Let’s take a quick break from the ‘reform impact on work comp’ to return for a brief moment to North Dakota. You’ll recall when last we visited NoDak, we were wondering why the state Supreme Court had yet to issue a ruling in Sandy Blunt’s year-and-counting appeal.
Things have gotten even more interesting in the last few days.
Cynthia Feland, the Burleigh County Assistant State’s Attorney in charge of the state’s case against former WSI CEO Sandy Blunt, is starting to understand what it feels like to be on the other side of the table.
Sources in North Dakota indicated late last week that Feland is not only under investigation by the City of Bismarck’s police department for potential prosecutorial misconduct, but the state Bar Association has also determined Feland’s actions during the Blunt trial merit investigation.
(To which snarky bloggers might say “really? You don’t say!”.)
Bill Kidd at WorkCompCentral reported:
Bismark Police Chief Keith Witt confirmed Thursday that his department is investigating a complaint lodged against the Burleigh County State’s Attorney’s Office by Steve Cates, a Bismarck news blogger and supporter of Blunt. Witt said the investigation is “really preliminary at this point.”…A statement released at a March 9 “informational conference” by Bismarck Police Department Sergeant Mark Buschena said that Cates reported “he believes that the prosecutors of the Burleigh County State’s Attorney’s Office committed criminal violations in the prosecution of Charles (Sandy) Blunt which occurred in 2008.”
“He (Cates) also alleges that a prosecution witness committed perjury during trial and was involved in a conspiracy with the State’s Attorney’s Office concerning the prosecution,” the statement said.
The statement reported the “offenses named” were criminal conspiracy, perjury, false statement and misapplication of entrusted property during the period from Nov. 3, 2008, through Dec. 19, 2008.”
This may cause Feland a bit of difficulty in her campaign for district judge. That is, if the media in North Dakota sees fit to actually report the investigations, and, when they conclude, the results thereof. For some reason the media has yet to pay much attention to the charges faced by Feland…
Meanwhile, the State Supreme Court is still sitting on Blunt’s appeal, using their time to reach decisions on over a dozen cases filed – and heard – after Blunt’s.
Here’s hoping the State Supreme Court renders a judgment soon and the investigation of Feland moves quickly. Blunt has twisted in the wind long enough and it’s time for Feland to be brought to justice.
Mar
25
