An Open Letter to Thurbert E. Baker, Georgia Attorney General

Dear Mr. Baker,

In an age of ambitious politicians, few people have stood out on the state level like the attorneys general, as many people like to say that the initials "AG" stand for "Aspiring Governor." I have no idea if you have those ambitions, or want to follow in the footsteps of Elliot Spitzer, er, Client #9, to fame and notoriety.

However, I would like to direct you to another AG, Roy Cooper of North Carolina, who was able to help the State of North Carolina pull back from its unwarranted and illegal prosecution of the young men at Duke University a few years back. You might remember his stunning speech three years ago when he declared the accused to be "innocent," as a precursor to announcing that the state was dropping the charges. Cooper conducted a thorough investigation - unlike the prosecutor who caused this mess, Mike Nifong - and at the same time burnished his own political credentials as someone who had some integrity.

(Yes, I realize that most, if not all, AGs are political animals, but it is nice when one of those people actually does the right thing for the right reason. It doesn't happen very often, but when it does, the good deed stands out.)

Well, you don't have a lacrosse case in your backyard, but you do have the judicial travesty known as the Tonya Craft Case in Catoosa County, which, the last time I checked, was in Georgia. Furthermore, given the outrageous conduct by both the prosecutor, Chris Arnt, and the Judge, Brian House, helping the curtain fall on this farce in the long run would make you look good to voters in Georgia who are increasingly turning away from Democrats - and you are a Democrat, the last time I checked.

While I am sure you are familiar with the details of this case, let me fill you in on a few items that are sure to put a black eye on the Georgia judicial system as soon as the story starts going national - and it will, trust me. Here are some things that are eye openers:

• The charges depend heavily upon "recovered memories" therapy that has been thoroughly discredited and is looked upon by professionals in psychology as being  very, very controversial. You might remember that Patrick Lynch, Rhode Island's AG, had to drop a rape case when it became obvious that state law looks askance at "recovered memories." In the Craft case, I can guarantee you that the therapists who engaged in this practice were NOT qualified and were too tied into a custody battle between Craft's ex-husband and her. Trust me when I say that this situation alone is going to sink the case in the long run if she is convicted and then appeals.

• Chris Arnt, the prosecutor had a poll on his Facebook page in which people voted "guilty" or "not guilty" in the Craft case! This is stunning. NO prosecutor can do this and not be in serious trouble, and Judge Brian House treats it as a non-event. Furthermore, Arnt declared on his Facebook page that Craft's outspokenness on the issue of innocence was "proof" that she was guilty. On another Facebook post, he asked out loud if Craft's defense was "insane." This man is not fit to be a prosecutor, and it is a disgrace to you and the "justice" system of Georgia that he is in this position.

• One of the main therapists on the prosecution side has been disqualified as an expert witness in Tennessee by Judge Marie Williams, who witnessed unprofessional and questionable conduct by this woman. Do you really want quacks in your courtrooms in Georgia posing as "expert" witnesses, especially when the witness is depending upon "recovered memories" syndrome?

• A therapist in Atlanta who examined one of the children and declared that she found no evidence of sexual abuse had her office raided by police, who took all of the records on the Tonya Craft case from the woman's office. These are Gestapo tactics, sir.

In the Duke case, it was discovered that the SANE who claimed to have done the rape exam on Crystal Mangum not only had NOT done the exam (it was performed by a resident), but then she fabricated information on the exam report. This alone was criminal conduct, although neither the federal prosecutors nor Cooper had the political will to prosecute the SANE. In this case, you have a very questionable therapist, and I guarantee you that on appeal, someone up the judicial chain is going to take a very hard look at her performance.

The charges against Tonya Craft are an abomination, and they are a travesty. Furthermore, this case is just starting to receive national attention, and sooner or later people are going to be looking at you. Are you going to let this railroad job play out and possibly have an innocent woman going to prison, or are you going to do your duties?

I went to your website and looked up the section you have on "public corruption." Here is what you wrote:

Government officials are caretakers of the public trust, placed in positions of trust that affect the lives and finances of the public. Citizens of Georgia have a right to expect that their government officials will be beyond reproach. As Attorney General, it is my duty to see that our officials discharge those duties ethically and honestly. Our office is charged with the responsibility of prosecuting public corruption that involves either state employees or private citizens dealing with the state. In recent years, we have prosecuted and obtained convictions against a number of state officials who violated the public trust as well employees who have misappropriated state funds. Our office will continue to diligently pursue criminal prosecutions when necessary to ensure that our state government is free of corruption.

Well, what are you waiting for? You have corruption, a judge running a kangaroo court, and a rogue prosecutor who clearly despises his duties. I have laid out the evidence, and I guarantee you there is much, much more. If you really want Georgia courtrooms to resemble the court of the infamous Roland Friesler, then perhaps you need to put that on your website. Until then, your silence is all-telling.