City Councilor Chuck Turner was convicted last week of accepting a $1,000 bribe &- a crime often considered to be unforgiveable for politicians and a sure indicator of corruption. But instead of taking immediate action and forcing Turner to step down, the City Council is waiting a month, until after a Nov. 16 special election, to make a decision regarding the councilor’s fate.
The lack of action on the part of the Council is troubling. Allowing someone who has been convicted of a crime to continue serving in an elected office for any length of time is inexcusable, and his dismissal should be immediate.
But Turner’s own failure to step down is even more reprehensible. Instead of gracefully accepting the verdict against him, Turner is urging his supporters to contact the Council president asking him to delay the ruling until after Turner is sentenced. Although he insists that he is an “honorable man,” as a veteran member of the Council, Turner should understand that government can’t function if its elected officials do not abide by the laws that they endorse.
In reality, the result of Turner’s sentencing does not matter. Whether he gets probation or prison time, he broke the law and needs to accept the consequences. He had his chance to have the benefit of the doubt, and now that time has passed.
The law of the land says that everyone is innocent until proven guilty, and this is how things should be. But Turner had his chance to prove his innocence. The moment he was convicted, he should have tendered his resignation. And if he failed to do so, the Council should have dismissed him, no questions asked. Being convicted of accepting a bribe is an inexcusable offense for any politician and warrants immediate action, not dithering on the part of the government.
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