PENSACOLA, Fla. (AP) -- A Florida Bar committee will meet next month to
decide if the prosecutor of two brothers tried for killing their father
should be investigated for his actions during the case.
David Rimmer, the prosecutor who was sharply criticized for his
prosecution of Alex and Derek King as adults, said the complaint against
him was filed by a convicted child abuser out of "spite."
The Bar's Aug. 19 hearing was prompted by an ethics complaint filed by
Brian Oliver from Maplewood, Mo., who has been one of the most persistent
advocates for trying the children in juvenile court.
"Given the bizarre nature of this case and Mr. Rimmer's handling of it,
it is likely that a range of general misconduct was committed here,"
Oliver wrote in his original ethics complaint.
Rimmer called the complaint frivolous.
"I feel very confidant I've done nothing wrong, and I feel that the
allegations were made out of spite by this Brian Oliver, who was writing
hateful e-mails and letters to me before the trial ever started," Rimmer
said.
Officials at next month's hearing, which is closed to Rimmer, Oliver
and the general public, will determine if there is probable cause to
continue the investigation.
Terry King was found fatally beaten at his Cantonment home on Nov. 26,
2001, and his house had been set on fire.
Alex and Derek, ages 14 and 15, stood trial in September 2001 and were
convicted of second-degree murder. The brothers also testified against
acquaintence Ricky Chavis in a separate trial, but Chavis was acquitted.
Alex and Derek's convictions later were thrown out, but the brothers
pleaded guilty to third-degree murder and are scheduled to be released
from their juvenile detention centers by late 2009.
Chavis later was convicted of falsely imprisoning Alex, tampering with
evidence and being an accessory to a murder. He was sentenced to 30 years
in prison.
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Information from: Pensacola News Journal,
http://www.pensacolanewsjournal.com
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