Monthly Archives: July 2006

Crime and Justice Week in Review: July 10-16

Two deputies were cleared of any wrong-doing for shooting and killing a Navy Yard City man. The jury was hung in the case against John Fawley. And Bremerton Police made one big arrest.

All the week’s crime and justice news is below.

But wait, there’s more: in this weekend’s print edition, you’ll read about a negligent homicide case that’s back in the spotlight, a “bureaucratic technicality” for the NK community of Eglon and what the Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office is doing about its Taser supplies.

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Spotlight on Bainbridge

As readers of the Kitsap Sun are well aware, we covered frequently the trial of John Fawley, a Bainbridge Island man charged with three counts of child molestation, in these past few weeks.

At the Sun, we felt there was much community interest in the case evidenced by the trial stories’ popularity on our web site.

Fawley’s trial ended Tuesday with the jury returning a 6-6 vote split, thus ending the case in a hung jury. But prosecutors have already re-filed charges and a new trial date has been set for September.

Judicially, the mistrial means that it’s as if this first trial never occurred. In reality, these past three weeks have shined a spotlight on a very touchy subject and how a small community copes with it.

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Reporter’s Notebook: Attorneys in the Fawley Case

The lawyers in the child molestation case against Bainbridge Island resident John Fawley are both accomplished attorneys.

However, they differ greatly by their experiences. Prosecutor Claire Bradley is an up-and-coming attorney who is now handling some of the most important cases in her office.

Defense attorney David Allen is a seasoned veteran who is known in his field as one of the best in the state at handling sex abuse cases.

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Who Started the Fire?

As temperatures have been rising this summer, so too have the number of “tones” I hear on the emergency channel scanner (which I listen to religiously while on the job).

The general rule is the longer the tone, the more emergency vehicles are dispatched. And around here, that means fires require lengthy tones.

I didn’t hear the one the tones that went out over the scanner late June 24, as flames danced and destroyed a massive Bainbridge Island home not yet completely built.

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Special Allegations?

As often goes with criminal charging, a defendant may also have “special allegations” placed against him in court.

For instance, in the case of John Fawley, a Bainbridge man charged with three counts of first-degree child molestation, the prosecution has filed two special allegations against him: that he was in a “position of trust” and that the sexual abuse was “prolonged.”

So, what does it mean to have a “special allegation?” More prison time if convicted perhaps?

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