Innocent Until Proven Liberal Pervert

SF Chronicle writer Jaxon [cute] Van Derbeken is doing all he can to exonerate Big Lib San Fransisco radio guy Bernie Wood -- "the lion of the left" -- who was charged yesterday with kiddie porn possession.

Van Derbeken's story dedicates nine of its 13 paragraphs to Wood's attorney's comments, which are basically that Wood was just researching a book -- an excuse we've heard before from attorneys for perverts.

None of the remaining four provide a forum for a different, more believable, point of view. Granted, the indictment is sealed, but any reporter worth his salt would dig up a source to counter the defense attorney.

Van Derbeken apparently made no such effort, or is not particularly good at his job, or feels compelled to use the press to defend someone who's only sin is loving too much ... or at least loving the much too young.

Update: Since I drafted this last night, the Chron has posted more info -- but it's buried under the initial story, so readers are well-conditioned by the attorney's full spiel before getting to this:

Authorities in the case noted that Ward was monitored as he went on a chat room and sent and received images, sources familiar with the case said. Weinberg [the attorney] did not comment on the details of those accusations, other than to confirm that his client is accused of distribution of images.

Weinberg did not mention a chat room in his first bite at the apple:

As part of the research for the book, Ward - a married father of four - downloaded a few images of child pornography, Weinberg acknowledged.

Chat? What chat?

Ward may very well be guilty of nothing more than being an idiot, a common shortfall of liberal radio hosts. That's not what this post is about in any case, because there are perverts on the right and on the left.

I'm just posting this because it's evident that the Chron is bending over (eeuw) to defend a fellow traveler.