Letter: Brother is being treated unfairly

Until now I’ve been trying to stay out of my brother’s problems and to remain neutral concerning the publicity John and his family have been getting from you, and from the local rumor mill.
I have recently become concerned about what seems to me to be selective reporting in the paper.
I’m sure you know about the party that Mr. Brandon had at his house on 11th Street here in Meeker last month.
This was the party where several underage kids were busted for drinking and drugs, and Wade and another adult were busted for providing the booze and the place to party. He was charged with several felonies.
I didn’t see anything about that in the paper.
I don’t understand why you find it necessary to publicly dump mud on John and his family, and slime our family name, yet ignore incidents that have resulted in even worse charges. I think you should ignore them all or report them all. You seem to have a lack of consistency in your reporting and a negative prejudice toward people who have a good reputation and a good name to lose.
I know you have had legal problems in your past, as I have.
I don’t know how the press treated you, but luckily, when I got into trouble Jim Cook had the compassion and good judgment to keep items out of the paper that had the potential to ruin a person’s good name, based on trumped-up charges that were later dropped or beaten.
Some of our local cops and the assistant DA want to make a name for themselves, while creating an example of someone, which will hopefully stop adults and kids from participating in illegal activities around here. As far back as I can remember, there have been parents who have held parties for their underage kids, provided the booze and the location to party. These are high-profile, upstanding citizens who I won’t name here but I can think of several. This is common knowledge. Now it seems that the law is wanting that to stop, and it should. I suppose that the best way to do that is to make an example of someone, but John didn’t do any of that, and now his charges are being dropped. That won’t heal his name or pay his lawyer bills.
Now his son has been arrested and charged with felonies, based on rumors and testimony coerced by the cops from minors threatened with getting MIPs. Another prominent story in the local paper.
He was expelled from school, his blood test came back negative, kids have recanted their testimony, and they still won’t let him finish his senior year. Something is wrong here.
I’m sure John and his family have made some mistakes, as we all have. Unlike many other people who have committed worse, they are now paying a very high price and I feel bad for them. Life is really rough for them right now.
My intention is not to attack you personally but to attempt to change what I see as unfair reporting and unfair treatment.
Sometimes we have to speak out.
Steve Wix
Meeker