Fine (GOP House candidate from MN) had record expunged

[mac56]

http://www.startribune.com/587/story/727029.html

Minneapolis congressional candidate Alan Fine was charged with domestic violence in 1995 and nine years later had his record expunged, in a case in which he and his first ex-wife give different versions of the events that led to him ending up in the Hennepin County jail.

His wife at the time, Rebecca Wexler, dropped the abuse charge, and Fine succeeded in having the case removed from Hennepin County court and police records, according to documents recently obtained by the Star Tribune.

Fine, who is the Fifth District Republican candidate, said in a recent interview that he never struck Wexler. He said he sought to have his records expunged because he was innocent.

Wexler said Thursday that she agreed to drop the charges two to three weeks after the arrest only because Fine pressured her and because he promised to work out their problems in marriage counseling. The couple divorced the following year.

- - -

After state Rep. Keith Ellison won the (Democratic) nomination, Fine launched a persistent attack on his character, focusing on his past ties to the Nation of Islam. Fine has repeatedly said "character matters."

(edit: fixed headline)

[habitual]

1. WOW, how is this guy still in office...

From her father a judge:

"As a matter of fact, Rebecca had been reporting to me that Alan had been hitting her prior" to the incident, Thomas Wexler said. He said that his wife had advised their daughter to call the police if another incident took place and that his daughter heeded the advice.

Edit: Just realized he is not in office YET!!!! KEEP HIM OUT



She said in the affidavit that he "took a few steps away, then turned around and said, 'Wait, let me get the other side,' and slapped me on the side of my face." When he returned to the house that evening, she said she ordered him to leave. When he slapped her again, she said, she called police and Fine was arrested.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

2. "To the MOON, Alice, to the Moon!" So much for family values.

I believe that the facade is beginning to crack

[Toots]

29. They have family values all right.... Gambino Family

:shrug:

[LiberalFighter]

3. There should be a prohibition on expunging record

Police records should never be expunged.
Cases filed should never be removed.
The rule of thumb should be if the average person is unable to have it done than it should not be done when it pertains to expungement of records.

[bigworld]

25. The average person can get it done

It's long and drawn out but it is possible.

[rocktivity]

4. But if the charges were dropped, and he wasn't even tried

what was there to expunge?

:crazy:
rocknation

[CookieD]

8. There's plenty to expunge!

The police records, jail records, court clerk records, district attorney records and even the state and national computer database records that contain information about the arrest.

The right of expunction is critical for keeping innocent people from having permanent records following bullshit arrests. This is not to say that the GOP candidate in question didn't do anything wrong. Rather, the right to an expunction reflects the cherished notion that, under our constitution (or at least what's left of it), a person accused of a crime is presumed innocent until proven guilty. The GOP candidate in question was never proven guilty. In securing an expunction, he probably exercised the same procedural right that everyone else has in the State of Minnesota.

Let's not blast necessary constitutional and procedural rights just because the guy who exercised his rights in this case happens to be a Pug.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

12. what Cookie said.

Just one example. 17 INNOCENT people were released from Illinois' death row. They lost at trial, appeal and before the Supreme Court. They lost writs, they lost every argument. But they were innocent.
Having the ability to clear a bad record is critically important. Just look at the insane travel bans on innocents as another example.

[NashVegas]

5. Dear RNC

How's that court-records project coming along?

[Judi Lynn]

6. Guy simply doesn't "play well with others," yet he thinks they should

vote him into office. Odd.

From the artcle:

According to Rebecca Wexler's divorce affidavit, the alleged assaults started in late 1993 when she was two months pregnant. "In the middle of an argument, {Fine} suddenly slapped me across the face with sufficient force to knock me to the ground," she stated in her affidavit.

The matter came to a head on June 2, 1995. Wexler said in an interview that she was changing her son's diaper and that Fine slapped her across the face after she asked for help.

She said in the affidavit that he "took a few steps away, then turned around and said, 'Wait, let me get the other side,' and slapped me on the side of my face." When he returned to the house that evening, she said she ordered him to leave. When he slapped her again, she said, she called police and Fine was arrested.
(snip)

You can tell the guy's a jerk from the way he has conducted his campaign against his Democratic opponent. If interested, you might want to check this story:

Fine gets all fired up



Photo by Robb Long


Alan Fine
By Kari VanDerVeen
Republican congressional candidate Alan Fine unleashescriticism of DFL opponent Keith Ellison and the media
http://www.skywaynews.net/articles/2006/09/29/news/news05.txt

[Imagevision]

7. More Republican cover-ups

[Doctor_J]

9. Sounds like presidential material

[Thor_MN]

10. Fine is a throw away candidate. The 5th will never elect a repuke.

He had little chance before, now he has no chance.

[Judi Lynn]

11. Thanks! You've added a real bright note to the day. Fine's a wreck.

He's so perverse he sounds exactly like prime Republican candidate material.

It's GREAT thinking he just may be in exactly the wrong place! :woohoo:

[OhioChick]

13. "character matters?"

I'm so damn tired of these talking points from repukes regarding character and morals.

[goodhue]

14. Fine (MN-5 GOP candidate) had record (of hitting wife) expunged

http://www.startribune.com/587/story/727029.html

Fine had record expunged

Paul McEnroe and Rochelle Olson, Star Tribune

Minneapolis congressional candidate Alan Fine was charged with domestic violence in 1995 and nine years later had his record expunged, in a case in which he and his first ex-wife give different versions of the events that led to him ending up in the Hennepin County jail.

* * *

According to Rebecca Wexler's divorce affidavit, the alleged assaults started in late 1993 when she was two months pregnant. "In the middle of an argument, suddenly slapped me across the face with sufficient force to knock me to the ground," she stated in her affidavit.

The matter came to a head on June 2, 1995. Wexler said in an interview that she was changing her son's diaper and that Fine slapped her across the face after she asked for help.

* * *

Minneapolis police records show there have been five 911 calls labeled as "domestic" dating from 1995 to April 2005 involving Alan Fine's address.

* * *

http://www.startribune.com/587/story/727029.html

[electron_blue]

15. Thanks for bringing this up

It's going to take a major overhaul to turn this country around, domestic-abuse-wise. It won't happen as long as people knowingly elect abusers.

[habitual]

16. here is the abuser:

[wellstone dem]

17. "character" was made an issue

by this candidate in his campaign against the Dem. candidate.

[blitzen]

18. is this a seat we were projected to win?

[goodhue]

19. Yes, MN-CD5 is about as blue as they come

Kerry got 70% of CD5 vote in 2004, with only 24% for Bush. Alan Fine is not really a credible candidate. But he has been repeatedly smearing democrat Keith Ellison as unfit for office.

[blitzen]

23. good...thanks for the info n/t

[truthisfreedom]

20. innocent or not, the first time your wife calls the police on you, it's

time to get out of the marriage or seek expert counseling, if you plan to be a politician for the rest of your life.

this guy is toast now. innocent or not. (however, 5 police calls to the same address for "domestic" reasons is pretty friggin' suspect to anybody.)

[IndianaGreen]

21. A fine case of Republican family values

Speak publicly for morality and conservative social principles while engaging in depraved private behaviour.

[Recursion]

22. "first ex-wife"

Boy, this guy's a real winner, isn't he?

Why do Republicans get divorced so much? Shame? Misery?

[aquart]

24. Hatred of straight sex?

[POAS]

26. Closets are dark and scary places

so they live in fear.

[aquart]

27. Exactly. As all their legislation in all areas reflects.

[truthisfreedom]

28. not for Jebbie! (forced into closet)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=2549903&mesg_id=2549903

As a precaution, the governor was ushered into a T-station supply closet and stayed there until the crowd left.

[Catch22Dem]

30. Here's what I don't understand about having a record expunged

If his record was expunged how is there a record of his record? Or anyone elses for that matter?

[Igel]

32. It's not erased, except from the public record.

The records were sealed. Barring a judge's order to open them, somebody did something bad--grounds for dismissal or disbarment--and made the sealed records public.

A couple of RW sites outline the counterattacks to this counterattack.

Ready for countercharge #1? There's a dem running for office in another race who would almost certainly have had access to the records; the charge is that she's the one that showed the moral turpitude, with no proof possible either way.

Countercharge #2? The guy this repub's running against is apparently due in court a couple of weeks before the election to challenge a request for a restraining order; a woman alleges the dem candidate hit and pushed her, and wants a restraining order against him.

[mac56]

31. More: Fine demands a retraction

http://www.startribune.com/587/story/728336.html

Alan Fine, the south Minneapolis congressional candidate who had his 1995 criminal record of domestic violence expunged in 2004, demanded Saturday that the Star Tribune retract its story outlining his arrest and details of alleged attacks against his first ex-wife that are contained in the couple's divorce file.

Fine, the Republican candidate in the Fifth District race, called for the newspaper to retract the entire story published Saturday, citing what he said were "inaccuracies and the misleading nature of the article which is a defamation."

On his campaign's website, Fine said: "The Star Tribune has misled the public about my campaign, my personal relationships, my character and my relationship with my son."

Editor Anders Gyllenhaal defended the newspaper's story. "The article is an accurate and straightforward account of events that appear to have a bearing on this campaign," he said. "The story was published as quickly as possible after obtaining key records two weeks ago and talking to all those involved in the case."

- - -

Fine also attacked the article's timing and called it retaliation against him because he had made public his "displeasure" that the Star Tribune declined to publish an opinion piece he had submitted.