Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?

There was a comic book that was out in the 80's, called "The Watchmen." It was about the concept of who do you trust in a society where ordinary humans are protected by superheroes. Superheroes save the world, protect ordinary humans from aliens, and arch villains bent on destruction and world domination, blah blah blah, you've heard all that before. But, in placing such trust and responsibility in the hands of a few superheroes, you have another problem. Who protects the people FROM those supposedly protecting the people?

That is certainly the question concerning the fact that Wanda Carney (government watchdog, and founder of West Virginia Wants to Know), has been charged with 2 felonies, and 2 misdemeanors, in her "investigation" of a crime allegedly committed by one of former Kanawha County Prosecutor Mike Clifford's clients. She and Betty Jarvis (former Kanawha County Schoolboard member, and who happens to be related to Clifford's client), and a third lady were all charged in connection with this "investigation." Jarvis, Carney, and the third lady were all involved in an incident where allegedly some of them broke into another individual's apartment, without that individual's permission, and removed certain items. This individual is also a defendant in the same investigation which caught up Clifford's client (who is related to Jarvis). According to Carney's previous statements in the media, she stayed in the car. Essentially, her defense (publicly) to this situation so far has been the equivalent of "But I was just the getaway driver."

[Incidentally, I've heard from several sources, that this may not be Ms. Carney's first brush with the law, but, I'd classify that information as clearly rumor. But still, I've heard it from two completely different and unrelated sources, and the information from each source was identical. I won't be more specific, until I get some more specific facts. But the information from my sources to this point, has been so consistent, and from such diverse sources, that it is at least remarkably coincidental, if not outright true.]

If Carney holds everyone else's feet to the fire, from the Nitro City Council, to Jerry Mezzatesta, to Mike Ross, to Darrell McGraw, to several other governmental units/agencies, what does the fact she is caught up, and charged, in this Mingo County version of Watergate, say about who's making sure she plays by the rules too?

Another interesting thing will be how local talk radio treats Ms. Carney now. She, along with her West Virginia Wants to Know founder, Tifney Terry, are local talk radio show darlings. Everyone from Chicago Furlip, Jerry Waters on WVTS950 AM, all the way up to Hoppy on the Statewide Talkline, are frequent outlets for Ms. Carney. The hosts rarely, if ever, criticize Ms. Carney. She stirs controversy, and that makes for good talk radio. My guess is, she'll have a bevy of defenders on the airwaves in the form of the various hosts.

A second century Roman poet, Juvenal, coined the phrase in the title of this post. Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? Loosely translated, it means, "Who shall guard the guardians?" In the comic book I mentioned above, they used the phrase "Who watches the Watchmen?" It's essentially a phrase that was conceived 2000 years ago, but the premise is still as valid and relevant today, as it was then, in reference to society. And dead-on relevant, concerning Ms. Carney's current legal situation.