence. But John W. Scott, a senior Justice Department trial lawyer who had been helping with the case at the request of Montgomery prosecutors, disagreed with the move to extend the investigation, Franklin said.

“We had to make a decision about whether or not a grand jury would help us in putting the case together, investigating further. It was not a popular decision, but I made it,” Franklin said. “John didn’t want to do that, so when he left Montgomery he didn’t come back.”

The contention is this offers “proof” that the case was not being driven from Washington. Proof, no, but another side of the story, yes.

Prosecutor says Montgomery led Siegelman case- al.com

The whole concept of the state having a monopoly on certain types of alcohol was foreign to me when I first came to Alabama, but there are still eighteen states that do it. However, opening a state liquor store on a Sunday for the first time this weekend seems to have a lot of mystery around it.

Emory Folmar says it will only happen when promoters of a “big event” request it. The first “event” he chose happened yesterday and none of the major players recall asking Mr. Folmar to do it. Huh?

Emory is going to have to come up with a better explanation, because this one makes no sense at all.

montgomeryadvertiser.com ::  ABC store to open today amid debate