QUOTE(Alison @ Thu 15th January 2009, 10:52pm)
Official statement from ArbCom is now in. Readallaboutit
here.
QUOTE(ArbCom @ just now)
FT2 has announced on User talk:Jimbo Wales that he is stepping down as an arbitrator. The Arbitration Committee believes that FT2's decision to leave the committee was the sensible course of action under all the circumstances, and we appreciate his having done so.
Over the past several weeks, and particularly since the new group of arbitrators arrived in late December, the committee has internally discussed various aspects of this matter. Although no arbitration case was pending against FT2, an increasing number of arbitrators had concluded that – in light of the volume of community concerns expressed – FT2's continued participation as an arbitrator had become untenable, and FT2 was advised of this. This does not represent a finding of wrongdoing.
FT2 made valuable contributions during his time on the committee. He is a long-term dedicated Wikipedian and we anticipate that he will remain one, working on other areas of the project. Now that FT2 has left the committee, the Arbitration Clerks have removed him from the list of arbitrators and will recalculate the majorities on pending cases and motions accordingly. Whether to fill the vacant committee seat at this time is a decision for Jimbo Wales.
For the Committee, --ROGER DAVIES talk 21:42, 15 January 2009 (UTC)
The committee appears to be politely telling FT2 "Thanks for your service, but you haven't convinced us that you didn't do anything wrong. Thank you for resigning on your own so that we wouldn't have to ask."
Hopefully, Jimbo will appoint the next highest vote-getter in the recent election to fill FT2's seat. That would mean that SirFozzie would be the new arb.