Monday, December 18, 2017
The reverberations are still being felt over Panthers owner Jerry Richardson's decision to sell the team amid a sexual misconduct investigation. Mike Collins looks at what's next, then sits down with Mecklenburg County's new district attorney, Spencer Merriweather.
PART ONE
It was hardly "any given Sunday" for the Carolina Panthers, whose victory Sunday over the Green Bay Packers was swiftly eclipsed by owner Jerry Richardson.
The 81-year-old Richardson, who found himself at the center of a workplace misconduct investigation, announced he would sell the team at the end of the season.
His announcement came a few hours after Sports Illustrated reported the Panthers paid "significant" settlements to at least four team employees over Richardson's "sexually suggestive language and behavior," as well as "a racial slur" toward an African-American employee.
Richardson's announcement made no mention of the allegations, and it's unclear what becomes of the NFL's investigation.
What's next for Charlotte's NFL franchise? Who can fill Richardson's place in the owner's box? Can that person keep the team in Charlotte?
GUESTS
Darin Gantt, reporter, NBC Sports' Pro Football Talk (@daringantt)
Erik Spanberg, senior staff writer, Charlotte Business Journal (@CBJSpanberg)
PART TWO
Mecklenburg County has a new chief prosecutor. Democrat Spencer Merriweather takes over from Republican Andrew Murray at Murray’s recommendation. Merriweather, who was sworn in last month, is the first African-American to hold the position in the county's history.
As a career prosecutor and later as an assistant DA, he has prosecuted an array of crimes. Now he holds the position of Mecklenburg County's chief law enforcement officer at a time when trust in law enforcement and community relations are strained. Merriweather says "The criminal justice system is under a microscope these days. That skepticism... is good. We need to be taking a fresh look at what we're doing. We need a fresh perspective on the impact we have on this community."
He has already announced new initiatives during his short time in office. He's establishing two special teams - for victims of violent crimes and for victims of sex crimes - and he's changing how his office prosecutes those crimes. He's also establishing a "family justice center" to allow domestic violence victims to access a variety of services under one roof.
Mike Collins talks with DA Merriweather about his priorities for the DA's office.
Guest
Spencer Merriweather - Mecklenburg County's newly-appointed District Attorney (@CharMeckDA @SpencerMeck)