Wake County Superior Court Judge Donald Stephens has responded to an “apology” letter that Wake County school board members sent him a month ago regarding the scuffle over how imprisoned former House Speaker Jim Black settled his criminal corruption fine.
You can download a PDF of the letter from Stephens here. Stephens took strong exception to comments from school board member Ron Margiotta, who questioned the legitimacy of the property deal that satisfied the remaining portion of Black’s $1 million fine. Stephens gave final approval to that deal.
At the time of Margiotta’s remarks, the superior court judge had this to say:
Criticism from those receiving the gift really kind of puts a chilling effect on judges and the courts system that are working really hard for their benefit. It is not appreciated. I don’t even understand it, quite frankly. In my 25 years on the bench, I have never seen anything quite like that.
By law, fines and forfeitures, such as those in Black’s case, are required to go to public schools. Stephens suggested at the time that he might stop levying fines in the future that would benefit the Wake County school system.
Stephens strikes a less terse tone in his new letter to the Wake County BOE, which was sent Aug. 24:
During my 25 years here on the trial bench, the court system and the school system have developed a rich history of working together for the good of the community and its children … [we] … are committed to seeing that this positive relationship continues.
Read past Carolina Journal coverage of the Black fine debacle here.
