SUBMITTED RELEASE FROM ROGER WHOMES CAMPAIGN
Dick Gammick is no stranger to stretching the truth to deceive Washoe County voters. Many of us recall his nasty campaign tactics during his proxy campaign against Judge Perry. It’s time for another election, and Gammick is back to his dirty campaign lies.
Gammick currently has an advertisement which claims Roger Whomes called a rape victim a “slut.” Gammick alleges that Whomes made the “slut” comment in a case where two girls, who were under the age of 16, were allegedly sexually assaulted by the defendant Whomes was assigned.
Gammick’s representative in court, Rebecca Druckman, not only handled the case in question but also had another case with the same two girls who accused my defendant of sexual assault. In that case, a 19-year-old male allegedly had consensual sexual relations with the girls in a threesome approximately one hour before the girls allegedly met with Whomes’s defendant. There was evidence that the girls had consumed alcohol and/or marijuana during the threesome.
Druckman did not know Whomes was aware of the threesome case when he asked her if she had any exculpatory evidence (evidence supportive of the defendant which a prosecutor is constitutionally obligated to disclose). She stated that she did not have any evidence despite the fact that the other case would have been supportive of Whomes’s defendant. Druckman suggested the defendant take a deal that would have sentenced him to 20 years to life in prison.
The case went to a preliminary hearing in front of Judge Higgins (not in front of a jury or the press), and Druckman was shocked to learn that Whomes knew about the threesome case. On further investigation, it was discovered the girls had set up MySpace pages misrepresenting their ages as being of the age of consent and that they had additional prior sexual contact with other males including a Sparks Police Department Explorer who was aware of the girls’ numerous sexual escapades.
Once the information regarding the girls’ sexual history was brought to light, the judge approved a plea by Whomes’s client to a sentence of one year in prison (as opposed to the 40-year-to-life sentence sought by Druckman). The 19-year-old male involved in the threesome case with the two girls plead guilty to statutory sexual seduction, clearly proving the three did indeed have sexual relations.
Whomes states, “I do not recall calling either girl a ‘slut.’ If I did use that term, I sincerely apologize. Unlike Gammick and his steadfast refusal to apologize for his ‘better than sex’ comments that have jeopardized the death sentence given to the murderer and rapist James Biela, I have the integrity to acknowledge mistakes and take responsibility for them.”
Gammick is in a desperate campaign situation. He can tell that the citizens of Washoe County are ready for a change of direction in the district attorney’s office. They are ready for toughness with integrity, both of which Gammick lacks. Back in 2008, Washoe County voters rejected Gammick’s dirty campaign lies and elected Judge Perry. They now have a chance to reject these tactics by Gammick and elect Roger Whomes.
