Today is the 70th anniversary of D-Day in Normandy, the beginning of the end of WWII. Over 4,000 Allied soldiers died that day, and many more were injured. People have different ways of remembering the anniversary. My favorite commemoration is the one undertaken by 93-year-old Jim Martin, who did the same parachute drop into France he did 70 years ago. The story is here. Martin said his recent jump was much easier because “there wasn’t anybody shooting at me today.” In other news: Former Charlotte mayor pleads guilty in corruption case. Patrick Cannon entered a guilty plea in federal court this week. Consistent with normal federal practice, he will be sentenced in several months. He faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, but early estimates I have seen suggest that his sentence will likely be much shorter. The News and Observer has the story here. Lawsuit may proceed against former Charlotte DA. In 2010, former Charlotte ADA Sean Smith (now a district court judge) sued then-Charlotte DA Peter Gilchrist. Apparently, the district attorney’s office looked favorably on motorists who attended a defensive driving school after being cited for traffic violations, but Smith thought that the school wasn’t up to snuff, and said so in a TV interview. Gilchrist then fired Smith. Smith alleged that Gilchrist had violated Smith’s free-speech rights by firing him for his public remarks, while Gilchrist contended that Smith wasn’t fired for his televised statements, but rather, for insubordination during a discussion of the matter. A federal [...]
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