It is time for CNN to Fire Nancy Grace
By
September 14, 2006
I find myself once again, not standing back from a story in order to process just how I feel. Upon reading, Woman Kills Herself After "Aggressive" Interview With Nancy Grace, I am outraged and it is incumbent for CNN to take her off the air. In the cases of missing children, the police and parents must be able to rely upon the media to get their story out so that these children can be found.
In this case, upon drilling a mother of a lost child by Nancy Grace, “Melinda Duckett, 21, shot herself, further complicating the effort to find her 2 year-old-son,
While the police according to this article had not named Ms. Duckett as a suspect the questioning by Grace went too far as she questioned this mother, “Where were you? Why aren't you telling us where you were that day," While I did not see this one particular interview or rather interrogation, this line of questioning should be left to law enforcement if they believe that they are interrogating a suspect. This line of questioning should never be used by a TV talk show host.
In reaction to Ms. Duckett’s suicide, Nancy Grace’s spokeswoman had this to say that this was, “an extremely sad development," and added, "We feel a responsibility to bring attention to this case in the hopes of helping find Trenton Duckett, who remains missing." That is a lame response to say that a woman’s suicide is a "sad development" and if she feels that they feel any responsibility to help find this child this spokeswoman for Grace should recommend to CNN that she be fired. If the family of this missing child choose to continue to use the media, find a responsible journalist who will not badger a human being. I have one in mind and his name is Keith Olberman. Even when addressing highly explosive issues, his manner is calm. That is what this mother deserved instead of an interrogator.
Bill Eubank, who is Ms. Duckett’s grandfather, told MSNBC that "Nancy Grace and the others, they just bashed her to the end." I am of the opinion that Ms. Duckett’s blood is on the hands of Nancy Grace and CNN if they continue to employ this woman.
Nancy Grace became a prosecutor years ago after the death of her fiancé and clearly as evidence will show, she has gone over board not only in this case, but in the court room.
The first piece of evidence that I will present to you is this article, 11th Circuit: Nancy Grace "Played Fast and Loose" With Ethics. The opening paragraph had this to say of Grace that she, “played fast and loose" with her ethical duties as a Fulton County, Ga., prosecutor in 1990, a federal appeals panel has declared.”
If there ever were a case of prosecutorial misconduct, this piece of evidence will show it, “The three-judge panel on Monday criticized Grace for not following her obligations to disclose to the defendant's lawyer information about other possible suspects. The 11th Circuit also agreed with a magistrate who found it hard to believe that Grace did not knowingly use a detective's false testimony that there were no other suspects.” I am surprised that she has gotten as far as she has. If I were the District Attorney in this county, I would have fired her. This is unethical and I am not even a lawyer. Even the “Fulton public defender Kenneth D. Kondritzer, called the court's description of Grace as playing "fast and loose" with ethical rules "an understatement."
According to this article, “Stephen Gillers, a legal ethics professor from New York University School of Law, wrote in an e-mail that Grace's actions regarding the detective were serious, "because submitting false sworn testimony to a court is probably the gravest violation of legal ethics."
Based upon what I have just presented to you in the above case as well as that woman’s suicide, isn’t CNN opening themselves up to a civil suit as well as obstruction of justice charge with that little boy still missing? The above case which is “Carr v. State, 267 Ga. 701 (1997)” is quite damning to say the least of Grace’s behavior and it makes me wonder just how the legal department of CNN let this woman be hired. This is certainly a case in which they should have done their homework. But, one wonders if they were relying on her to give their viewers ‘Shock TV’.
This is what an esteemed and an award winning journalist, Lisa Stone wrote of Norm Pattis’s comments of Grace in this article, Nancy (dis)Grace, “Will this latest ruling affect her credibility as a television commentator? Of course not. The public doesn't read appellate decisions. The public only knows what the camera exposes,” Well now you know and it is my hope that you will spread the word that Nancy Grace is not to be trusted. It is also my hope that you contact CNN to fire Nancy Grace.
Ms. Stone also reported, “I think -- as journalist and a blogger -- that Pattis has sketched a strong case for Grace's resignation, or for CourtTV and CNN to remove Grace from the air as a public service to viewers” Perhaps had CNN listened to Pattis’s recommendations, Ms. Duckett would still be alive today.
Perhaps if any legal expert that is prepared to take down Nancy Grace after this mother’s suicide could use what Ms. Stone reported, “She has "demonstrated disregard of the notions of due process and fairness;" her conduct was "inexcusable," wrote the Georgia Supreme Court in Carr v. State, 267 Ga. 701 (1997).” Where exactly was the fairness when it came to pushing a grief stricken mother too hard on national TV? Because of her heinous actions, a mother is dead; a father is beside himself while his son is still missing.
I have often criticized, Ann Coulter, Rush Limbaugh, Bill O’Reilly and Sean Hannity, but I have never read of anyone committing suicide as a result of their words. This is where Nancy Grace is in a league of her own. It is incumbent for CNN to fire Nancy Grace so that no one else is interrogated to their death.
It is my sincere hope that Trenton Duckett (the child that is missing) is reunited with his father. I wish those in law enforcement working on this case God’s speed in finding this child.