Insiders told QConfidential that Queens District Attorney Richard Brown was very "pained" when he was forced, by the State Death Penalty statute, to eliminate one of the men charged in the Wendy’s massacre from facing the death penalty.

Brown was "clearly distressed" when he met with the victims’ families prior to a court hearing on Jan. 23, the sources said. The group met in Brown’s office to discuss the fact that Craig Godineaux would plead guilty and walk away with a life sentence because psychological tests determined he is mentally retarded.

Brown "explained that the decision was out of his control – that it was something he was forced to do by law," according to our source.

"He genuinely appeared to grieve with the relatives, seeming to almost break into tears when they did," the sources said. Once the air cleared, Brown "introduced the group to a Fr. Sweeney, who spoke with each family member. Fr. Sweeney then prayed with the families – in English and Spanish."

"It was sort of a cloistered informational meeting – a very emotional gathering of church and state."

The New York Educational Service Team (NYEST) is sponsoring a contest, which asks entrants to "Think of a problem faced by Black people in the past — Education, Politics, Economics" and write about the relationship between those problems and current ones and about how to solve them.

QConfidential would like to enter this contest and suggest that one of the past and current problems facing black people is education and a good way to solve the problem is for those who propose to educate black people to educate themselves first.

One place to start would be with NYEST, which headlined its flier, "Black History Eassy Contest."

If black people are getting their education from people who can’t spell "essay," it is definitely an impediment to advancement.

Also, NYEST should be advised that the award ceremony for their contest will take place in Queens' Afrikan Poetry Theatre, not the African Poetry Theater.

An international panel of experts that convened in Jackson Heights gave President George Bush a few D’s and F’s for his performance. The experts, trained in the various arts, looked into the President’s actions since he took office.

"For a man with no concern for the environment, how can he be president?" said Christina Balducci.

Melissa Chan said, "I think he behaved poorly about the California power crisis and I think he really should have helped."

Not all the experts failed the President. Wen Wang thought that Bush is doing a good job because he is fulfilling the promises he made in his campaign.

The group thought that even though the President got off on the wrong foot because of the whole election debacle, they would give him time for improvement. They even offered a poem called ‘B’:

Bush starts with B/ But we can see/ That is a grade/ That we must trade/ He deserves a zero/ He ain’t no hero/ It has only been the first week/ But we must not seek/ For an optimistic side/ We have no pride.

The panel of experts was made up seventh and eighth graders who partake in the Garden School Writing School in Jackson Heights.

In a recent column by the New York Post’s Neil Travis, he said the cast of the HBO series "Sex and the City" – which is produced in Long Island City’s Silver Cup Studios – would like to get out of Queens and record their show in Manhattan.

In that same column Travis dissed our proud borough by writing, "Their [‘Sex and the City’] present headquarters are the perfectly fine Silver Cup Studios, but it’s still in Queens – the unsexiest borough of them all, with the possible exception of Staten Island."

Citing industry sources, Travis, possibly the least-sexiest gossip columnist in the City (up top is the logo for his online column at the Post's pagesix.com site), said he hears the show’s producers are looking at a yet-to-be-built $300 million studio city complex on 11th Avenue in the City, where the show’s bar scenes are filmed.

QConfidential spoke with Silver Cup spokesperson Meagan Walsh and asked her about the rumors. On whether they are true or just Neil Travis propaganda, Walsh said, "I don’t believe there’s anything substantial to that – it’s just a rumor. As far as we know, ‘Sex and the City’ is very happy here at Silver Cup. As for them wanting to move, this is the first time we’ve heard about it."

Queens bid a teary goodbye to local Charlie, who this week was eliminated from contention in the ABC reality-based program "The Mole"— scratching out any possibility that he’s the saboteur.

A previous episode of the series revealed that the contestant actually claimed some roots in Queens.

Following an on-air reunion with his wife Bernadette, Charlie—a 63-year-old retired flatfoot—revealed the two lovebirds met ages ago back home—in Breezy Point.

It appears now that Charlie will once again be heading home to Bernadette, though he left with some interesting parting comments.

After herding livestock in a challenge during his last episode, Charlie joked that he would consider taking out ads in the "local papers" as a shepherd.

Hey Chuck, to place a classified in the Tribune, dial 718-357-7400 and ask for Fitz.