On Monday, when former Bell County dentist Dr. Craig Ralston was sentenced to five years in prison for Medicaid fraud and three counts of drug trafficking (not to mention the jury tampering charge which was dismissed in the plea agreement), it seemed there might actually be some justice for the prescription drug problem.
But that justice will probably only last for 30 days.
The Kentucky Attorney General’s office, who prosecuted the case, made it clear during the sentencing hearing that they would not object to Ralston filing for shock probation after 30 days in jail on his first motion.
And surprisingly, Circuit Court Judge Robert Costanzo had no words for Ralston. In fact, when Attorney General special prosecutor Chris Melton began to detail the offenses that Ralston had pleaded guilty to — and stated that Ralston got his patients hooked on hydrocodone — Costanzo asked him to stop, saying they shouldn’t get into that.
What does it say to the public when the Attorney General’s office won’t fight shock probation for a licensed drug dealer?
It says whatever they want it to say. After the sentencing, the Attorney General’s office sent out a press release trumpeting the five year sentence, leaving out the part about shock probation.
That story was picked up by the Associated Press and passed on to newspapers throughout the state. The message said that the Attorney General’s office is doing its job, fighting the drug problem in eastern Kentucky.
So after all the trouble our justice system went to in bringing Ralston down — even after Ralston allegedly tampered with the jury during his Medicaid/Drug Trafficking trial, causing a mistrial — what was the point in letting him get off so easily on shock probation?
Whatever the reason, the message sent to other licensed dealers in southeastern Kentucky was clear.
The max population (roughly 50,000) was recorded back in the 40-50's I do believe and you're now sitting somewhere with less than 29,000 people in the entire county.
The area is dying.
It will get worse as the nation's economy continues to implode.
For the folks that remain in that area you're going to have to decide (as a previous posted suggested) to make a difference somehow / someway with the drug problems and corruption that exist there.
There are several ways to get started but one is political organization in a way that opposes the (most?) corrupt leaders in the area.
You're probably going to have to consider "drafting" decent local people to run for office in the process (obviously that will only work for certain positions). Find someone who passionately cares about the area, organize around them and start taking over political offices where possible,
Demand accountability from law enforcement and other elected officials.
The big question is whether or not enough folks in Bell Co truly care enough to try and make a difference.
from what I see on routine visits back home -- it doesn't appear that the "will" is there to make a difference but I hope this changes.
The Judge's claim that he took the recommendation of the A-G into account in redcing the sentence from 5 years to 30 days is either false or Melton's report that the A-G's position was that he would not object to "shock probation," the contemptable law passed by the legislature to enale judges and prosecutors to administer "rich man justice."
But the highest degree of contempt associated with this whole sordid business should be reserved for A-G Conway. The press release issued by his office is deliberately calculated to leave the people of the state that his office put Ralston behind bars for five years.
I encurage every Daily News reader who has followed this case (including Judge Costanzo, owes his office to a special appointment by A-G Conway) to visit the A-G's web site and read the entire letter. A-G Conway makes no effort to post the truth about the outcome of this case--a 30 day sentence--rather, he leaves the public to think Ralston is serving 5 years because of the hard work of his underlings. This amounts to a callose and contemptable manipulation of public opinion. As the old saying goes, he's deliberately tried to make a silk purse out of this sow's ear of a case outcome.
Read this shameful press release at: http://ag.ky.gov/pressrelease.htm?PostingGUID={B21203E3-4943-47E5-A3BD-FF284AA703A1}
Sadly, Judge Robert Costanzo is running for re-election this year--unopposed. Sadly, too, he has sent you a message concerning the quality of justice he will be meeting out during his tenure.
He's given you a prime example.
At a conference I recently attended, a speaker shared this, in trying to motivate people to quite waiting for someone else to make things better: "A spark can set a fire. Be a spark."
A spark can set a fire? Indeed. Lol.
I know there are a lot of great people in Bell County and they deserve justice, they deserve the opportunity to fight hard to raise drugfree children.
The future of Bell County!
Regular people can't help, because of fear, the money involved corrupts everyone it touches, young people are going to try intoxication( it's a part of growing up)treatment dosen't work well for even moderate users, and so on.
Until there is a serious national effort we will never get back to just alcohol and pot. At this time families and community's CAN demonstrate strong disapproval and back that up with visible social sanctions. But is anyone willing to see a star sports player expelled from school because they were caught with meth or a pain pill.