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W.D. Childers Conviction Tossed Out
June 9, 2010
W.D. Childer’s bribery conviction was overturned in a federal appeals court on Tuesday, with the judge ruling that testimony that was disallowed in the original trial could have led to a different outcome.
Childers, who once served as President of the Florida Senate, was convicted of bribery and accepting unlawful compensation for official acts in connection with a Highway 29 soccer complex scandal in 2002 while he served as an Escambia County Commissioner.
The soccer complex scandal eventually landed four Escambia Commissioners in jail on charges that included Childers, Willie Junior, Terry Smith and Mike Bass. Junior was later found dead under a house, committing suicide the day before he was to be sentenced.
Childers, once known as “The Banty Rooster” for bringing home the bacon for Northwest Florida, was released from state prison on June 17, 2009, having served almost three years of a 42-month sentence on the charges related to the $3.9 million soccer complex purchase. Junior testified that he received a collard green pot full of cash in exchange for his vote to purchase the soccer complex.
Childers was also the first man in Florida jailed for violating the open-meeting portion of the Sunshine Law for a phone call he and Smith made to then Supervisor of Elections Bonnie Jones. Childers served about a month in jail before being released.
Most notably for North Escambia, Childers was the man responsible for the funding to four-lane Highway 29 to the Alabama state line.
Comments
17 Responses to “W.D. Childers Conviction Tossed Out”
So, an overturned bribery conviction, huh? Sounds like someone has been bribed, to me.
He’s filthy alright….I don’t know about rich!
not me, I assume he’s filthy rich from all the GOOD he has done through the years
Does anyone else wonder where the money for WD’s high priced lawyer is coming from. It’s hard to believe that the lawyer is handling the case pro bo no. I guess he saved up while he was locked up.
This makes me sick!
WD was and is one of the biggest crooks in this county!
I truly believe that Willie Junior was a good man and got taken by WD and Willie did the most honorable thing he could…..he was a gentleman.
They say “What goes around…. Comes around” and I had hoped WD had finally gotten his “reward” but he slipped the noose……
If people are ignorant enough to vote him in again, they deserve what they’ll get. I saw his signs up before it was announced his conviction had been tossed out. Mmm…. how does that happen….????
Escambia Resident on June 9th, 2010 4:55 pm
“Banty Rooster is not the animal I would choose to describe him.”
That was his nickname and it fit, small, feisty, ready to fight, good to have on your side (notice I’m very CAREFUL to not say anything bad about him), known to crow over his deeds.
Let’s see, he still has a few convictions against him, though, doesn’t he?
David thinking if Newton was free,
we all should be free
Escambiamom– my goodness—do you mean to tell me that David is joking? No i understand what he was doing—but I didn’t want anyone to thing WD was a nice guy. I’m aware of a number of things in his pass that proves he is a jerk. He came back to Escambia County due to term limits and when he ran for the county commission he received a lot of PAC money from South Florida and from out of state—-not bad for a fellow running for a local office. After he was elected I guess he was going to show the other commissioners how to make some “REAL MONEY”.
Thats retired mr. banty rooster to the rest of us.plenty of food overtones in this story.W.D. bringing home the bacon and Junior taking home the collard green pot of cash.Only in the south my fellow north escambia folks.I have to check daily to see whose face will turn up next in a mugshot .A.W. THOMPSON,MOSQUITO FLATS FLA.
Banty Rooster is not the animal I would choose to describe him.
Bob, You cannot blame W D Childers for Willie Juniors Suicide… He knew what he was doing. My Grandfather was County Commissioner for YEARS while I was growing up and Willie was NOT perfect… I hate he did what he did but it was HIS action… Not anybody elses…. I also knew him personally….
Cleared on a technicality but we the tax payers will pay his retirement for life.
bob, so Willie Junior was a good man that took “a collard green pot full of cash in exchange for his vote”???? whatever.
Molinojim,
David is often talking tongue in cheek. He cracks me up!
Sorry David I’ve known WD for to many years—he’s still a crook. YOU WHO–you are right on target/ but wrong about it not hurting any more. Business as usual.
Make the call anyway you like but this is one of the biggest jokes ever introduced into West Florida. He is and will always be just what he is right now. A manipulator and user of the good people of this county. Besides he is responsible for my friends so called suicide. Willie Junior was a good man.
We all knew it was just a matter of time and the conviction would be overtured.
“GOOD OL BOYS”
The crooks will stick together and now bring on the PENSION $$$$$$$$$$$
Where the money?
Taxpayer’s took it again and it don’t even hurt anymore Thats scary!!!!
no longer a crook.
life is good