Kentucky Judge Steven D. Combs in Pike County has been temporarily suspended after an array of charges of bizarre comments and actions, including calling officials such names as “Fishface,” “cokehead,” and “Dumbo.” Worst yet, he threatened to put a “bullet in the head” of the next police officer who pulled him over. A temporary suspension until resolution of the 10 charges seems quite modest punishment but his counsel, Stephen Ryan, still conveyed Combs’ “disappointment” with the action taken by the Judicial Conduct Commission.
The complaint detailed Combs use of various, less-than-flattering ways of referring to other people like “Fishface,” “cokehead,” “dumbo,” “retarded,” “coward” and “prick. ” — use of those words has led to the temporary suspension of a Pike County circuit judge.
Combs is accused of conflicts of interest in cases, inappropriate communications, inappropriate political activity, soliciting contributions from attorneys in cases before him, and other violations. One of the most interesting is that he allegedly made inappropriate statements on the gossip website Topix under usernames including “LOL,” “Better Call Wusty,” “Imma Tellinyou,” and “City Hall Patrol.”
That last allegation is problematic and goes again to the right of public employees to engage in social media, particularly when using an alias.
One of the worst charges concerns the alleged statement of Combs that the next officer who pulled him over would get a “bullet in the head.” When confronted by police over the statement, he allegedly replied “I’m elected by the people and not pieces of trash like you-all.”
Combs, who has been a judge since 2003, is paid $124,620 annually.
Earlier in these comments, I had some questions as to the legitimate ignorance of f a commentator unfamiliar with realities of constitutional amendments, nonexistent “national referendums”, massive previous gun control legislation, divided American public opinion on this issue, etc.
It became clear that this was instead WILLFUL ignorance of an incredibly arrogant sophist who would deny that 2+2=4 if he thought he could make points.
I recognize that their is a civility rule here, I’ m trying to be somewhat restrained in my observations. The outrage expressed here us not directed at gun control advocates. It IS directed at evasive,arrogant commentary that tops anything I have seen to date in puking on this website.
And just ask them how many Civil Wars they have had.
@PaulCS
They are lucky that Churchill was half-American (on his mother’s side) and got some red blood cells to improve the family tree. That being said, I really do love the English, but My God they have some screwed up ideas. Just wait until all their immigrants go apesh*t one day. Or maybe by that time they will be too weak to care. They need some good American whiskey instead of all that runny mead. 🙄
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
Squeeky – if you want to see how bad the Brits are watch their version of Shameless.
@Tom Nash
Oh, ROTFLMAO! at what you said, “The only thing that possibly makes any sense to me is that the NRA hired you to make fools of gun control advocates.”
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
yes, I know. By following your simple recommendations of a constitutional amendment or a national referendum, we can make it all better. For convenience sake, just continue ignoring that fact that those recommendations are worthless, given the realities of our political system and constitution.
Ignore the fact that there are an estimated 300 million guns in America, and duck my direct question to you about how that should be addressed. Continue to duck direct questions.
Continue to believe and state that there is a clear consensus among Americans in favor of more gun control laws, based on what YOU POSTED from gun control advocates.
You have repeatedly put forth the kind of B.S. that would get out kicked out of a high school debate club. You substitute your beliefs for facts, you are unfazed by facts, and are convinced that your “brilliant” commentary here somehow advances the cause of gun control legislation.
The only thing that possibly makes any sense to me is that the NRA hired you to make fools of gun control advocates.
Tom Nash – he has NO understanding of American government.
@Ninian
I am not histrionic. I am just doing what all red-blooded Americans do when a foreigner doesn’t seem to understand what we are saying—we say the same thing LOUDER!
And what in the name of holifed heck, makes you think the gun grabbers are not EXTREMIST in their own right??? (There, did that penetrate???) No. Ok, then how about this- – –what in the name of holifed heck, makes you think the gun grabbers are not EXTREMISTS in their own right???
Did you get that? No. Gee, dude, are you deaf or something??? Man, no wonder Churchill had such problems getting you ready for the Nazis. What was that I posted above, from Wiki(?)—
Talk about a normalcy bias!
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
Squeeky – worse than that, they left all their weapon at Dunkirk when they RETREATED. DeGaulle saved your miserable English a**es you know. Had he not attacked with his tanks and scared the High Command they would not have stopped the Germans and they would have scooped everyone up at Dunkirk.
If there is ever an Olympic medal to be awarded for weasel-words, or merely a JT commentator award for that category, we have a clear winner here. Congrats, NP.
Tom
I agree – the Truth is a bitter pill to swallow….. but the total lack of insight and the complete absence of remorse concerning multiple massacres from any progun lobbyist on this blog is very telling.
That it is now augmented by hystrionic language as you lose control of the argument suggests a serious problem within the ethos of gun culture.
To put guns in the hands of those following this way of thinking, I suggest is unsafe and is almost certainly contributing significantly to the problem of gun violence in the United States.
I am suggesting that the tail will not be allowed to wag the dog for much longer and that American Citizens, who do not express extreme views, will be the ones who call the final shots in your game of misadventure.
This type of discussion usually reveals this sort of outburst from those, who now speak out in frustration after their bankrupt ideas have been exposed, and in this case by a contemptuous Limey.
That must be the ultimate insult and the most thing I a sorry about is that you haven’t learned anything least of all humility and an ability to grieve for the victims of your American Dream
ninianpeckitt – you are losing it. You put guns in the hands of people who can shoot straight. And, frankly, deal with the deaths from the NHS before you deal with the gun deaths here.
Post script
Apologies
I left out the Welsh with Edward I
But the fighting was in Wales not England. Edward encircled Wales by building castles. His son was the first Prince of Wales having been born in Wales and presented to the Welsh as a Welsh Prince….. a red rag to a bull. Ever since, the son of the king and heir to the English throne is known as the Prince of Wales.
So you can see that in the UK the English are hated by the Welsh Scots and Irish and our royal family is German following the death of the last Stuart Queen Anne (descended from Mary Queen of Scots) and the coronation of George I – a German who spoke no English.
And if you can understand all of this you are a genius.
A mere slip of a girl…..ohhhh, hahahaha. Obese and mid forties more like it.
Dear Squeeky Fromm
My message:
If you can’t work that out by now… I don’t believe you.
@Ninian
What is your message??? That you, somebody who doesn’t even live here, thinks he is in a better position to know what we need to be doing. Hogwash! You bring yourself over to South Chicago, and go walk around at night! Get you a house there for a year or so. Come on over with your civilized self and try it on for size.
I haven’t seen you get down off your high horse to answer any of the valid criticisms that several of us have made. You just keep mumbling, you gotta change, you gotta change, you gotta change, or the government will do something. Fine, let’s see ’em do it! Let’s see ’em go get the guns from the criminals first! Here’s the stats:
According to the FBI, in 2012, there were 8,855 total firearm-related homicides in the US, with 6,371 of those attributed to handguns.Gun violence is most common in poor urban areas and frequently associated with gang violence, often involving male juveniles or young adult males. The Congressional Research Service in 2009 estimated there were 310 million firearms in the U.S., not including weapons owned by the military. 114 million of these were handguns, 110 million were rifles, and 86 million were shotguns.[11] In that same year, the Census bureau stated the population of people in the U.S. at 306 million.
You can see where the murders are occurring. Americans are fat and lazy and stupid, but when you try to take their guns, PARTICULARLY WITHOUT TAKING THEM FROM THE CRIMINALS FIRST, my opinion is you better look out. They’ll get off their couches for that. I am a law abiding gun owner, and have never been arrested for nothing, but let the government try to take my guns and to hell with that. And I am just a mere slip of a girl, but I am from Texas, and I will go down shooting! And there are millions of people who think just like me, and they are just as stubborn, and a lot better armed. So, can your crap and your alleged concern. You don’t live here, and you don’t know what you are talking about.
The government hasn’t even got the balls to take guns from the criminals who are only about 2% of the population at tops. They’re afraid of getting shot. It’s a lot easier to write traffic tickets, and seat belt violations. They can’t even stop the drug dealers. Or the mob. Or the various gangs. Haven’t you seen the fear these cops have of being shot or stabbed??? Why do you think they do that whole overkill thing, where they blast a 100 rounds into some poor slob? Why do they shoot family dogs who are harmless? Because they are scared sh*tless of being hurt on the job, and don’t think the job is worth their life. They go full blown apesh*t whenever somebody shoots one of them, and start hollering for the National Guard, and state police and Delta Force snipers, and Blackhawk helicopters and won’t go after the shooter unless the odds are 250 to one or better.
You aren’t going to see them going after the 120,000 armed gang members in Chicago. Which number is going to go up. They sure haven’t got the balls to tangle with the 50% or so of the population (150 million) who haven’t yet been pussified into complete submission. Particularly when the cops who might be tasked with doing the gun-grab know they are in the wrong to start with, and ought to be going after the criminals.
Molon Labe!
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
Doesn’t matter who I sound like…
What matters is that my message is getting through….
@Ninian
You sound like Hans Gruber. . .
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
I’m glad you now recognise that the arguments I have put forward are based on an intellectual meiotic platform. Because from the acorn a mighty oak will grow.
The flaccidity of your case confirms an inability to raise your own game.
To Paul
Thank you for your kind invitation even if it is made in a patronising manner.
So now it’s my turn to be patronising….
That’s the strangest thing about the States. How can a Nation be so hospitable and yet at the same time suspend your judge for gun comments, think that shooting a felon in the back in a store robbery is self defence? Or why a senior citizen is arrested for shooting a citizen in their driveway? Or blowing away dozens of infants in repetitive manner – and this doesn’t result in a single squeak of verbal comment. You are in denial.
Why there is a refusal to demonstrate any insight, when the insight is clearly there, why you know this gun culture has to change and will change as it is absolutely inconceivable that the majority of the public support current gun legislation.
My knowledge, or lack of it, has no bearing on what is happening in the United States and Paul and supporters know this. It is not possible that he is a fool. But it is possible that he is foolish and trying to be manipulative.
One of the first rules of advocacy is to try to discredit the credibility of your opponent. If you discredit their peronality the theory is that you discredit their argument. Well…. this is nonsense.
What proves your case is evidence and Paul statements and those of others in relation to guns cannot be corroborated with evidence. The evidence provided cannot be corroborated when it is checked. In fact some of it is wrong but has nevertheless been presented as evidence. All I have done is copy cut and pasted verified evidence. He knows this, which is why he is trying to change the direction of the debate. His only option to defend his position is to argue that I don’t understand. And he is right I don’t understand the dysfunctional logic.
As far as I am concerned I have provided data verifying the case I am making. There has been no opposition in terms of verifiable evidence.
I am saying that there are Americans are prepared to change the law if necessay in order to achieve gun control.
We shall have to wait and see who is right.
The Constitution / Bill of Rights like Magna Cata has and will continue to change as legal jurisprudence evolves to meet the needs of modern society.
Sections and amendments will be repealed and updated as your government sees fit.
For gun law if this is not possible at the moment, ways will be found to bring America out of the darkness of a history based on conflict and of indigenous ethnic cleansing / land grabbing and into the light of new modern responsible democracy for all citizens.
You need to remember you are a young country and it takes time to create a just and democratic state. But it will happen.
Look to what happened in Canada. They have democracy and they never had to fight a civil war on the scale of America.
They just fought the French and later the US in 1812 in more limited conflicts as did a certain George Washington when he was in the Kings Army fighting the French.
Your democracy has changed radically since 1865 especially in the 1960s and civil rights. It is only 50 years ago and you now have a black president. This would not have been inconceivable in 1940. So don’t tell me democracy can’t change.
The USA is a nation born out of violent rebellion. It has a violent history along with other countries and democracy was not created by your Constitution and Bill of Rights but it was a first step. Maybe even a good try… but the process is not yet complete and your system will continue to evolve. But you are not necessarily in a situation yet in which you can act as the Leader of the Free World. It is only Americans who think this way.
The Truth is very different. You are not yet Free but you are hopefully going to get there in the end if enough of you survive your Gun Culture Society and your American Dream of returning to the romanticism of Dodge City and the Wild West. Of John Wayne coming to the rescue with the Seventh Cavalry, of Daniel Boole and Davy Crocket and the Siege of the Alamo. It’s all Great Stuff – but is confined to the history books now.
And living in the past only ensures a backward society to meet the needs and challenges of today and the future.
I’m not really interested in what bloggers think of my own knowledge base on US law or jurisprudence. Or what they think of the British, the Monarchy or anything else outwith the context of this blog about guns and the judge. It doesn’t matter if I’m though of as funny, eccentric, cute, ignorant etc…
“Sticks and Stones may break my bones but only guns can shoot me…”
The issue is that there will be gun control and if the gun lobby don’t engage in this process with RESPONSIBLE input they will be sidelined/excluded. These are historical tactics of democracy and how it works.
RESPONSIBLE Engagement or failure. Bother parties then have a greater chance of getting something that they want. This is called democracy by consensus.
Jefferson Davies found out what happens when you don’t reach consensus.
That is the choice Americans will have to make because the current situation is unacceptable.
@Ninian
With gun grabbers, we are not dealing with reasonable people, who only wish to impose reasonable restrictions. We are dealing with strident ideologues, who don’t want us to have guns. . .period. Zippo. None.
They hide their extremism, and present as reasonable people, but they are not. They will say anything, and promise anything, but their end is simple—end the 2nd Amendment.
How do I know this? One, when there is a shooting, they jump on the “guns are out of control” meme before they have any of the facts. They do not wait to see how the perp got the gun. Heck, he may have stolen it from a cop for all they know. Why do they not wait to see what the facts are??? Because the facts don’t matter.
Second, they do not agitate for the immediate solution of removing guns from the criminal class. Such an act is already legal. We already have laws against felons having guns. We have the legal right to prosecute many of these criminals when they are caught, and yet usually don’t single them out for extra prison time.
Why??? Because removing guns from criminals is not really big on their agenda. The shooting deaths are just an excuse. What they really want is to remove guns from everybody. The gun grabbers are “Hitlers”. They claim they only want this little bit, or that little bit, but that is just a coverup. They want our guns, and they want all of them. So they can more easily subjugate us at a future date. And to reinforce their own self-image as reasonable caring people. Which is deceptive.
If they were truly interested in reducing the number of deaths, as a safety issue, they would support armed guards in school. They would agitate for getting the guns out of the hands of those people who use them to murder people. But they don’t. And most of us Americans know why.
If you are truly in “learning about America” mode, don’t take these people at their word. Don’t assume that they are reasonable, and all of us on the other side are simply wahoo gun-waving idiots. We live with the gun grabbers, and have been fighting this battle for quite a while. We know them well. Listen to us if you want to understand what is going on.
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
@Ninian
Nice quip about mass murder, but I don’t think you get the whole of “rights.” :Rights” – the ability to do or take some action- don’t come without drawbacks. Here’s one, Sodomy! In the U.S it used to be against the law, and still is in many places, although it isn’t enforced. Because of sodomy, 80 people today in this country will be infected with the HIV virus. About 25 of those will be teen-age boys.
If you want the stats and links I will provide them to you. But why aren’t you and others raising holy hell about sodomy??? Why aren’t you calling for its ban??? Why aren’t you advocating jail time for men who don’t wear a condom while sodomizing someone??? You have all the elements that you love—sickness, causality, death, etc.
Is it because sodomites have “rights”??? Do you ignore the death, disease, sickness, and costs, because sodomites have rights??? That’s my guess. With HIV, rights trumps deaths. And remember, HIV/AIDS is not something you give yourself. Somebody else has to give it to you. Sooo, for some scattered sexual pleasures, you are willing to accept all the corpses.
Same with guns. Its my right, and I am willing to accept the consequences.
Plus, you still haven’t addressed my proposal that government go ahead and set out grabbing guns from criminals. That grab is already legal. Why not do it??? Huh??? Don’t be shy. Go ahead and answer.
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
I’m sure you are right about lots of these things and that you know much more about sodomy than I do.
But they will take your guns away and I suggest that you try to make a positive contribution to promote good gun practice if you want to keep your weapons.
Just saying “no” will not get you the support you need. You need to come up with proposals that are acceptable and most importantly are not regarded as extreme if you want people to listen to you.
If you can’t do this as a group you will lose. And at the moment you are losing.
It doesn’t matter what I say. I am not American and what happens in the US is a matter for your citizens – not me. The judge suspended on this blog is a good barometer of change.
But the view from abroad is that what is happening in the USA with guns is unacceptable in a civilised world and is not mirrored in other democracies which have fewer gun deaths.
You can argue all you want and ignore all sorts of things you don’t want to think about.
You may not like it but that is the way it is….
@Ninian
So what if there is another school shooting? A lot more children, and grown ups are going to die if we give up our guns. Did the little Jewish kids in Nazi Germany die in school shootings??? Nope, a lot of them died in government shootings. And because shooting them was so traumatic for the soldiers doing it, they started gassing them instead.
And Soviet Russia. Did millions of Kulaks and their kids die in random gun violence??? Nope. They were executed and starved to death.
And in Chicago, aka Chiraq, are the young people there dying in “school shootings” or are they just regular old murder victims??? Here, read this.
http://www.instantcheckmate.com/crimewire/chiraq-chicago-became-deadliest-city-america/
And brilliant little you wants to disarm the innocent. Yeah, real smart.
Rights come with a cost. The First Amendment has a cost. Moneyed interests are legally permitted to push violent rap videos on impressionable youth. Gee, if the CCC online stuff sent Dylann Roof over the edge, what do you think all those gangster rap online videos do to black kids? You ever seen the Trayvon Martin facebook stuff where he is dressing up and acting like a gangsta??? Multiply him by millions and you have black urban America.
I am beginning to think that you are one of those OCD type individuals who get on something, and just keep repeating it over and over. I notice you have almost completely eschewed addressing any issues I have brought up in favor on repetitive pontification.
Why haven’t you addressed my proposal to go grab the guns from the criminals before proceeding further??? That seems reasonable enough. No new laws need to be passed. We got plenty of cops. Why haven’t you bothered to get off your high horse long enough to address that. Really, you are starting to sound like Milton Waddams:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfSAcVq6s9c
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
Giving up guns is the big issue. I agree. It won’t happen.
The guns will be taken away from you if you don’t engage in regulation. That’s the way it’s going.
Why?
Because the USA is at the top of the list for gun deaths. It’s something like the 2nd or 3rd most common cause of death for young adults <30yrs old. And apparently higher if you are a black male if I remember correctly. The data is out there to confirm this. I just don't have the reference to hand at the moment.
The point is that other countries which have stricter gun control don't have the high numbers of gun deaths that you have in the States.
It's not about how safe you are as a person with a gun, it's about the high number of lunatics that use weapons and are mass killing people and doing this on a regular basis.
I don't think that it is possible that you can't understand the argument. And I understand that it doesn't matter what anyone says you will hold true to your beliefs, but if your pro gun group does not work with your government and the people who oppose your views they will crush your hobby and change the law constitution Bill of Rights and anything else if necessary to do it.
There can be no argument against better gun safety and if you can contribute to this process there will be a better chance of you keeping your weapons.
But turning America into a private malitia state as in Ethiopia or Syria will not be allowed.
That the choice they will give you.
Squeek and DBQ, A REAL manic Monday for the borderline. The obsessive cartoon posts are always the big red flag. Squeek, maybe a music video, “Just Another Manic Monday” is in order. LOL. Thank God for you smart, sane, and funny women.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/21/us-pope-turin-arms-idUSKBN0P10U220150621?mod=related&channelName=worldNews
“People who manufacture weapons or invest in weapons industries are hypocrites if they call themselves Christian, Pope Francis said on Sunday.
“It makes me think of … people, managers, businessmen who call themselves Christian and they manufacture weapons. That leads to a bit a distrust, doesn’t it?” he said to applause.”
Anybody else here besides me think the fat white guy in the cartoon, with the assault rifle and the Confederate hat, makes more sense than people like I. Annie??? You see, all kinds of people can make cartoons and ridicule an idea, like the Nazis!
http://www.bytwerk.com/gpa/images/wc/brennessel34-51.jpg
This December 1934 cartoon accuses Churchill of fabricating figures on German rearmament. The caption: “Winston Churchill juggles figures on ‘German aircraft’: ‘Toss me another zero — it won’t make much of a difference.’”
Source: Brennessel, #51/1934
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
Moron Labe!
http://wp.patheos.com.s3.amazonaws.com/blogs/formerlyfundie/files/2014/06/guns-God-Bible-919028196521.jpeg