Some readers have accused me of being an apologist for soon-to-be-retired Lt. Col. Ron Twitty.

Lt. Col. Twitty

        They've accused me of choosing his side because I'm African-American and so is he. They've accused me of being biased against Hamilton County's justice system when it accuses black people of crimes. And they've said I've foolishly backed the wrong horse in this race.

        In answer to all the “I told you so's” I'm sure are coming, I have decided to plead no contest to one count of a lesser charge, of attempting to defend an accused Cincinnati police officer, which is quite a switch for me.

        But I admit no wrongdoing.

Probable cause

        There probably is, however, enough evidence to convince a jury of readers that I was beginning to lean toward favoring Col. Twitty's efforts to keep his badge and stay out of jail.

        After all, I did point out that the charges he faced — two felonies and two first-degree misdemeanors — were a bit much, considering the underlying crime of which he was accused.

        Col. Twitty was suspected of lying and covering up an accident that caused $3,300 in damage to his city-issued Ford Taurus. He called police to his home July 4 and said he did not know how his unmarked car sustained a hole in the bumper, a flat tire and other damage.

        Officers wrote it up as a hit-skip accident, but investigators said later that evidence shows it couldn't have happened that way.

        Col. Twitty, accused of lying about the incident, was put on paid administrative leave. A press conference, criminal investigation and special grand jury later, he was indicted on charges serious enough to carry a possible 10-year prison sentence.

        I said at the time that it seemed like overly stiff punishment. I confess to still feeling that way.

        And I publicly stomped on the special grand jury and on the Hamilton County prosecutor's office for allowing a city attorney to serve on the grand jury, as its foreman, no less.

        I only restrained my criticism a bit after Prosecutor Mike Allen withdrew the indictment in favor of presenting his evidence again to another grand jury.

        That was a fair decision, even I had to admit.

        Then Col. Twitty pleaded no contest to a reduced charge of attempted obstruction of official business, in exchange for dismissal of the more serious charges.

Where's the outrage?

        I tried not to take sides ... too much.

        Each of my columns contained a disclaimer. I reminded readers that I didn't know how the Twitty car was damaged, nor did I know if he lied.

        I also urged readers to not judge the man guilty before the facts came out at trial.

        Still, even I wondered why Col. Twitty was so uncharacteristically silent after he was charged. I noted there was no public expression of outrage, no vow to fight for his honor, except from his lawyer, his daughter and some community pundits.

        When he didn't attend a rally held in his honor, I noted that that was not a good sign.

        Nevertheless, most of the time, I could have been mistaken for a Twitty defender. Toward the end of the ordeal, it was almost impossible to escape jumping into one camp or the other.

        I'll forgive you if you forgive me for our assumptions.

        So, in the interest of bringing this to a close, I plead no contest to wishing Col. Twitty were innocent. I still do.

        And I accept my punishment. I'll eat crow, but only a little.

        E-mail damos@enquirer.com or phone 768-8395

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