The Martin Chronicles is told Mayor Martin is very fond of the old saw, “perception is reality”. It was his theme for his 2010 mudslinging mayoral campaign. The truth meant nothing. It only mattered what he was able to fool voters into believing.
That’s why we wonder what the Mayor could have possibly been thinking when he allowed his truck, that was backed up to the front door of the Villa Hills city building, to be photographed in the very early hours of Friday, November 6. This digital image comes hot on the heels of the discovery that he ordered the public works crew (just the day before) to burn city documents in the middle of the discovery phase of a lawsuit against him. The Martin Chronicles has obtained a copy of the date and time-stamped photo. If nothing else, it creates a terrible perception. But many believe there is something else.
Rumors are already flying around the little city. Speculation is that Martin is using his allegedly-temporary clerk brought in to help with the tax season that ended November 30, 2011 to provide cover for the destruction of the city documents. They say this clerk will soon be leaving for an extended stay in Florida and will therefore be unavailable for questioning. While she could easily be brought back for “a little chit-chat”, this line of thinking seems to fit into Martin’s simplistic and arrogant approach to most problems.
Some are wondering if Martin thinks destroying troubling documents will make it impossible for the plaintiff to make his case against the mayor. If true, Martin is overlooking something. If the lawsuit goes to trial it will take place in civil court. The burden of proof is much lower than in a criminal trial that requires proof “beyond a reasonable doubt”. The standard of proof in civil court is based on “the preponderance (or weight) of evidence”.
A first-year law student could very likely convince a judge and jury that Martin’s computer antics and destruction of city records immediately following an Open Records request from the plaintiff add great weight to the plaintiff’s claims.
The Martin Chronicles hopes that the city attorney and all six councilmen are being very proactive to limit the city’s and their own personal liability in this mess Martin is creating.
