LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

[February 9th, 2005] No-Spin Sid

Your journalistic hit piece on Judge Galton ["Sid Vicious," WW, Jan. 19, 2005] was both unwarranted and inaccurate. When I was a Multnomah County prosecutor (through early 2002), I appeared countless times before Judge Galton on matters ranging from simple custody hearings to full-blown jury trials. He certainly didn't always rule in my favor. But his decisions were always sound, solidly grounded in the law, and his treatment of the parties unfailingly fair. When he made a decision, you knew that it was impartial, unbiased, and well-thought out—which is why many of us felt he was one of Multnomah County's best judges.

The only times I witnessed Judge Galton exhibit any impatience was when a lawyer, witness or defendant tried to pull a "fast one" over on him. His courtroom was expected to be a "no-spin zone" where the sole purpose of the proceeding was to find the truth, and he correctly had no patience for attorneys or parties who were there to impede that process. But isn't that what Multnomah County residents should demand in a judge?

John Horton
Former Multnomah County Deputy District Attorney
Arlington, Va.

Fair and Balanced Cartoons

I am a WW reader and am writing to express my concerns regarding a "column" in WW titled, "Geoff Byrd: Mad Props from the Music Industry" by Ryan Alexander-Tanner [Local Cut, WW, Jan. 26, 2005].

What value does this "column" provide to your readers? What is the purpose? It would be fair to publish a negative critique of Geoff's music/performances if you backed it up with concrete justification. We don't all have to agree on taste. But this isn't just about his music or his act, is it?

And it would be a stretch to call it satire...it isn't funny to anyone other than possibly a very small group of people. In fact, unless you are on Geoff's email list, you wouldn't have a clue what it's about anyway (and I don't think most of them think it's very funny, either). So who is the target audience?

To me, it just looks like you are using WW as a forum for making a personal attack. I sure hope that's not what your paper is all about.

I can't understand why you would personally attack someone who is poised to dramatically raise the profile of the Portland music scene and pave the way for other aspiring acts. WW would certainly benefit from a more successful PDX music scene, wouldn't it?

But that's beside the point. Whether or not you like GB's style of music, you owe it to your readers (and advertisers) to provide meaningful content produced by professionals with journalistic integrity.

I also think you owe Geoff and your readers an apology for what is clearly an abuse of the power of the press. Otherwise, you're no different than Fox News.

Jason Fellman
Northeast 30th Avenue

CLARIFICATION

Last week's cover story on author Donald Miller ("Confessions of a Dangerous Mind") incorrectly described Portland's Warner Pacific College as a "Bible school." Warner Pacific defines itself as a Christian liberal-arts college. WW regrets the confusion.