DA: No charges against 2 Bobs
Gillson says no evidence of law breaking in confrontation

District Attorney Karl Gillson holds a news conference on Wednesday announcing there will be no charges filed in the incident that took place between Bob Zollinger and Bob Weekes. — © 2009 Gallup Independent / Brian Leddy

Copyright © 2009
Gallup Independent
By Phil Stake
Staff writer

GALLUP — Eleventh Judicial District Attorney Karl Gillson announced at a news conference Wednesday that the state will not file criminal charges against either Robert Weekes or Robert Zollinger relative to the much publicized “incident” that took place in front of City Hall March 4.

“Gallup Police investigated an alleged assault and battery,”

Gillson said. “In looking at the evidence available ... we determined that there was no battery ... no assault.”

Gillson cited more than once a lack of substantial evidence to show that either man committed a crime. He said that two of the district’s senior prosecutors and two of its senior investigators — all employees of Gillson — reached the same conclusion independently and without coercion.

Following the unanimous decision among 11th-district investigators and prosecutors, Gillson brought the evidence to another district. Thirteenth Judicial Deputy District Attorney Ted Howden — a senior prosecutor in Grants — also deemed the case unfit for prosecution.

The sum total of evidence amounts to the opposing words of adversarial men; and a series of what Gillson called “unbiased” surveillance photos captured by a camera mounted in the southwest corner of City Hall. The photos show Zollinger repeatedly stepping in front of Weekes and blocking his path; the last photo shows both men on the ground — Weekes on top. The camera did not capture audio, Gillson said, so the words that passed between Zollinger and Weekes are destined to remain a mystery.

As the brief news conference drew toward a close, Gillson acknowledged what he called the glamorization of a trivial case.

“My priority here ... is violent crimes,” Gillson said. “I have rapes and murders that are much more serious; this is not a priority. This has been glamorized because it involved Gallup city staff and a wealthy newspaper publisher.”

Reporter Phil Stake can be reached at philip.stake@gmail.com, or by calling (505) 863-6811 x223.

The surveillance photos have been posted in sequence and with commentary by the city of Gallup’s spokesman, Kevin Killough. You will find the video at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRQ9gHtXmV4