Grass Valley, CA — Union Newspaper Publisher Jim Hemig and Editor Brian Hamilton were taken into custody today following the early morning arrest of Nevada County District Attorney Clifford Newell. Newell, plagued for years with rumors of misconduct, was arrested for reproduction and distribution of child pornography.
Failing to fully understand the ramifications, Newell naively told officers he had indeed provided images depicting children in compromising situations to a number of media representatives.
Newell’s legal intelligence quotient has often been called to question, but even the most casual observer might have predicted the outcome of this maneuver. Newell claims he initially came into possession of the material in question when officers confiscated computers from the home and office of then County Supervisor Terry Lamphier. Lamphier was charged with three misdemeanor counts of possession of child pornography.
Claiming to have come into possession of the videos via of the arrest of Terry Lamphier, Newell has spent the past year refusing to provide the evidence to Lamphier’s legal counsel, yet appears to have had no qualms sharing it with local media sources.
Newell admits that he copied and provided the materials to local newspaper management in an attempt to prejudice local media against Lamphier.
Oops! That’s reproduction and distribution—a felony!
And the recipients watched the materials. Oops! That’s the same thing Lamphier is accused of doing!
Jim Hemig and Brian Hamilton scramble to retain the legal services of Steve Munkelt, and are willing to cooperate fully with officials. Both are eager to testify against Newell and are requesting their case be heard at the same time as the Terry Lamphier case. Fortunately, they will be able to provide the evidence in question, which has so far been withheld from legal counsel.
