November, 2003
Before and during trial, Judge Glenn Thompson gave Powell and Halbrooks everything
they asked for, even when it required violating the law to do it. Basic rules regarding the
admissibility of evidence, criminal proceedings, and defense attorney behavior were
disregarded entirely. And Judge Glenn Thompson disallowed evidence on the basis of
documented lies from the defense lawyers, i.e. the bloody footprint. And when the jury
wasn't swayed by the three lawyers in the courtroom working for Daniel Wade Moore,
he threw it all out and ordered a second trial.
Everyone knows the defense strategy for the second trial; it's been in the newspapers
already. It all focuses on the past sexual behavior of the victim, and the alleged "FBI
report." The public knows all about this, at least think they do. After all, the press has
trumpeted Catherine Halbrooks' description of it, without ever seeing it for themselves.
You might not be aware there is no "FBI report," at least not as it has been portrayed in
the press. My understanding is that there is a 3-page FAX from the FBI to the AG's
office saying there is no FBI report in this case, because there was no FBI investigation
in this case. There is 3-page FBI document which summarizes the FBI agents' profiling
of alleged past sexual behaviors of the victim, written a year after the interview, and
never sent to the DPD. This same document makes clear they have not investigated the
case, nor the allegations made there, and that the document is not an investigatory
report. And then there are over 200 pages of raw data, which is comprised mostly of
responses to standard FBI questionnaires by Karen's family and friends. It was done as
much for research purposes by the FBI as it was to provide help for the investigation.
When the agents were contacted, prior to trial, they refused to testify, reasoning they had
not done an investigation in this case. I don't know if the FBI has released the raw data.
I do know they don't have to, because they are a federal agency and they do not answer
to a State Court.
So when the press yahoos say there is a 245-page FBI report that was only discovered 7
months after trial, they're wrong. As a matter of fact, Judge Glenn Thompson had the
3-page document prior to the ruling in March to have a new trial, and didn't mention it
in his ruling.
Now the defense lawyers are suing the City of Decatur for 25 million dollars, claiming
the police withheld evidence, causing Daniel Wade Moore pain and suffering. And the
basis for their claims? The FBI report, which DPD never even had, and the back of the
911 card, which police provided the same day they were asked.
Under this system, I wonder how much Karen's pain and suffering are worth. I can tell
you with certainty: in Judge Glenn Thompson's courtroom, it's not worth one plug nickel.
In his courtroom, victims are vilified, criminals sanctified, and juries disregarded. There
is no rape shield law. Facts and the law are foreign concepts. It's like a one-room
rogue state. And he'll do pretty much anything Powell and Halbrooks ask.
So why not ask for twenty-five million dollars?