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COMMENTARY -- Tuscaloosa County Sheriff Ron Abernathy Is A “Dirty” Cop - Donald V. Watkins
https://www.facebook.com/donald.v.watkins/posts/10214077628236893
COMMENTARY---
Tuscaloosa County Sheriff Ron Abernathy Is A "Dirty" Cop
By Donald V. Watkins
©Copyrighted and Published (via Facebook) on September 7, 2017
©Copyrighted and Published (via Facebook) on September 7, 2017
During my 44-year legal career, I have represented hundreds of law enforcement officers. I have defended them when they were falsely accused of wrongdoing. I have also vigorously pursued criminal charges against a few of them who were "dirty".
A lot of my personal friends are police officers, both active and retired. I know from personal experience that the overwhelming majority of police officers across America are fine, dedicated, and honorable law enforcement officials. They put their lives on the line every day to protect and serve us.
Sadly, we will occasionally find a "dirty" cop among the ranks of the many good law enforcement officials. Tuscaloosa County Sheriff Ron Abernathy is one of the "dirty" cops.
Abernathy directed his criminal investigators to "script" Megan Rondini's rape case. In law enforcement jargon, Abernathy's order to "script" the case meant that Sheriff's Department investigators Adam Jones and Josh Hastings should only do the bare minimum work on this case and nothing more.
This is how and why Megan's allegations of rape against Terry Jackson "Sweet T" Bunn, Jr., got downgraded from a full blown rape investigation on the morning of July 2, 2015, to a mere "Special Inquiry" report that was parked in the Department's files two weeks later.
Jones and Hastings are experienced criminal investigators. Yet, they failed to: (a) send Megan Rondini's rape kit and urine sample to a forensic lab for testing; (b) take extensive interview notes on the details of Megan's rape allegations; (c) interview Megan's friends who were with her at Innisfree Irish Pub; (d) question Sweet T in detail about his interaction with Megan, from the time they saw each other at the Pub to the time she left his house; (e) investigate Sweet T for personal drug use, or his probable drugging of Megan on the occasion in question; (f) investigate Sweet for prior sexual assault allegations lodged and reported by other women; and (g) follow a litany of established protocols for properly investigating allegations of rape.
Jones took "scripting" the investigation a step further when he read Megan her Miranda rights. This tactic was intended to make Megan withdraw or abandon her rape accusations against Sweet T, who honest and dedicated law enforcement officials regard as a "dirt bag". After expressing concern for future rape victims of Sweet T, Megan insisted on moving forward with her rape charges against him.
Megan Rondini was unaware that her case was the second time Sheriff Abernathy had personally interceded on Sweet T's behalf in a rape case. The first instance occurred around 2009 or 2010 after Sweet T was named as a suspect in an alleged rape that reportedly happened at his camp house on Fosters Loop Road in Tuscaloosa County. Abernathy, who was then the chief deputy sheriff, advised Sheriff Edmund "Ted" Sexton against taking criminal action in the case because it would "stir things up" with Terry Jackson Bunn, Sr., who is Sweet T's well-known, politically connected, and wealthy father.
Sheriff Sexton politely ignored Abernathy's unsolicited advice and referred the sexual assault case to the Alabama Bureau of Investigation for an appropriate criminal investigation. The disposition of this case is unknown.
Terry Bunn, Sr., and his brother Sonny Bunn, Jr., own ST Bunn Construction Company. For decades, the Bunn family has been a part of the oligarchy that runs Alabama. They are also big-money donors to political action committees that fund Tuscaloosa-based state and local politicians, including Ron Abernathy's 2014 campaign for Sheriff. Additionally, they are big contributors to the Crimson Tide football program.
Sheriff Abernathy's wife Leslie is the Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations at the University. Her job at UA is to keep corporate donors like the Bunn businesses happy and to bring home the big corporate dollars.
Ron Abernathy "fixed" Megan's rape case so that Sweet T could escape a criminal prosecution. Abernathy used his experience as a cop and authority as Sheriff to make Megan's rape case go away. He never gave a damn about Megan Rondini or her rights as a rape victim.
On February 26, 2016, an emotionally exhausted and heartbroken Megan Rondini committed suicide.
On September 5, 2017, we learned that The University of Alabama is sponsoring a "Sexual Assault on Campus" forum on September 14, 2017, that will feature Sheriff Abernathy as an expert on this topic. Abernathy is no expert on helping victims of sexual assaults". Instead, he is an expert on covering up rapes for special friends.
In my view, Sheriff Ron Abernathy is a "dirty" cop whose betrayal of Megan Rondini is unforgivable.
In contrast, Megan Rondini is a real American hero. She fought until there was nothing left in her to make sure that there would be justice future rape victims.
Tomorrow, we will honor Megan Rondini's life, bravery, and fight for justice with a vigil down University Boulevard in Tuscaloosa for 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. local time. Please join us in showing our appreciation for Megan's courage and fight.
Justice in Megan's case may be delayed, but it will not be denied.
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