For The Record

Published March 30th, 2008

You should be reading the following letter in The Palm Beach Post. 

And that’s because it was written in response to a March 7 Post editorial, critical of one of the Palm Beach International Film Festival’s (PBIFF) founders, and long-time County Commissioner Burt Aaronson.

The letter -- written by PBIFF Chairman Yvonne S. Boice, and in response to the editorial -- was submitted a full two weeks ago, and should have long since been published.

Is the Post’s vendetta against Commissioner Burt Aaronson so deep and pernicious that it would ignore the most basic journalistic civility -- publication of response to its editorial comment?

A lack of that publication (by press time Thursday) would seem to speak for itself.

In the interest of fairness, the Boca Raton News is taking the extraordinary step of noting Boice’s letter for the record.  It follows below:
 
“The Palm Beach International Film Festival (“PBIFF”), although respecting your right to print opinion pieces, does take issue with the "facts" contained in your editorial entitled "Aaronson's credibility left port with the ship" appearing in the March 7, 2008 edition of the Palm Beach Post.

“In the opening paragraph and apparently the fodder for the title of the editorial is the incorrect "fact" that Mr. Aaronson was to be an extra in a cheesy movie. We understand that the characterization of the movie as "cheesy" may be argued to be opinion or commentary and was certainly inserted for dramatic effect. However, the entire premise that Mr. Aaronson, who as Chairman Emeritus of PBIFF was on the cruise to be part of a PBIFF workshop, was there to be an extra in any movie is factually incorrect. As prior correspondence to Mr. Dubocq (the investigative reporter from your own newspaper, who authored the March 1st article at issue) made crystal clear, Mr. Aaronson was asked to and did graciously agree to join the PBIFF staff on the cruise to attend meetings and consult for the benefit of PBIFF.

“Mr. Aaronson did not request inclusion on the cruise; he was asked by PBIFF to attend. Mr. Aaronson's attendance did not cost PBIFF a penny; a private supporter of PBIFF funded the cost of the cruise. The sole reason for Mr.

aronson's attendance was not as you incorrectly report, to be an extra in a movie, but rather was to continue, on his own time and as a volunteer, his personal support of and unwavering devotion to PBIFF. These are the facts that, although inconsistent with the theme of the newspaper's reports of the cruise, should not have been intentionally ignored for the sake of continued negativity.” 
   
Yvonne S. Boice
Chairman
Palm Beach International Film Festival

Editor’s Note: The 13th annual film festival begins April 10.

Record

In a court of law, the difference between guilt and innocence “can often be no thicker than the edge of a dime,” according to A. Russell Smith, Esq. President of the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers

Many times, claims that the defendant confessed are a key part of the prosecutor’s case.

“Unfortunately, says Smith, “under current Florida law, the court’s determination about whether a confession was illegally forced from a suspect, or whether the suspect ever really confessed at all can be no more accurate than flipping that thin dime.”

And the reason for that, believe it or not, is that the law does not require police in Florida to record interrogations of felony suspects.

“Instead of listening to an audio recording or watching a video, Smith says,  “judges have to listen to hours of conflicting testimony about what happened during the interrogation process. Often, the courts ruling about whether a suspect was given his rights; whether a police officer intimidated him into confessing; or whether the confession ever really occurred amounts to little more than an educated guess. This diminishes the reliability of the criminal justice system, wastes tax dollars, and ties up judges, lawyers and police officers in court.

And in our age of elevated electronics, it’s just plain dumb.