Jeroid Price On The Run (The System is Indeed Broken)

If you've followed Cedar Posts for any length of time you know I’m usually pretty quick to condemn the condemned but this is wrong. This is all kinds of wrong.

You really need to read this. The system is clearly broken, it was broken when Price was released and this does not fix that.

South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster needs to issue a pardon and let's move on.

FROM the AP and other sources:

The attorney representing the man the South Carolina Supreme Court ordered back to prison said his client needs to surrender to authorities.

Attorney Todd Rutherford, who is representing Jeroid Price, said it has become clear to him that Price may not know that there is a warrant out for his arrest.

“So I want to make it clear that Mr. Price, if he sees this, that my legal advice is that he needs to turn himself in,” Rutherford said. “Although Mr. Price did nothing to deserve this — he was released legally from jail; he did not escape; he walked out with a judge’s order.”

Former Richland County Judge Casey Manning, who has since retired, signed an order in December that reduced Price’s sentence to 19 years. He then sealed that order.

The State Supreme Court reversed the early release Wednesday amid questions about whether it followed proper procedure. During arguments Wednesday, the justices said they didn’t like that the deal was kept secret, including from the parents of the man Price killed. The high court also noted that no formal hearing was held before Price walked out of prison.

Rutherford said in 2017 his client called to tell him inmate Jimmy Causey had been missing for two days and state prison officials had not figured out he was gone. Causey was serving a life sentence for tying up his lawyer and family because he was unhappy about his attorney’s work. Rutherford argued before the high court that the release was given because Price had helped the corrections department by providing information about the escape.

He also said Rutherford saved the lives of corrections officers by breaking up fights in prison.

Rutherford said he asked the motion be kept secret to protect Price’s safety both inside the prison and after his release, fearing he would be attacked for cooperating with authorities.

“I’m sorry that this happened. I’m sorry that the Supreme Court ordered this. And I’m sorry for Mr. Price, who has done nothing but help the citizens of South Carolina capture a dangerous criminal, saving the lives of correctional officers. That somehow, that lands him back in jail in the South Carolina Department of Corrections,” Rutherford said. “He has no choice at this point.”

Rutherford said anyone who considers Price to be dangerous should go back and look at his trial.

“He went to trial because he believed he was innocent, because he believed he had a self-defense claim,” he said. “He believed at that time so strongly that he was made an offer of 10 years. He rejected that offer and went to trial.”

South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson argued to the state’s Supreme Court the release was done without properly notifying the victim’s family and without a proper hearing. He told the court the state failed in this process.

The court voted 3-2 to void the release.

Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott said that Price had the opportunity to surrender himself after the high court ordered his arrest and return to prison, but because he did not do so, he is now considered a fugitive.

Lott also said a $5,000 reward is being offered to anyone who provides information leading to Price’s arrest. Anyone with information on his whereabouts can call 1-888-CRIME-SC.

Rutherford is also a State House member, representing Richland County. He is also the House Minority Leader.

CMPD Looking for Suspect Accused of Shooting Two People

The story is always the same:

Police said Dominique Gantt shot the victims on April 9. He now has warrants for a handful of charges.

From the local television news station:

 The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department is looking for a man they say shot two people earlier in April.

Officers said they found the two victims along Remount Road off West Boulevard on Sunday, April 9, around 11 p.m. Detectives identified the suspect as 29-year-old Dominique Gantt as the suspect.

29-year-old Dominique Gantt Photo Courtesy MCSO

Gantt has warrants out for his arrest for attempted murder, discharging a firearm within city limits, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He stands at 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighs about 200 lbs. He's known to go by the street names "Domo" and "Domo Beezy".

And that is all you'll hear just a 60 second sound bite on another pointless crime.

But a very quick review and the real problem becomes crystal clear. Charlotte is over run with violent habitual felons thanks to a system that is broken, a DA who is either lazy, or incompetent, liberal judges and overworked or lazy parole officers.

On March 27, 2021 Gantt was arrested on domestic violence charges including assault on a female, communicating threats and because he was on parole at the time that charge was added on March 31, 2021.

His convictions for a 2015 robbery with a gun and and two counts of  AWDWISI in 2013 adding a 2018 conviction for AWDWISI kept Gantt rolling in and out of prison for 4 years 5 months and 14 days of the last ten years.

In September of 2022 he was arrested for B&E Possession of a Firearm by Felon and Larceny of a Firearm. 

Mecklenburg DA dismissed the charges and Gantt was released on Nonmember 15, 2022.

There is no reason the Gantt should be out of jail. We have a system that no longer protects citizens and puts every law abiding member of our community at risk and it needs to stop.

Gen X? Millennial? Gen Z? Who Cares?

If you are like Cedar you could care less what younger Americans think. Being at the tail end of the boomers gives me a profound perspective on stupid and lazy.

My experience with Millennials is that they are lazy and have a hubris sense of entitlement, yet they are not as lazy or lacking common sense as Gen Z. 

My neighbor's daughter we'll call her "crash" has not even the basic concept of traffic laws. But it is not just the stop sign running, speeding and texting while driving that scares me.

Every morning she attempts a "3 point turn" in the street before heading off to high school. Never mind that if she just drove around the block an added distance of .14 miles, she would be headed in the right direction. 

Most mornings the "3 point turn" attempt is full of near misses; the mail box, other parked cars, a speeding school bus, and other drivers leaving for work. This is not a pull into a nearby driveway and reverse course, but a legit and rather ugly 3 point in the road turn around. This lack of common sense is perplexing but not unique to this generation.

Which brings me to the question who is Gen Z often called "Zoomers" yep "Crash" is a Zoomer formally defined for your reference below:

The Pew Research Center periodically updates the age ranges it uses to define the generational groups, and that includes the Silent Generation, Baby Boomers, Generation X, and Millennials. In 2019, the organization officially added the birth years for Gen Z. Since then, other sources have weighed in on the suggested age ranges for Gen Alpha. 

The Silent Generation: Born 1928-1945 (78-95 years old)

Baby Boomers: Born 1946-1964 (59-77 years old)

Gen X: Born 1965-1980 (43-58 years old)

Millennials: Born 1981-1996 (27-42 years old)

Gen Z: Born 1997-2012 (11-26 years old)

Gen Alpha: Born early 2010s-2025 (0-about 10 years old)

When Pew Research revised its guidelines for generational classifications in 2018, Gen Z and Gen Alpha didn’t appear on the list as separate categories. People born between 1997—the cutoff for Millennials—and the present year were simply called “Post-Millennials.”

Gen Z has since grown into an economical and cultural force that’s hard to ignore. The world’s teens and young adults have been behind many of the biggest fashion trends, political movements, and memes of the last several years. Even though the oldest Millennials are in their early 40s, the generation has long been synonymous with young people. With Gen Z and Gen Alpha gaining attention, that’s finally starting to change.

While the dates are still a bit up in the air (some argue that the oldest Zoomers were born in 1995), Pew Research defines members of Gen Z as anyone born between 1997 and 2012. That means the group spans ages 11 to 26 in 2023. The organization cites important political, economic, and technological factors that helped them determine the cutoff from Millennial to Generation Z. Most American Millennials were shaped by 9/11, the Iraq War, and the economic recession of 2008, while members of Gen Z may have little to no memory of these events. Gen Z is also notable for being the first generation to be totally immersed in the world of the internet since birth.

The official birth years for Generation Alpha are still up for debate, with some contending that they start in 2010 (syncing up with when the first iPad was released) and end in 2025, while other sources cite 2012 (or just the early 2010s) as the jumping off point for this group. As Pew Research still hasn’t officially included them in their guidelines as of 2023, chances are that debate will continue to persist. However, what is clear is that any babies born right now definitely belong to Generation Glass, a nickname they’ve gotten thanks to how omnipresent technology has been in their formative years. Another huge factor in shaping these younger kids will be COVID-19—kids born at the start of the pandemic in 2020 will be turning 3 this year and will have no memories of life before quarantine.

As they gain influence, you can expect to hear a lot more about Gen Z and Gen Alpha, plus the industries they may or may not be blamed for killing in the 2020s.

In short like it or not here they come! Look out America!

Officers Continue to Search for Gastonia Shooter

Gastonia Police issued a shelter in place alert Tuesday evening while they searched for a suspect Robert Louis Singletary who they considered “armed and dangerous” and accused of shooting several people, including a juvenile. 

Robert Singletary Gaston County Sheriff's Office

Singletary, 24, is believed to be responsible for shooting and injuring three victims on the 4700 block of Grier Street near April Drive.

Police said one of the victims was rushed to the CaroMont Regional Medical Center and is in critical condition; the other is stable. Authorities said a woman was grazed by a bullet but was not injured.

Earlier reports indicated that the child had died were apparently issued in error. The child has been released.

A fourth person was shot at but escaped injuries, police said.

Gaston County Police have obtained warrants on Singletary for his involvement in the shooting.  

He’s facing several charges, including four counts of attempted first-degree murder, two counts of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury and a count of possession of a firearm by a felon. 

Late Tuesday night CP was alerted to a Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police helicopter orbiting an area in what is considered to be an ‘extensive search.’ Authorities continue to ask neighbors to stay indoors.

Singletary is described as a 6-foot-2 black man with brown eyes and black hair, weighing 223 pounds.

On December 2, 2022, Gastonia Police charged the Singletary in the assault of his 21-year-old girlfriend with a sledgehammer. They also charged Singletary with kidnapping by holding the victim inside his apartment and did not allow her to leave for over two hours, as well as Communicating Threats and possession of a firearm by a felon.

He was being held in the Gaston County jail on a $250,000 bond.

However on December 15th of last year he was released on an unsecured bond and a written promise to appear in Gaston County District Court on May 23, 2023.

The investigation is ongoing at this time.  Anyone with further information is asked to contact Det. J. Brienza at 704-866-3320 or Crimestoppers at 704-861-8000.  A Crimestoppers reward of up to $1,000 is available for information pertinent to the investigation. 

Cedar's Take: The system is broken this guy should not have been released on an unsecured bond in December. PERIOD. His 2016 arrest and subsequent conviction in 2017 on AWDWISI plus parole violations plus time in juvilan custody resulted in his total incarceration time of more than six years already, 1/4 of his life behind bars is proof he is beyond redemption. 

Judges and magistrates need to stop releasing violent felons on cash free bail.

As of April 19, 2023 0900 Singletary remains at large.

Video shows New Mexico police were at wrong house seconds before killing homeowner

I thought it was a good suggestion to post this story and the video. Farmington PD was responding to a domestic violence call and in 30 seconds everything goes sideways and to dirt.

NO judgement here just a suggestion that's it is easier to learn from others than learning from your own.

April 15 (Reuters) - New Mexico police officers realized they were at the wrong address just moments before the front door opened and they fatally shot the armed homeowner, then exchanged gunfire with his wife, according to newly released body camera video of the April 5 shooting.

Robert Dotson, 52, was killed by police in Farmington, New Mexico, on April 5, after officers responding to a domestic violence report arrived at the wrong house.

The Farmington Police Department released several videos on Friday, including footage captured by body cameras worn by the three officers who fired their weapons.

"Once again, we wish to express our condolences to the Dotson family and as your chief of police, I wish to convey how very sorry I am that this tragedy occurred," Police Chief Steven Hebbe said in a statement accompanying the release.

An attorney representing the Dotson family could not be reached for comment on Saturday.

The video shows one officer knocking on a door decorated with an Easter bunny three times and announcing that police are present in the span of about 1-1/2 minutes. While they wait, two officers discuss whether they have the correct address and chuckle when they realize a mistake has been made.

One officer then curses and backs away, seconds before the door opens. An officer yells, "Hands up!," and the video shows Dotson raising what appears to be a handgun before officers open fire, dropping him in the doorway.

Dotson's wife can soon be heard screaming "Oh my God!" One officer mutters, "Please don't," before another volley of shots take place. Authorities have said she fired in the direction of officers, who returned fire without striking her.

Dotson's wife, who did not realize she was firing at police, has not been charged with a crime, authorities said. Three children were upstairs at the time of the shooting, according to the released video.

Police have not released the names of the involved officers, who have been placed on paid leave while the state police investigate the incident.

The Dotson family and their attorney watched the video prior to its public release, Hebbe said.

Daily Shootings in Charlotte Continue

Saturday, Sunday and Monday night CMPD continues to respond to shootings and in this case another homicide.

As of this morning CMPD Officers were still searching for the person who shot two people in northwest Charlotte Monday night, killing one of them.

The shooting happened during a party around 9:30 p.m. on Lakewood Avenue near Grant Street. That’s just off Rozelles Ferry Road not too far from Interstate 85.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police said one person died at the scene. MEDIC says the other was taken to CMC Main.

Police believe a fight happened during some type of celebration and that led to shots being fired.

After the shooting, the scene became chaotic scene as people were trying to figure out what happened.

“There’s a lot of unknowing, people not knowing what’s actually going on, so emotions were running high trying to find out if loved ones were involved or not,” CMPD Maj. Torri Tellis said.

The name of the deceased victim has not been released at this time.

CMPD investigators believe this is isolated, but they are asking anyone with information to call Crime Stoppers at (704) 334-1600. Callers can remain anonymous.

CP is guessing that because this is just an "isolated" murder it deserved only a moderate alert status. In other words its da hood.

New York Times Crying About Republicans

 

Good morning. Republican legislators are circumventing voters who elected candidates who promised to send fewer people to jail.

Outside the Mississippi Capitol in Jackson.Rogelio V. Solis/Associated Press

Exercising discretion

A fight has erupted in several states between Republican lawmakers and locally elected Democrats over how to respond to crime.

Democratic district attorneys (often serving cities with many Black and Latino voters) say they are prioritizing serious crimes. In response, Republicans (often representing mostly white and rural areas) have accused them of ignoring criminal law and are making it easier to remove them from office.

Today, I’ll explain what’s happening and why it matters.

The policy fight

Since 2015, dozens of prosecutors promising progressive reforms have taken office across the country. They vowed to send fewer people to prison and reduce the harms to low-income communities that are associated with high incarceration rates.

To achieve that goal, many of these prosecutors said they would use the discretion the law generally allows them to decline to charge categories of crimes, like low-level marijuana offenses. About 90 prosecutors, out of more than 2,000 nationwide, also pledged not to prosecute violations of abortion bans. Many of these prosecutors have been re-elected, a sign of sustained voter support.

Still, conservatives argue that the district attorneys are shirking their duty. Declining to prosecute a particular case is legitimate, they say; ruling out charges for a category of offenses is not. As a Republican legislator in Tennessee put it, “A district attorney does not have the authority to decide what law is good and what law isn’t good.” The conservative Heritage Foundation devotes a section of its website to attacking “rogue prosecutors.”

Challenging local control

In Florida, Mississippi, Tennessee and elsewhere, Republican lawmakers have moved to oust or constrain prosecutors and officials who oversee the court system. The Republicans, who largely represent rural areas, are often aiming to thwart voters in cities, including many Black and Latino residents, who elected candidates on platforms of locking up fewer people.

Examples include:

In February, the Mississippi House passed a bill that establishes a new court system in part of the state capital, Jackson, a majority Black city run mostly by Black officials. In the neighborhoods where most of Jackson’s white residents live, the legislation would effectively replace locally elected judges with state-appointed ones and city police with a state-run force. Tennessee lawmakers in 2021 gave the state attorney general the authority to ask a judge to replace local prosecutors in cases in which they refuse to bring charges. Republican lawmakers criticized the district attorney in Nashville, Glenn Funk, who said he would no longer prosecute simple marijuana possession. Funk also said he would not charge businesses that ignored a state law requiring them to post signs saying transgender people could be using single-gender bathrooms. When Deborah Gonzalez, a progressive, ran for district attorney in Athens, Ga., in 2020, Gov. Brian Kemp tried to cancel the election. Kemp lost in court, and Gonzalez won the seat. In Florida last August, Gov. Ron DeSantis ousted Andrew Warren, the elected Democratic prosecutor in the district that includes Tampa, who had pledged not to prosecute offenses related to abortion or transgender health care.

Changing the rules

These actions upend a longstanding tradition of local control over criminal justice. In the 19th century, many states embraced local elections of prosecutors to ensure that they “reflect the priorities of local communities, rather than officials in the state capital,” according to one history. Criminal laws are largely enacted at the state level, and prosecutors, meant to be accountable to their communities, decide how to enforce them.

Since prosecutors lack the resources to bring charges for every arrest, their discretion is a feature of the system. In the past, prosecutors usually used their discretion to act tough on crime. “Now you’re seeing a state effort to subvert the will of local voters who have elected prosecutors who use their discretion for a more compassionate and equitable system,” Marissa Roy, a lawyer for the Local Solutions Support Center, said. “It’s inherently undemocratic.”

The new state bills

In a few states, Republicans are considering legislation that would give them power to remove local prosecutors. Georgia legislators recently passed a bill that would create a commission with the power to remove prosecutors. It awaits Kemp’s signature.

The Missouri House passed a bill to allow the governor to appoint a special prosecutor for violent crimes for five years. The bill was originally written to target St. Louis, where the elected city prosecutor, Kimberly Gardner, is a progressive Black Democrat.

In Texas, dozens of such bills are in play. One, which passed the Texas Senate this week, would bar prosecutors from adopting policies that refrain from prosecuting a type of offense. Another would create a council dominated by political appointees that could refer prosecutors to a trial court to be dismissed for incompetence. Republican supporters of the legislation targeted five district attorneys, from large metropolitan areas, who said they would not prosecute certain offenses, including some related to abortion or transgender medical treatments for minors.

When a new type of legislation pops up in different states, a national policy organization sometimes promotes it. That may be happening with these bills. Last July, a Heritage Foundation staff member met by video with Republican lawmakers about curbing prosecutors’ authority, according to a person familiar with the Texas bills. The legislation became a priority of the Texas House speaker and lieutenant governor. “The Heritage Foundation meets with a variety of people and organizations about public policy topics,” a spokeswoman said.

Given the conservative momentum behind the bills, Roy expects to see more. “All of this is connected to the backlash to the movement for racial justice and criminal justice reform,” she said. Cedar's Take: For years we've heard about racist police and how the "system" targets people of color. As proof activists parade statistics that seem to show a disproportionate number of Black Americans being arrested and incarcerated when compared to the nation as a whole.  (WSOC a Charlotte Television News Station even ran a story a few weeks ago accusing CMS as being racist because a disproportionate number of Black students were being expelled. ) Sadly the reason there are more Black Americans arrested is simply because they unfortunately commit a staggering amount of the crime in this nation. (Ditto for Black Students in Schools) The crimes range from shoplifting to murder to unruly behavior on airlines to attacks on food service staff to murder armed robbery and drug charges. Sure we all laugh at the melee at Popeyes or Waffle House but the people acting up are seldom white. In fact when it is we are collectively surprised. Shootings are routinely Black on Black and often if white people are involved they are the victims and seldom the perps. Sadly the African American Community has become a culture of violence embracing criminality and gun play.  Scroll through facebook, or instagram and there is a avalanche of Black Kids with Guns. Many with not one or even two many have three or more. Why? I had a parent send me 32 screen shots of CMS kids with handguns 29 where Black Kids 2 were Latino and one was I'm guessing Asian. The one photo of a white SouthMeck kid with an AR Style Weapon was also ROTC and a honor student.  Guess which one democrats are concerned about? We can't fix this by blaming the problem on racism or ignoring the facts. We need to start aggressively prosecuting weapon crimes if you have a gun and you shouldn't you need to be in jail period. If you commit a crime with a gun you need to be sent to prison for at least ten years. You shoot someone that's it game over life no parole we should not give you a second chance to kill someone. This mess is on the race baiters, the NAACP and everyone else who fails to admit there's a problem within the African American Community.  PERIOD!

Rideshare driver carjacked at gunpoint; suspects arrested after chase, CMPD says

Detectives with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department's University City Division and Eastway Division are conducting an armed robbery of a motor vehicle and pursuit investigation.   

Mekayla Rodgers, 19, and Lonnie McConico, 18, ran from the crash, but were arrested by police with the help of K-9 Officers.

On Tuesday, February 7, 2023, at approximately 6:00 p.m., University City Division officers responded to an armed robbery of a motor vehicle in the University City Division.  The caller advised officers that an armed suspect approached a vehicle at a stoplight and opened the car door.  The suspect pointed a handgun at the driver of the car and demanded the driver to get out. The suspect then got into the vehicle and left the scene.

CMPD's Real Time Crime Center (RTCC) located the stolen vehicle inbound on The Plaza a short time later.  Eastway Division officers were alerted to the LPR hit and got behind the vehicle on The Plaza.  Officers attempted to initiate a traffic stop, however, the suspect failed to stop.   Officers pursued the vehicle for a short distance, eventually losing sight of the car.  Officers were in the process of terminating the pursuit and turning their emergency equipment off as they saw the accident up ahead. 

The suspect continued on, driving recklessly in traffic.  The suspect later crashed, hitting an uninvolved vehicle with an adult female and child inside at the intersection of Belmont Avenue and Harrill Street.  Officers arrived and assisted the mother and her child out of the vehicle.  Medic arrived on scene and transported both to an area hospital as a precaution.

The suspect jumped and ran from the stolen vehicle.  CMPD's K9 Unit responded to the scene and quickly tracked the suspect hiding inside of a trash can.  The suspect was arrested without further incident.  A handgun was located in the stolen vehicle.

Eastway and University City Division officers and Crime Scene Search responded to process the scene and collect physical evidence. Representatives from CMPD's Operations Command, K9 Unit, and the Real Time Crime Center (RTCC) also assisted in the apprehension efforts.

Jalen Johnson Charged with Attempted Murder

You already know that Steele Creek is a cesspool of crime and now ranks as one of Charlotte's biggest trouble spots. But who expected a middle of the day shoot out?

Being a Bail Bondsman isn't all the glamorous and the bounty hunters who chase down skips seldom have that bigger than life persona of some guy named "Dog".

While the real life Duane Chapman has made a fortune it was only due to his TV role and marketing smarts and not his work tracking down bail jumpers. 

Last week bounty hunters located Jalen Johnson seen here running away from the gunfight on this Ring Doorbell Camera Video screen shot. Johnson is one of two men who tried to shoot it out with a pair of bondsmen in the Steele Creek area last week.

About 30 minutes later CMPD Officers located Johnson hiding in a storm sewer and took him into custody. The other man Chance Logan was also arrested at the scene.

Chance Anthony Armond Logan, 21, is charged with carrying a concealed weapon and simple assault.

Chance Anthony Armond Logan, 21

It may be that Logan will face additional charges yet he bonded out of jail on March 28 just before midnight. 

But it is Johnson's violent criminal history and that he was out on a minimal bail that is troubling and just another example of a democrat run criminal justice system that is broken and deadly.

BACKGROUND

Johnson was charged in 2019 with Felony-ASSAULT BY STRANGULATION and misdemeanor-ASSAULT ON A FEMALE and released on a cashless bond.

Johnson was than arrested on 6/24/2020 charged with AWDWIKISI-Assault on a female-Discharge Weapon Into Occupied Property given a minimal bail and released the next day on a pre trial release agreement.

A month later on 7/28/2020 Johnson was arrested again on the same charges and after a week posts bail with the help of a bail bondsman and is released on 8/4/2020.

The details are few as to why the second arrest on the same charges, but the MCSO has computer issues that may take a decade to correct.

In 2022 another warrant was issued for his arrest on a charge of non-support of a child. The warrant was never served. At this point you should be asking yourself why is a violent felon out of pretrial release and no one has any idea where he is?

Failing to appear for his court date last month a warrant was issued for his arrest and the bondsman are faced with having to forfeit the bond that was posted for Johnson's release unless they can locate and produce the felon.

Bounty hunters representing the bondsman located Johnson in a Steele Creek neighborhood. While attempting to take Johnson into custody he opens fire on the bounty hunters.

On 3/28/2023 Johnson is arrested by CMPD for failing to appear in court and also charged with shooting one of the bondsman but is again given bail. In fact the bail is ridiculously low and even lower than the original bail amount.

Fortunately a day later the bond was increased to more than $350,000 and Johnson remains behind bars awaiting his next court date of April 11th.

But the real question is why was Johnson given such a low bail in the first place and why is it taking the Mecklenburg DA 3 years to bring this thug to trial? Finally why are violent felons released back on the streets at all?

Tricia Cotham Jumps Ship Dem Go Crazy

Local democrats are having a nutty over Tricia Cotham's switch to the Republican Party.

But this is mostly good news for North Carolina and bad news for those pursuing a woke virtue signaling agenda. More so great news for law enforcement officer state wide.

The local paper did a fair look into Cotham's voting record and this is pretty good work. Unfortunately you can't read it online because of the endless pop-ups and webpage reloads. It is even worst if you are using your iPhone.

So here as a public service is the "local paper's" take:

What Does NC Rep. Tricia Cotham stand for?

Here’s what her voting history shows

The party switch On April 5, 2023, Democratic N.C. House Rep. Tricia Cotham announced she would join the House Republican caucus, provoking polarizing reactions from each party. The move will have major ramifications for North Carolina state politics.

N.C. Rep. Tricia Cotham spoke clearly during an emotional 2015 debate about a bill to require women to wait three days before getting an abortion. “My womb and my uterus are not up for your political grab,” said Cotham, then a Democratic representative for the 100th N.C. House District. Seven years later, she again made her opinion known in response to a questionnaire from The Charlotte Observer. 

Cotham left the legislature in 2017 after an unsuccessful bid for Congress in 2016.

She won the 112th House District seat in November as a registered Democrat. “North Carolina should act now to codify Roe v. Wade to affirm the right to an abortion without interference,” Cotham wrote in 2022 when asked what the state should do if the landmark court ruling was overturned.

She also signed on as a co-sponsor in January of a bill to “codify Roe v. Wade” — prevent restrictions on abortion before fetal viability, unless the person’s life or health is in danger and stop any “undue burden” of the ability of a woman to choose.

But as she announced a party registration change on Wednesday, giving North Carolina Republicans a supermajority in the House, Cotham declined to commit to specific views on legislation. Cotham said she’s never thought abortion was “the biggest issue facing women in North Carolina” and said she would research bills before deciding. “There’s a piece of good advice I learned a long time ago: Don’t discuss legislation that’s not before you. So, I’m not going to do that,” Cotham said Wednesday during a news conference in Raleigh.

Already a swing vote on some issues, Cotham’s stance could be decisive on abortion rights in North Carolina. The state currently bans abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy, and Republicans are considering a 12-week ban. A total abortion ban introduced this year has just three sponsors or co-sponsors and hasn’t moved out of the House Rules Committee.

A gubernatorial veto override requires three-fifths of people present in the House at the time. That’s 72 votes with all members present, and Cotham’s switch makes 72 House Republicans. Here’s where Cotham stands on other issues or when she has crossed party lines.

IMMIGRATION AND SHERIFFS

Cotham voted last month with Republicans and two other Democrats in favor of House Bill 10. The bill passed the House 71-44, with two Democrats and three Republicans not voting.

It requires county sheriffs to comply with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement when people are charged with certain felony and misdemeanor offenses and are the subject of immigration detainers, including holding them for at least 48 hours in jail. It would also require sheriffs and other jail administrators to notify ICE if they can’t determine the legal status of people charged with certain crimes.

The bill attracted opposition from N.C. sheriffs such as Mecklenburg County’s Garry McFadden, who previously told the Observer the bill takes away local law enforcement’s authority and that sheriffs already must cooperate with ICE.

PISTOL PERMIT REPEAL

Cotham was absent March 29 when the House voted to override Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto of Senate Bill 41, which eliminated the state’s pistol permit requirement. It also allowed concealed handguns in places of worship that are also schools. Because she and two other Democrats missed the vote, Republicans succeeded in overriding Cooper’s veto with a 71-46 vote count. She said a scheduled medical appointment for long COVID was the reason for her absence. She voted in February against a more narrowly tailored measure, House Bill 50, only containing the pistol permit repeal.

CHARTER SCHOOLS

Prior to her party switch, Cotham maintained an outsized role for a Democrat in a Republican-controlled legislature as chair of the House K-12 Education Committee. She’s a former Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools educator and served as vice chair of the House Education committee during her prior stint in the legislature. Sign up for Kaleidoscope An essential newsletter about race, culture and equity in the greater Charlotte and Mecklenburg County region.

She was one of three Democrats to vote with Republicans in favor of House Bill 149, which she also co-sponsored. The bill allows regional and statewide online-only charter schools, extends the state’s virtual charter school pilot program for one year and requires the state community college system’s president to be confirmed by the legislature.

WHO IS TRICIA COTHAM?

New Republican has history of Demoratic politics She’s the only Democrat to sign on as a co-sponsor of a charter school omnibus bill, HB 2019. The bill’s provisions include requiring the State Board of Education not to consider the impact on local public school districts when deciding when to approve a charter. It allows for the creation of a “micro school” within charter schools that could include specialized curriculum for a group of students. Another section of the bill allows counties to provide money to charter schools for capital improvements similar to local public school districts. In her 2022 questionnaire, Cotham said she wanted to eliminate “high stakes tests” because the state puts too much weight on test scores. Cotham also said in the questionnaire the state should fully fund the Leandro plan, which refers to court rulings that North Carolina has a constitutional obligation to give students access to a sound, basic education.

NEW RULES FOR NC DEAF AND BLIND SCHOOLS

Cotham voted last month with two other Democrats in favor of House Bill 11, which creates new boards to supervise the Eastern North Carolina School for the Deaf in Wilson, the North Carolina School for the Deaf in Morganton and the Governor Morehead School for the Blind in Raleigh. Cooper allowed the bill to become law without his signature, saying it “unconstitutionally attacks the State Board of Education by putting partisan political appointees of the legislature in charge of our NC schools for the deaf and blind.”

CRITICAL RACE THEORY

Cotham voted last month with Democrats against House Bill 187, a bill titled “equality in education,” but that critics such as Mecklenburg Democratic Rep. Laura Budd say would “micromanage from the General Assembly into the classrooms.” The bill says that teachers shall not promote that anyone “should feel discomfort, guilt, anguish or any other form of psychological distress” based on their race or sex.

PARTISAN SCHOOL BOARDS

Last month, Cotham voted along party lines and with Democrats against House Bill 88, which would make a number of local school board races partisan. The bill made changes to school board elections in Ashe, Cabarrus, Henderson, McDowell and Mitchell counties. Now, in counties such as Cabarrus candidates will run according to what party they’re registered with.

Republican legislators argue the change gives voters more information. Opponents say it injects more national politics into local public schools. In Guilford County, House Bill 88 also set a procedure for local political parties to fill school board vacancies. It also made changes to some small town elections. TRICIA COTHAM'S MOM: Democratic county commissioner speak about daughter's change

PENALTIES FOR RIOTING

Cotham and a majority of Democrats voted in February against House Bill 40, which increases penalties for the crimes of rioting or inciting a riot. Six Democrats voted for the measure. Gov. Roy Cooper let the bill become law without his signature, citing concerns about the First Amendment and “disparate impacts on communities of color.” The 75-43 vote count in the House would have been enough to override a veto. HOUSE BILL 2 Cotham in 2016 voted against House Bill 2, which reversed a Charlotte ordinance that protected transgender people who use public restrooms based on their gender identity. It required people to use the bathroom in public facilities that matched the gender on their birth certificate. “Don’t tell me this #HB2 is to save women and children. Disingenuous,” she wrote in a tweet at the time. The N.C. General Assembly repealed the bill and approved a compromise measure after its passage resulted in nationwide backlash and economic losses for the state.