The Red Rooster, site of Winston-Salem Police Officer Howard Plouff’s shooting in February, can keep its alcohol permits.
It’s interesting to note how the civil case overlapped with the criminal case, as Red Rooster attorney Dennis Guthrie had subpoenaed several Winston-Salem police officers, not to mention Keith Carter, the man accused of shooting Plouff. Both district attorney Tom Keith and Carter attorney Mark Rabil had to do some legal maneuvers in middle of the hearing to keep their respective clients from testifying, which in turn could harm Carter’s right to a fair trial.
Here’s Judge Joe Webster’s comments after the ruling:
“What happened (in) the early morning hours of Feb. 23, 2007, is not only an indictment of a minuscule minority of our youth and young adults, but also an indictment upon a society that has an unquenchable thirst for the sordid aspects of life. It is also a fact that our society has not tried hard enough to understand and offer viable alternatives to the culture that underlies the tragedy at the Red Rooster.”