75 cents
NICLE
See Opinion/Forum pages on A6
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C
THURSDAY, July 11, 2019
Volume 45, Number 44
Linville sworn in as Forsyth County’s
first black Clerk of Court
BY TEVIN STINSON
THE CHRONICLE
During a special ceremony on
Monday June 8, Winston-Salem
native Renita Thompkins Lin
ville was sworn in as the Forsyth
County Clerk of Court, making
her the first African American to
hold the position.
Appointed by Superior Court
Judge Todd L. Burke to replace
the vacancy left by Susan Frye
who retired earlier this year, Lin
ville has 36 years of experience
in the courtroom. A graduate of
Reynolds High School, Linville
graduated cum laude from NC
Central University (NCCU) be
fore earning her juris doctorate
from Howard University Law
School.
When discussing her ap
pointment with The Chronicle,
Linville said it’s something she
never imagined would happen.
When it was suggested to her by
a friend to apply for the position,
Linville said she was planning
to close her practice and work
fulltime with her husband, who
is the pastor of Piney Grove Bap
tist Church.
“A couple of months ago
I was just planning on closing
my office. I knew that God was
calling for me to do something
else, I just didn’t know what it
Photos by Tevin Stinson
During a special ceremony earlier this week Renita Thompkins Linville was sworn in as the Forsyth
County Clerk of Court.
was. One of the things I said I
could do was go over to Piney
Grove and do fulltime ministry
and work on some projects that
are close to my heart. But it was
suggested to me by a friend to
consider applying for the clerk
of court’s office. I did and I was
appointed. And 1 don’t think
anybody was more shocked than
me,” Linville laughed.
Aside from her years of ex
perience in the courtroom as an
attorney and the top-tier educa
tion she received from NCCU
and Howard, Linville credits the
life lessons passed down from
her mother and father as major
factors to her success.
Linville’s father, David L.
Thompkins, was the first African
American to serve as executive
director of the Housing Author
ity of Winston-Salem. She said
growing up her father instilled
in her the importance of helping
those who are less fortunate and
that’s how she has lived her life
and intends to approach her posi
tion as clerk of court.
“Those lessons of giving
back and helping others that my
parents taught me stuck with me
and after I left Howard, I came
back home to make a difference,”
she continued. “1 think my entire
life prepared me for this.”
Before Linville took the oath
of office, several dignitaries,
former colleagues, and loved
ones took turns congratulating
Forsyth County’s new Clerk of
Court. One of the first to wish
Linville good luck was The Hon
orable Cheri Beasley, Chief Jus
tice of the N.C. Supreme Court.
Beasley, who was appointed
by Governor Roy Cooper earlier
this year, said the clerk of court
serves as the gateway to helping
people to best resolve their is
sues and utilize the court system
and Linville will be a perfect fit
for the position.
“I know you will serve well,”
said Beasley, while addressing
Linville.
“I know you understand that
you will be tasked with mak
ing sure we’re all informed of
what is going on here in Forsyth
County in the courtroom,” she
continued. “In the court system
we make sure we are dealing
with people and appreciating
their sense of humanity and treat
them with dignity, regardless of
why they come before the court.
I know you have a heart for the
See Clerk on A2
Ronnie Long waiting patiently on U.S. Court of Appeals decision
Long, 63, has been in prison since he was 19 years old for a crime he says he didn’t commit
BY TEVIN STINSON
THE CHRONICLE
On March 20, the Unit
ed States Court of Appeals
for the Fourth Circuit in
Richmond, Va., heard oral
arguments on the behalf of
Ronnie Long, a North Car
olina man who has been in
jail for 43 years for a crime
he says he didn’t commit.
While the U.S. Court of
Appeals usually adheres
to a 75-day timeframe to
make decisions, it’s been
113 days and Long is still
waiting to hear from the
Fourth Circuit Court.
But Long, who is a na
tive of Concord, is staying
optimistic. When asked
about the outcome earlier
this week, Long said he
likes his chances.
“I feel as though they
are taking their time doing
what they do about apply
ing the law. I’m hoping
that this time we can get it
right. I feel as though the
longer it takes, the better
my chances are,” Long
said.
Long’s loved ones have
grown to
become
patient
as well, including his wife
AsLeigh, who married
Long in 2014 after leaving
UNC Chapel Hill to pur
sue Long’s case full-time.
She said the waiting can
be hard, but she has un
willingly learned to have
patience.
“I’ve only been in this
fight for a little over six
years now. 1 have unwill
ingly learned how to have
patience. Just ask Ronnie’s
attorney, Jamie Lau. He’s
had to put up with me get
ting upset with things not
going fast enough, but I’ve
finally learned the life skill
of patience,” she contin
ued. “Waiting sucks, it ab
solutely sucks, especially
when I know that Ronnie
is completely innocent.”
The Facts
On April 25, 1976, in
Concord, a 54-year-old
white woman reported that
she had been raped by a
“yellow-looking” African
American man wearing a
leather jacket. According
to police reports, the vic
tim, who was the widow
of a top executive at Can
non Mills, a major textile
company and employer in
the area, told police her
attacker came through an
open window before press
ing a knife against her neck
and ripping her clothes off.
Two weeks follow
ing the incident and after
the victim was unable to
pick her attacker out of a
photo lineup, investiga
tors with the Concord Po
lice Department took the
victim, who was wearing
a wig, to the courthouse,
told her that her attacker
may or may not be in the
courtroom, and asked her
to identify anyone who
looked “familiar.”
On that same day,
19-year-old Ronnie Long
was in court to settle a
minor trespassing charge.
Long had no idea he was
being watched, but as soon
as Long stood up wearing
a leather jacket, the vic
tim identified him as her
attacker. She later picked
Long out in a photo lineup
where he was the only one
wearing a leather jacket.
Later that day, officers
showed up at Long’s house
and told him he had to go
down to the station to sign
papers relating to the tres
passing charge and that
he would be back shortly.
He hasn’t been back home
since.
The Trial
Even before the trial
began, it seemed as if it
was set up to put the then
19-year-old teenager away
for life. Many people be
lieve the police and pros
ecutors were under pres
sure to catch the predator
because of the victim’s
ties to one of the areas top
businesses.
Submitted photo
Ronnie Long is waiting on a response from the U.S. Court of Appeals. Long has been
in prison for 43 years for a crime he says he didn’t commit.
Professional self-storage.
a.
Those who have fought
for Long’s release argue
that significant evidence
was just ignored in Long’s
initial trial including an
SBI report that proves
Long’s leather jacket
and gloves had no trace
of fibers from the crime
scene, hairs on the vic
tim’s clothes did not match
Long’s, and a fingerprint
lifted from the scene did
not match Long.
An alibi that placed
Long at home planning a
high school reunion party
was ignored as well.
The States’ case
based solely on the
that Long was black
was
fact
and
owned a leather jacket, to
boggan and gloves.
It is also important to
note that the jury in Long’s
trial was selected out of
more than 40 potential ju
rors that included less than
five African Americans. In
the end, Long was tried by
an all white jury includ
ing several who had ties
to Cannon Mills. And on
October 1, 1976, Long was
condemned to serve two
life sentences in the N.C.
Department of Correc
tions.
His projected release
date is April 20, 2056. If
he’s still alive, Long will
be approaching his 100th
birthday.
When discussing the
trial with students from
Winston-Salem State Uni
versity via phone call ear
lier this year, Long said he
put his faith in a system
See Appeal on A2
www.wschronicle.com
We Rent U-Haiil Trucks!
£••
iii STORAGE
of 'Winston-Salem, LLC
CN
fa
8
8
WILSON
^f