https://www.facebook.com/donald.v.watkins/posts/10213363235057510
Megan Rondini Fought The Power Of Money
By Donald V. Watkins
©Copyrighted and Published (via Facebook) on June 29, 2017
©Copyrighted and Published (via Facebook) on June 29, 2017
By now, a lot of people have read or heard the story about Megan Rondini and her encounter with T. J. "Sweet T" Bunn, Jr. Sweet T is the son of Terry J. Bunn, Sr., a well-known and powerful member of the oligarchy that runs the state of Alabama.
Sweet T is also the man Megan accused of raping her on the night of July 1, 2015, at his mansion in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. He admits to having sex with Megan on the night in question, but claims it was consensual.
Megan was a 20-year old University of Alabama honors student. Sweet T was a 34-year old big game hunter and employee at his father's Tuscaloosa-based construction firm.
The Deck Was Already Stacked Against Megan
At the time of the sexual encounter in question, Megan did not know how well connected Sweet T was to the governor of Alabama, the University of Alabama, and the Tuscaloosa District Attorney's office. The Bunn family's "pillar of the community" status in Tuscaloosa was recognized inside the local law enforcement community as well. All of these connections robbed Megan of a fair opportunity to receive justice from the night she reported her rape complaint against Sweet T until the day she committed suicide.
Following a rape kit exam at a local hospital after she escaped from Sweet T's home, Megan entered the Sheriff's Department as an alleged rape victim. At the most traumatic time in her life, Megan had no knowledge that the deck was already stacked against her. Once Megan named Sweet T as the perpetrator of her sexual assault, any chance she had of prosecuting a rape case against him evaporated.
What is worse, investigator Adam Jones bullied Megan by reading Miranda rights to her for actions she took in escaping from the scene of the alleged rape. Once Jones read her these constitutional rights, Megan was transformed from a sexual assault victim into a criminal suspect.
Using strong-arm tactics, criminal investigators were looking for ways to charge Megan with (a) burglary for breaking into Sweet T's car to get her keys, (b) theft of property for taking $3 from his wallet for cab fare home; and (c) discharging a firearm under a stretched legal theory that a bullet discharged from Sweet T's pistol, which Megan accidentally dropped while looking for her keys, may have struck his occupied dwelling. Simply put, these investigators were trying to place pressure on Megan to drop her rape allegations against Sweet T.
Even with the tables turned against her, Megan continued to fight for her dignity as an alleged rape victim and for the safety of other women who might find themselves in a similar situation. She refused to drop the rape charges after Jones gave her a "Refusal to Prosecute" form to sign. Megan wanted her rape report to be on record in case Sweet T was involved in a future sexual assault report.
This action prompted Sweet T to play "hardball" with her. If Megan pressed her charges against him, then Sweet T was going to press his charges against her. Undeterred, Megan courageously pressed on with her allegations of rape.
Former Tuscaloosa County District Attorney Lyn Head closed Megan's rape case in late July of 2015. She told Megan's family that the encounter between Sweet T and Megan did not meet the legal definition of a sexual assault. This, of course, was not true.
Under the facts and circumstances that existed on the night in question, Megan did everything within her power to resist Sweet T without subjecting herself to the very real risk of serious bodily harm from a man who (a) steadfastly refused every request she made to take her home once he had her in his house, (b) ignored every evasive action she took to avoid his unwanted sexual advances, and (c) was intent on having sex with Megan behind the locked doors of his bedroom. Megan escaped the scene by climbing out of a second floor window.
A few weeks after Megan's death on February 26, 2016, Lyn Head attempted to cover her tracks by presenting Megan's case to a local grand jury. No rape indictment was returned against Sweet T.
None of the power players in the criminal justice system disclosed to Megan that he/she was an integral part of a stacked deck against her. Whatever evidence Megan had supporting her sexual assault allegations made no difference to them. After all, Sweet T was Terry's son and namesake. He enjoyed all of the privileges and benefits that flowed from his status as a member of the powerful Bunn family.
The Power and Influence of Money
Terry Bunn, Sr., was the "Man" in Tuscaloosa. He was a close political friend and big money supporter of former two-term governor Robert Bentley. Terry was on Bentley's transition team after Bentley won his first election in 2010. Shortly after taking office in 2011, Bentley appointed Terry to the board of trustees for the University of West Alabama, which he chaired for a period of time.
On March 27, 2012, Bentley appointed Sweet T to the Advisory Board of the Alabama Conservation Agency. Three years later, Bentley reappointed Sweet T to a full 6-year term on the Board.
Terry and his brother Sonny gave Bentley $25,000 in early campaign money in June of 2013 -- the first month candidates for statewide political offices could accept contributions from donors.
On November 1, 2013, Bentley appointed Lyn Head to her position as Tuscaloosa district attorney. On August 8, 2016, Bentley appointed Head to the Alabama Board of Pardons and Parole. Bentley replaced Head with current Tuscaloosa DA Hays Webb.
The Bunn brothers were part of the cabal of big-money supporters that held sway with Bentley over gubernatorial appointments in and around Tuscaloosa.
By virtue of his office as governor, Bentley was the designated chairman of the University of Alabama Board of Trustees. His friend Terry was a member of the invitation only, 300-member, University President's Cabinet. This is a group of powerful UA alumni advises the President of the University on various matters of importance to the institution. In other words, they have the President's ear.
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Before leaving office in April of this year after pleading guilty to ethics charges, Bentley handpicked Steve Marshall to serve as Alabama Attorney General. His track record as a prosecutor was virtually non-existent at the time of his appointment. After nearly five months as AG, Marshall has yet to prosecute a major criminal case.
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Before leaving office in April of this year after pleading guilty to ethics charges, Bentley handpicked Steve Marshall to serve as Alabama Attorney General. His track record as a prosecutor was virtually non-existent at the time of his appointment. After nearly five months as AG, Marshall has yet to prosecute a major criminal case.
Megan Fought Valiantly for Her Dignity Until The Day She Died
Against the backdrop of this swamp of political incest and cronyism, Megan fought valiantly for justice in her rape case. Even when she seemed to have nothing left inside of her, Megan kept on fighting. Finally, on February 26, 2016, Megan had reached the point where she was too tired and emotionally drained to fight anymore.
Not one of the law enforcement agents or public official referenced in this article helped Megan. They all bullied or betrayed her.
Megan's case is all about the power and influence of money. It bought the silence of those who should have stood up for Megan in the criminal justice system. Instead, they repeatedly failed or betrayed her. They sold Megan out, over and over again.
Megan's voice is being heard now. Thousands of supporters are speaking out about her tragic situation and are proudly standing up for Megan in a very public way.
To date, no public official in Alabama has spoken out for justice in Megan's case. All of them are afraid to do so. They do not want to offend the oligarchy of rich men that controls them.
What Megan started on July 1, 2015, we will have to finish.
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