Cairo Association of Teachers - Newsletter

CAT Tracks for March 29, 2007 CHARGES BROUGHT AGAINST BO PURCHASE

From the WPSD TV Channel 6 website...

Cairo, Illinois Alderman Faces Felony Charges

Melissa Crabtree, NewsChannel 6

Cairo Mayor Paul Farris says Alderman Bo Purchase is dangerous and is setting a bad example for the city. Farris made the initial complaints to the Cairo Police that led to a special prosecutor filing four felony charges and one misdemeanor against Bo Purchase. Farris says Alderman Purchase threatened and verbally attacked him on September 5th in front of other city workers. Purchase faces two counts of threatening a public official, one count of official misconduct, intimidation and aggravated assault. NewsChannel 6 contacted Bo Purchase at home but was unable to get a comment on the charges. Alderman Purchase is running in next month's general election. Meanwhile, Mayor Farris will not be on the ticket in that election, after losing in the primary.

From the KFVS TV Channel 12 website...

By: Erica Byfield

CAIRO, Ill. - A war of words in Cairo leads to a city alderman facing five criminal charges, four of which are felonies. A special prosecutor filed the charges against Elbert "Bo" Purchase on Tuesday March 27, 2007. Purchase is accused of official misconduct, threatening a public official intimidation and aggravated assault.

The city's mayor, Paul Farris, called a news conference to announce the charges. It is widely known Farris and various city council members do not get along. The five criminal charges are in connection with an argument Mayor Farris had with Purchase in September 2006.

The mayor went on to say he was afraid for his life following the conversation.

Cairo police investigated the incident and eventually turned over the case to a special prosecutor, Pulaski County State's Attorney Grayson Gile.

We spoke with Purchase in an off camera interview as he put out campaign signs for the upcoming general election. Purchase's served as the first ward council member for 24 years. He said he believes these charges are a personal attack from the mayor and they only make him want to campaign harder.

Purchase will be back in court April 25th.

From the Southeast Missourian...

Cairo official charged with four felonies

By Rudi Keller ~ Southeast Missourian

CAIRO, Ill. -- City Councilman Elbert "Bo" Purchase launched into a obscenity-laced verbal attack on Mayor Paul Farris and five city employees last September that included physical threats and racial slurs, according to documents included with a criminal complaint filed against Purchase. Purchase, Cairo's longest-serving council member, was charged with four felonies and a misdemeanor in papers filed Tuesday in Alexander County by Pulaski County State's Attorney Grayson Gile, who is acting as a special prosecutor in the case. Purchase was charged with two felony counts of threatening a public official, a felony count of intimidation, a felony count of official misconduct and a misdemeanor charge of aggravated assault.

The charges were filed three weeks before the April 17 election in which Purchase will be a candidate for another term on the six-member council. Farris, who was defeated in a 10-way primary in February, announced the charges against Purchase in a Wednesday morning news conference.

Farris said he and five city workers were working Sept. 5 on a cleanup project in anticipation of a visit from the riverboat Delta Queen when Purchase drove up. At one point, Purchase was "as close to me as you can get without touching me" and was screaming, Farris said.

While in his vehicle, Purchase began jeering and "screaming all types of obscenities," Farris said.

The tirade continued after he left the vehicle, with Purchase, according to the statements given to Cairo police, threatening to severely hurt Farris and using a racial slur to refer to city workers Farris was supervising. "He invited the mayor to go around the building so Bo could beat him up," city worker Alvin Smith told police.

"He is out of control, and he is a dangerous individual," Farris said.

Purchase could not be reached for comment. He did not return a message left on his mobile telephone and was not at home when a reporter knocked at his door.

Judge William Thurston issued a summons for Purchase to appear in court on the charges April 25.

The threatening actions are continuing, said James Wisniewski, a poll watcher for mayoral candidate Karl Klein. During the morning, Wisniewski sits in the Alexander County clerk's office tracking absentee voting. He said he began the day after 77 people voted March 19. On that day, March 20, another 40 people voted and Wisniewski said Purchase told him not to take any action to challenge voters, including asking for the names of the people casting ballots.

In a statement written after the incident, Wisniewski said Purchase told him "'if that punk Karl Klein has anything to say he can see me at my home' and gave the address and said he would show Karl Klein what harassment was."

It took calls to the state Board of Elections and a discussion between County Clerk Kent Thomas and State's Attorney Jeff Farris before Wisniewski was allowed to record the names of the people casting absentee ballots.

In the three days after Wisniewski started watching the polls, 22 voters cast absentee ballots.

"My point is that there should be a fair and honest election no matter who wins," Wisniewski said.

From the Southern Illinoisan...

Cairo official facing multiple felony charges

by andrea hahn, the southern

CAIRO - Cairo Alderman Elbert "Bo" Purchase is facing multiple felony charges. Pulaski County State's Attorney Grayson Gile, acting as a court-appointed special prosecutor, filed charges against him in Alexander County Tuesday.

Purchase is charged with official misconduct, two counts of threatening a public official and intimidation - all Class III felonies - and with aggravated assault, a Class A mis-demeanor, according to information released by the Alexander County Circuit Clerk's office.

The charges stem from an incident in early September when Purchase allegedly approached outgoing Mayor Paul Farris as he and five city employees discussed city cleanup in preparation for a visit from a passenger riverboat.

Farris said Purchase drove near where the men were standing, got out of his car and came right up to the group. Farris said Purchase was "screaming obscenities" and threatening the mayor. Farris said Purchase did not appear to be angry about any one thing in particular.

"He apparently has been angry about many things," he said. "Through the last decade, he seems to feel that his position as alderman puts him above the law."

Farris said he made a complaint to the police shortly after the incident. He said he doesn't have an explanation for the delay between the incident and the filing of charges. One thing it isn't, he said, is politics.

He did say politics may have motivated the request for a special prosecutor.

"As we all know in Alexander County, some people get prosecuted and some don't," he said. "I'll go there (to discuss biased prosecution) any time."

According to a spokeswoman for State's Attorney Jeffrey Farris, the need for a special prosecutor is easy to explain. The two are cousins and their kin relationship presents a conflict of interest for Jeffrey Farris.

The filing of charges comes just weeks before a citywide election in Cairo. Paul Farris intended to run for a second term as mayor, but lost in the primary. He will not be on the ticket.

Purchase, who is Cairo's longest-serving alderman, will be. He is running for another term as alderman.

Paul Farris hosted a press conference Wednesday morning to announce the charges. Still, he says, the timing for the charges to be filed was not his choice.

"The question to ask is why has (Purchase) been allowed to act out for the last decade? Why hasn't there been prosecution before now?" he said. "I didn't have any control over when they filed the charges. Evidently somewhere, somehow something has been done to make it move forward. They've had six months. This was no knee-jerk reaction."

Purchase is due in court for a first appearance at 10 a.m. April 25.

Neither Gile nor Purchase was immediately available for comment.

From the March 29th Cairo Citizen...