The Strange Case Of Gordon Lee.

June 16, 2006 8:51 AM

The Strange Case Of Gordon Lee. “It is highly unusual to have a single defendant face three arraignments in less than two years for the same alleged criminal conduct. In my fifteen years of practice, I have never seen such an occurrence.”* [more inside]
posted by grabbingsand (19 comments total)

In the spirit of full disclosure, I know Gordon Lee. We don't hang out or wish each other Happy Birthday, but I know him. When I was in college in Rome, his shop was my source for new issues of Sandman. He's a good guy. And it really can't be easy, selling comicbooks in small-town North Georgia. The authorities went after him a few years ago on an unfounded charge relating to the sale of adult comic books. Little came of it (and little about can be found on the Internet). But this time, the prosecutors are simply not letting up. There was some good news back in January, when four of the seven charges were dropped. And again last month when the original case was dismissed. But that was just a setup for a new tactic.

So far, the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund has spent over $60K defending Lee's case. With this re-indictment, that total only stands to increase. There are whispers that money might be at the center of the prosecutorial strategy. If they can drain the CBLDF coffers, then perhaps the result will be a win.

So while it might be taboo to pitch a cause in a MeFi post, I would encourage my fellow MeFites to consider making a donation to the CBLDF.
posted by grabbingsand at 8:51 AM on June 16, 2006

Attn Admins: The first link should probably not go through google's redirect. Please hope.
posted by Plutor at 8:57 AM on June 16, 2006

Eep. Sorry about the redirect. Link came from a Gmail chat session. HOPE!
posted by grabbingsand at 9:03 AM on June 16, 2006

Prosecutors, even the good ones, disgust me.
posted by 517 at 9:04 AM on June 16, 2006

the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund has spent over $60K defending Lee's case

isn't it cheaper to move his business to a civilized town instead?
posted by matteo at 9:11 AM on June 16, 2006

Presumably all art gallerys have been safely burnt to the ground.
posted by Artw at 9:12 AM on June 16, 2006

matteo writes "isn't it cheaper to move his business to a civilized town instead?"

Flee prosecution? I think he's being indicted for events in the past.
posted by mr_roboto at 9:16 AM on June 16, 2006

isn't it cheaper to move his business to a civilized town instead?

In the specific, sure, but in the abstract shouldn't we strive for a Better Georgia? Can't be a whole lot but up left.

May not apply to your particular corner of God's Own
posted by yerfatma at 10:17 AM on June 16, 2006

From the Peter David link: "Remember Doctor Manhattan? He'll get you one to three years in Georgia."

Truly those are horrible powers. I might go for immolation.
posted by yerfatma at 10:22 AM on June 16, 2006

Go, Georgia! We're not Alabama, but Lord, we're trying!!
posted by zpousman at 10:23 AM on June 16, 2006

I would suggest sacrificing Gordon Lee to the greater good, making campaign contributions to your favorite Georgia authoritarian, and doing whatever else you can do to accelerate the decline of that fetid, festering cesspool.
posted by Kwantsar at 10:29 AM on June 16, 2006

Sounds like it is high time for Operation Georgia Freedom. Do they have oil? They are definitely in need of Democracy™.
posted by nlindstrom at 11:06 AM on June 16, 2006

Thank god Rome doesn't allow those 14 year olds into the library - they might see not just drawings, but actual photographs of naked people!

Or... actual porn! This sounds like a job for investigative reporter Carl Monday!
posted by funambulist at 11:13 AM on June 16, 2006

Attn Admins: The first link should probably not go through google's redirect. Please hope. Just curious why is that bad?
posted by andywolf at 11:30 AM on June 16, 2006

Sixty grand for misdemeanors?

I am going to see how this flies with my three o'clock appointment. If I can start commanding that for misdemeanors, I could very well own the internet by the end of the year.
posted by flarbuse at 11:35 AM on June 16, 2006

"Sixty grand for misdemeanors? "

I would shell out $60,000 in legal fees to stay off the registered sex offender list (which I assume he would end up on if convicted) for handing out comic books. I'm sooooo fucking tired of these modern day Puritans I'm going to have to take a short break to vomit on a picture of Nancy Grace....

Ahhh, that felt better.
posted by MikeMc at 12:25 PM on June 16, 2006

Just curious why is that bad?

- The referrer to the URL is Google, not MeFi. Not the end of the world, but people like to know where their traffic is coming from.

- If it's OK to go through Google, why not MSN? Or my own site? Or a site that drops you on an interstitial page with an ad?
posted by mkultra at 1:33 PM on June 16, 2006

If it's OK to go through Google, why not MSN? Or my own site? Or a site that drops you on an interstitial page with an ad? - mkultra

*takes notes*
posted by raedyn at 2:17 PM on June 16, 2006

In the specific, sure, but in the abstract shouldn't we strive for a Better Georgia?

It's been tried.
posted by IshmaelGraves at 5:36 PM on June 16, 2006