CARNEY RESIGNS FROM COUNCIL PROVING INNOCENCE WILL TAKE `ALL OF MY ENERGIES'.Byline: Charles F. Bostwick Staff WriterLOS ANGELES Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. - Palmdale Councilman Kevin Carney car·ney n. Informal Variant of carny. announced through his attorney Saturday that he will resign his council seat while he fights charges of child molestation Child molestation is a crime involving a range of indecent or sexual activities between an adult and a child, usually under the age of 14. In psychiatric terms, these acts are sometimes known as pedophilia. . Asserting that the resignation should not be interpreted as a sign of guilt, attorney Milton Grimes Grimes is a surname, that is believed to be of a Scandinavian decent and may refer to
``I think it should be interpreted as a man that is responsible to his community and his family,'' Grimes told a dozen journalists at a news conference he called in front of Men's Central Jail, where Carney is jailed in a protective cell once used by O.J. Simpson. Grimes released to the reporters a one-page, handwritten hand·write tr.v. hand·wrote , hand·writ·ten , hand·writ·ing, hand·writes To write by hand. [Back-formation from handwritten.] Adj. 1. letter from Carney in which the councilman resigns the council post he held for less than six weeks and reiterates his innocence. ``We all know that for the next several months all of my energies will be devoted to proving my innocence,'' the letter says. ``Therefore, I will not be able to represent the citizens of Palmdale in the manner they so richly deserve and that is required of a competent councilman.'' Carney, 48, a Los Angeles County sheriff's sergeant and former high school trustee, was elected to a four-year term on the City Council on Nov. 2, four days after he was arrested on suspicion of molesting a 14- year-old family friend. He was released the evening of his arrest on $100,000 bail, and prosecutors took until last week to file criminal charges, saying it took that long to complete the necessary investigation. The charges filed Wednesday accuse Carney of molesting that girl starting when she was 6 years old, as well as molesting two neighbor girls whose allegations about him were investigated in 1997. Insufficient evidence insufficient evidence n. a finding (decision) by a trial judge or an appeals court that the prosecution in a criminal case or a plaintiff in a lawsuit has not proved the case because the attorney did not present enough convincing evidence. was found in 1997 to charge him with those allegations at the time, officials said. The charges also say Carney in 1994 molested mo·lest tr.v. mo·lest·ed, mo·lest·ing, mo·lests 1. To disturb, interfere with, or annoy. 2. To subject to unwanted or improper sexual activity. a fourth girl, whom Grimes described as a friend of the 14-year-old, and that he was found with child pornography Child pornography is the visual representation of minors under the age of 18 engaged in sexual activity or the visual representation of minors engaging in lewd or erotic behavior designed to arouse the viewer's sexual interest. in a briefcase when he was arrested. Carney's resignation followed a mounting chorus from Antelope Valley This article is about the Los Angeles County region. For the census-designated place in Wyoming, see Antelope Valley-Crestview, Wyoming. The Antelope Valley leaders that he should step down because of the distraction the criminal case would pose to his council work and to city government in general. Carney wrote his letter Friday night during a jail visit by Grimes, the attorney said. ``I met with Mr. Carney last night for a couple hours, several hours,'' Grimes said at Saturday's news conference. ``He was concerned about his position. We discussed the case, his family and his City Council responsibilities.'' As a result of the discussions, Grimes said, Carney wrote the letter and asked him to read it to his community. Palmdale Mayor Jim Ledford said Saturday that the council by state law has a month, once it has received Carney's resignation, to decide whether to appoint a replacement or call a new election. Ledford says he prefers calling a new election rather than the council making an appointment that will last nearly a full four-year term. He suggested appointing an interim council member with city experience - a former council member or planning commissioner - to fill the vacancy until the election, which could take several months. ``It really comes down to how do you best represent that position?'' Ledford said. ``I think the voters will have an opinion.'' Sandy Corrales Corrales can refer to: People
``To me, appointing the first runner-up sort of eliminates all the accusations of political cronyism'' that might arise if the council appoints one civic personality or another, Corrales said Saturday. Carney remains jailed in lieu of Instead of; in place of; in substitution of. It does not mean in addition to. $2 million on the latest charges. Grimes said his client is unable to raise that amount of money, and he has asked for a hearing Friday to ask a judge to lower the bail to the $100,000 Carney posted in October. Grimes called the $2 million bail unreasonable and excessive since authorities knew about allegations from three of the girls when Carney was released in October. CARNEY MAKES HIS RESIGNATION LETTER PUBLIC This is the text of the letter attorney Milton Grimes relesed Saturday for Palmdale city Councilman Kevin Carney. Dear citizens of Palmdale, city clerk In the United States, a City Clerk is an elected or appointed official who is responsible as the official keeper of the municipal records. In some places, the Clerk may be known as the "Village Clerk" or "Town Clerk". and City Council: I would rather wrestle a grizzly bear grizzly bear or grizzly, large, powerful North American brown bear, characterized by gray-streaked, or grizzled, fur. Grizzlies are 6 to 8 ft (180–250 cm) long, stand 3 1-2 to 4 ft (105–120 cm) at the humped shoulder, and weigh up to than write this letter. I don't think anyone can know the pain writing this letter causes me. I first want to say that I am not guilty. Hopefully, the citizens of Palmdale will watch the trial closely, because at the end of the day you will also know that I am not guilty. However, we all know that for the next several months all of my energies will be devoted to proving my innocence. Therefore, I will not be able to represent the citizens of Palmdale in the manner they so richly deserve and that is required of a competent councilman. I therefore believe that the best way I can serve the citizens of Palmdale is to resign my post on the Palmdale City Council. Please accept this letter as my official resignation. God bless you, and you will always be in my prayers. - Kevin Carney City Councilman CAPTION(S): photo, box Photo: (color in Verb 1. color in - add color to; "The child colored the drawings"; "Fall colored the trees"; "colorize black and white film" color, colorise, colorize, colour in, colourise, colourize, colour AV and SAC editions only) Kevin Carney, accused of child molestation, announced Saturday in a letter that he will vacate To annul, set aside, or render void; to surrender possession or occupancy. The term vacate has two common usages in the law. With respect to real property, to vacate the premises means to give up possession of the property and leave the area totally devoid of contents. his Palmdale City Council post. See Page 4. Box: Carney makes his resignation letter public (see text) |
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