We are fortunate enough to live in a country with one of the finest judicial systems ever.
The foundation to that system is our Constitution which provides that a man is innocent until proven guilty. However that same Constitution also provides for the freedom of the press to print unproven allegations against someone who then has no power to protect his good name.
I have no idea whether the allegations against Scott Smith are true or not, but I have known Scott for a number of years, and believe him to be an honorable person. I have also been a Prosecutor in this county, and I have complete confidence that the Special Prosecutor, William Hartley, and the Kosciusko County judicial system will fairly and professionally resolve this matter.
If Mr. Smith is ultimately convicted of a crime, then it would certainly be appropriate for the Times-Union to report that fact to the public. However, if it ultimately turns out that the evidence does not support a prosecution, or a conviction of Mr. Smith; then I would certainly hope that the Times-Union would print that fact with as much prominence as it has printed the allegations against him. Mr. Smith's reputation should not be damaged with front page articles making allegations and a small article buried on page six reporting that in fact the allegations were unfounded.
Again, I'm not saying that the Times-Union has done anything wrong by printing these allegations, nor am I saying that the allegations are in fact unfounded. I really have no idea. All I am asking is that the Times-Union report the conclusion of the investigation at least as prominently as it has reported the allegations.
