Let's Go Giants!
This recent playoff run by the New York Football Giants has proven to many that Eli Manning possesses the same leadership qualities of his older brother and that earlier criticism thrown his was perhaps was unfair. Those same critics, the ones who earlier cursed Accorsi, who quoted the little brother's low rating, are now believers. I was, however, never a doubter.
Like Gayle Guyardo
God Bless Gayle Guyardo, the 41-year-old morning anchor and mother of three from Tampa who was removed briefly from her coverage of the Gasparilla parade Saturday due to the likelihood of being either a) too drunk, or b) too sick with the flu to remain on her "A-game".
This of course didn't keep her from her efforts to remain on the air. Reports claim that when initially told of her conduct, she could only answer, "but ain't this the sasparilla parade?"
"I'm Drunk" salutes Ms. Guyardo, a role model for those who sometimes may question, "am I too sick to go to work?", a question this intrepid newswoman would, I'm sure, scoff at.
For full coverage of this amazing feat...click here
But Then Again, I'm French
PARIS, Jan 30 (Reuters) - A drunk broke off his rendition of a Charles Aznavour song to ask rush-hour Paris commuters for 50,000 euros ($75,000) on Wednesday, inspired by the scale of the trading scandal at French bank Societe Generale.
"Got five euros sir? No? Maybe 50,000 euros then. I'm not a banker. I'd bet it on the horse-races," said the drunk, who got no money but plenty of laughs.
Societe Generale's board met on Wednesday with the job of chairman Daniel Bouton on the line after the bank announced a trading loss of 4.9 billion euros, which it blamed on a 31-year-old who bet a total of 50 billion on share markets. (Writing by Brian Love)
"Got five euros sir? No? Maybe 50,000 euros then. I'm not a banker. I'd bet it on the horse-races," said the drunk, who got no money but plenty of laughs.
Societe Generale's board met on Wednesday with the job of chairman Daniel Bouton on the line after the bank announced a trading loss of 4.9 billion euros, which it blamed on a 31-year-old who bet a total of 50 billion on share markets. (Writing by Brian Love)
On Patron & Sister 2 Sister Magazine
Drunk Bobby Brown Lost Home & Book Deal On The Same Day
Controversial video star-turned-author Karrine Steffans forced boyfriend Bobby Brown out of her home when he lost a book deal she set up because he was too drunk for a meeting. Brown and Steffans briefly dated last year after the fallen R&B star had split with Whitney Houston.
When he was rendered homeless by his ex-wife, Brown called on Steffans for personal and professional help and she welcomed him and his entourage into her home. But when the singer started taking her for granted, Steffans kicked him out.
And the last straw was a book deal that went bad.
She tells Sister 2 Sister magazine, "I got HarperCollins interested in a book deal for him... (but) he got too drunk to go to the meeting. I was trying to help him put his life back together. He drank a whole bottle of Patron (tequila) the day before and missed the meeting, and made me look like an idiot. I was doing more than anybody else was doing."
Steffans admits she felt compelled to offer Brown a roof over his head - even after they split as a couple - because he had helped her four years ago when she was struggling. But after weeks spent buying him clothes and letting him use her brand new Mercedes, Steffans threw him out.
She says, "I wanted to help him because someone did that for me."
Controversial video star-turned-author Karrine Steffans forced boyfriend Bobby Brown out of her home when he lost a book deal she set up because he was too drunk for a meeting. Brown and Steffans briefly dated last year after the fallen R&B star had split with Whitney Houston.
When he was rendered homeless by his ex-wife, Brown called on Steffans for personal and professional help and she welcomed him and his entourage into her home. But when the singer started taking her for granted, Steffans kicked him out.
And the last straw was a book deal that went bad.
She tells Sister 2 Sister magazine, "I got HarperCollins interested in a book deal for him... (but) he got too drunk to go to the meeting. I was trying to help him put his life back together. He drank a whole bottle of Patron (tequila) the day before and missed the meeting, and made me look like an idiot. I was doing more than anybody else was doing."
Steffans admits she felt compelled to offer Brown a roof over his head - even after they split as a couple - because he had helped her four years ago when she was struggling. But after weeks spent buying him clothes and letting him use her brand new Mercedes, Steffans threw him out.
She says, "I wanted to help him because someone did that for me."
And Stuck in a Snowbank
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
OPP NEWS RELEASE
*************************
BATCHEWANA FIRST NATION, ON - A Sault Ste. Marie man faces drunk driving charges after putting his truck in the snow bank this morning.
At about 5 a.m. this morning a resident of the First Nation called the fire department after seeing an excessive amount of smoke in front of their Frontenac Street home.
Police attended the scene only to find a pickup truck stuck in the snow bank.
The driver was behind the wheel spinning the tires so bad that a cloud of smoke covered the street.
Conversation and observation of the driver quickly determined that he had way too much to drink and should not have been driving.
Just to reinforce these observations, police found open beer on the console beside the driver.
The driver was returned to the police station where he elected not to provide a breath sample.
As a result of this investigation, 40-year-old Thomas Beauvais of 188 Bloor Street, Apt. 1 Sault Ste. Marie, has been charged with three offences:
- Impaired driving.
- Failing to provide a breath sample.
- Having open liquor in a vehicle.
Police also learned that Mr. Beauvais also had outstanding arrest warrants issued by the City Police.
Mr. Beauvais was last seen resting comfortably in the City Police holding cells.
It is hoped that Mr. Beauvais will be sober enough to appear in bail court later this morning.
OPP NEWS RELEASE
*************************
BATCHEWANA FIRST NATION, ON - A Sault Ste. Marie man faces drunk driving charges after putting his truck in the snow bank this morning.
At about 5 a.m. this morning a resident of the First Nation called the fire department after seeing an excessive amount of smoke in front of their Frontenac Street home.
Police attended the scene only to find a pickup truck stuck in the snow bank.
The driver was behind the wheel spinning the tires so bad that a cloud of smoke covered the street.
Conversation and observation of the driver quickly determined that he had way too much to drink and should not have been driving.
Just to reinforce these observations, police found open beer on the console beside the driver.
The driver was returned to the police station where he elected not to provide a breath sample.
As a result of this investigation, 40-year-old Thomas Beauvais of 188 Bloor Street, Apt. 1 Sault Ste. Marie, has been charged with three offences:
- Impaired driving.
- Failing to provide a breath sample.
- Having open liquor in a vehicle.
Police also learned that Mr. Beauvais also had outstanding arrest warrants issued by the City Police.
Mr. Beauvais was last seen resting comfortably in the City Police holding cells.
It is hoped that Mr. Beauvais will be sober enough to appear in bail court later this morning.
And My Name is Kozumplik
Drunk guy in lawnmower booze quest
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Wine: to blame
The long and noble history of people being found driving lawnmowers while drunk gained another chapter on Saturday night, when a drunk man in Michigan drove his lawnmower through a snowstorm on a mission to buy more booze.
According to police in Adrian, Michigan, 49-year-old Frank Kozumplik was apprehended while merrily making his way home from the liquor store. He was doing so on board his John Deere tractor mower, which he was driving down the center of the street.
Authorities say he had four bottles of wine in a paper bag with him, having already drunk two bottles (which is presumably what precipitated the booze emergency in the first place).
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Wine: to blame
The long and noble history of people being found driving lawnmowers while drunk gained another chapter on Saturday night, when a drunk man in Michigan drove his lawnmower through a snowstorm on a mission to buy more booze.
According to police in Adrian, Michigan, 49-year-old Frank Kozumplik was apprehended while merrily making his way home from the liquor store. He was doing so on board his John Deere tractor mower, which he was driving down the center of the street.
Authorities say he had four bottles of wine in a paper bag with him, having already drunk two bottles (which is presumably what precipitated the booze emergency in the first place).
Take That Homeland Security
Alleged drunk driver arrested on airport runway
Posted: Jan 28, 2008 09:59 AM
A female driver was arrested early Monday morning, after allegedly driving drunk on a Grand Junction Regional Airport runway.
Air traffic was haulted at the airport, after local dispatch received a call that a white SUV was driving on a runway near gate 17.
The call came in shortly after 2:30 this morning.
Multiple Grand Junction Police units responded to that last terminal located off Landing View Lane.
When reporter Brian Shapleigh arrived on scene, officers were searching that white SUV.
At about 3:30 this morning 36-year-old Jamie Bowden was arrested, suspected of drinking and driving.
Police and airport officials are trying to figure out exactly how she gained access onto the runway, but say Bowden may have made her way onto the runway after crashing through a fence that seals off the airport.
Posted: Jan 28, 2008 09:59 AM
A female driver was arrested early Monday morning, after allegedly driving drunk on a Grand Junction Regional Airport runway.
Air traffic was haulted at the airport, after local dispatch received a call that a white SUV was driving on a runway near gate 17.
The call came in shortly after 2:30 this morning.
Multiple Grand Junction Police units responded to that last terminal located off Landing View Lane.
When reporter Brian Shapleigh arrived on scene, officers were searching that white SUV.
At about 3:30 this morning 36-year-old Jamie Bowden was arrested, suspected of drinking and driving.
Police and airport officials are trying to figure out exactly how she gained access onto the runway, but say Bowden may have made her way onto the runway after crashing through a fence that seals off the airport.
And Pregnant
Pregnant woman charged with drunk driving
28/01/2008 6:24:02
A pregnant 19-year-old Bay of Plenty woman has been charged with drink driving for allegedly being five times the legal limit.
Police say the Te Puke woman, who is six months pregnant, had a breath alcohol level of 750 micrograms of alcohol per litre of breath. The limit for anyone under the age of 20 is 150 micrograms.
Police say the woman told officers she was driving her three companions home because she was the least drunk of the group. She will appear in court next month.
28/01/2008 6:24:02
A pregnant 19-year-old Bay of Plenty woman has been charged with drink driving for allegedly being five times the legal limit.
Police say the Te Puke woman, who is six months pregnant, had a breath alcohol level of 750 micrograms of alcohol per litre of breath. The limit for anyone under the age of 20 is 150 micrograms.
Police say the woman told officers she was driving her three companions home because she was the least drunk of the group. She will appear in court next month.
Either A Beer Bottle or a Fist
Isiah Thomas' son arrested in Indiana for underage drinking
NEW YORK - The New York Knicks said coach Isiah Thomas wouldn't comment Friday on a report that his 19-year-old son was arrested for underage drinking in Bloomington, Ind.
Joshua Thomas, a student at Indiana University, was arrested on misdemeanour charges of disorderly conduct, illegal consumption of alcohol and being a minor in a tavern, according to the New York Daily News. He was released from the Monroe County Jail on US$500 bail.
The News, citing a police source, said Thomas was arrested after he went to a Bloomington hospital to be treated for a swollen eye, which came when he was hit by either a beer bottle or another man's fist at the bar.
Isiah Thomas played two seasons for Indiana, leading the Hoosiers to the 1981 national championship.
NEW YORK - The New York Knicks said coach Isiah Thomas wouldn't comment Friday on a report that his 19-year-old son was arrested for underage drinking in Bloomington, Ind.
Joshua Thomas, a student at Indiana University, was arrested on misdemeanour charges of disorderly conduct, illegal consumption of alcohol and being a minor in a tavern, according to the New York Daily News. He was released from the Monroe County Jail on US$500 bail.
The News, citing a police source, said Thomas was arrested after he went to a Bloomington hospital to be treated for a swollen eye, which came when he was hit by either a beer bottle or another man's fist at the bar.
Isiah Thomas played two seasons for Indiana, leading the Hoosiers to the 1981 national championship.
Let's Get Married
Wedding day saves drunk who gave two finger salute to patrol car
by Martina Nee
A Ballinasloe man, who has spent up to 31 years of his life in jail, was saved from further imprisonment by his wedding day despite giving the two finger salute to a Garda patrol car.
Paul Greene (43) with an address at 24 New Estate Street, St Grellans, Ballinasloe, appeared at a special sitting of Athlone District Court last Monday and pleaded guilty to a charge of threatening and abusive behaviour and for being intoxicated in a public place.
A request for an adjournment, on the grounds that a complaint has been made to the Garda Ombudsman, was denied.
Garda Tom Higgins then told the court that on September 23, 2007 at 12.45pm he was driving an unmarked car with two other gardai, in the Irishtown area, when the defendant jumped out from the footpath in front of the car.
He said that Greene “started shouting” and that he put his “two fingers up in the air”. After the “two finger gesture” Garda Higgins had to stop the car and the defendant eventually moved back onto the footpath. However, when Garda Higgins was pulling the car in to the side of the road the defendant jumped in front of another car and gave the occupants the two fingers. He added that the defendant was “extremely drunk”, shouting and generally abusive, and was “not making any sense”.
Inspector Jarlaith Folan informed the Judge that the defendant has previous convictions for criminal damage, for which he received five months in January 2007, public order offences, and a three year conviction for robbery in May 2002.
Garda Higgins explained that when Greene takes drink he “loses the run of himself”. He said that on the day he was aggressive to gardai and members of the public.
“The real troubling part is that the defendant has a record second to none maybe. He hasn’t learnt his lesson and he needs to in a harsh way. To jump out in front of moving traffic and give them the salute. When I hear that the defendant had a number of encounters with the criminal justice system that worries me,” said Judge Gibbons.
Greene, who is originally from Athlone, told the judge that he has spent 31 years in prison and is planning to get married in two weeks.
“Thirty-one years in prison would be a deterrent to some, it would not deter you. You can be drunk at home but when in a public place it could be dangerous to yourself and others,” replied the judge.
The defendant, who is working on a building site, said that he took the pledge two weeks ago and that this was the first time he has done this.
Judge Gibbons said that he would give Greene a chance and put the case back to see how he behaves between now and then, especially on his wedding day.
“You’ll enjoy the day far better if you are sober, you’ll remember getting married,” said the Judge.
He remanded the defendant on continuing bail until February 18 with conditions that he remain alcohol free at all times.
by Martina Nee
A Ballinasloe man, who has spent up to 31 years of his life in jail, was saved from further imprisonment by his wedding day despite giving the two finger salute to a Garda patrol car.
Paul Greene (43) with an address at 24 New Estate Street, St Grellans, Ballinasloe, appeared at a special sitting of Athlone District Court last Monday and pleaded guilty to a charge of threatening and abusive behaviour and for being intoxicated in a public place.
A request for an adjournment, on the grounds that a complaint has been made to the Garda Ombudsman, was denied.
Garda Tom Higgins then told the court that on September 23, 2007 at 12.45pm he was driving an unmarked car with two other gardai, in the Irishtown area, when the defendant jumped out from the footpath in front of the car.
He said that Greene “started shouting” and that he put his “two fingers up in the air”. After the “two finger gesture” Garda Higgins had to stop the car and the defendant eventually moved back onto the footpath. However, when Garda Higgins was pulling the car in to the side of the road the defendant jumped in front of another car and gave the occupants the two fingers. He added that the defendant was “extremely drunk”, shouting and generally abusive, and was “not making any sense”.
Inspector Jarlaith Folan informed the Judge that the defendant has previous convictions for criminal damage, for which he received five months in January 2007, public order offences, and a three year conviction for robbery in May 2002.
Garda Higgins explained that when Greene takes drink he “loses the run of himself”. He said that on the day he was aggressive to gardai and members of the public.
“The real troubling part is that the defendant has a record second to none maybe. He hasn’t learnt his lesson and he needs to in a harsh way. To jump out in front of moving traffic and give them the salute. When I hear that the defendant had a number of encounters with the criminal justice system that worries me,” said Judge Gibbons.
Greene, who is originally from Athlone, told the judge that he has spent 31 years in prison and is planning to get married in two weeks.
“Thirty-one years in prison would be a deterrent to some, it would not deter you. You can be drunk at home but when in a public place it could be dangerous to yourself and others,” replied the judge.
The defendant, who is working on a building site, said that he took the pledge two weeks ago and that this was the first time he has done this.
Judge Gibbons said that he would give Greene a chance and put the case back to see how he behaves between now and then, especially on his wedding day.
“You’ll enjoy the day far better if you are sober, you’ll remember getting married,” said the Judge.
He remanded the defendant on continuing bail until February 18 with conditions that he remain alcohol free at all times.
Yet Still Going to School
Drunk man rides school bus
By Sonny Turner
sonny@athensnews-courier.com
Elaine Pack was alarmed when she learned an intoxicated 21-year-old man, pretending to be a student, flagged down a school bus and rode to Owens Elementary school with her 13-year-old son and other students.
She filed a complaint with county school officials after the incident Wednesday morning.
“You never know, he could have had a gun or some other weapon,” Pack said. “I’m concerned because I think the children on that bus could have faced real danger there.”
But a Limestone County Sheriff’s investigator said the bus driver, who allowed the man to get on the bus at Smith-Gover Road in western Limestone County, had no way of knowing the man was not a student.
Eric Allen Clem, of 22268 Sugar Way Road, Elkmont, was arrested Wednesday after Principal Cleo Miller saw him wandering the parking lot at Owens. He was charged with public intoxication and removed from the grounds.
“He could have passed for a student,” said Lt. Fred Sloss of the Limestone County Sheriff’s Department. “He told the bus driver he was a student at West Limestone High School, but when he got to Owens Elementary he got off the bus,” said Sloss. “The principal noticed him wandering in the parking lot and called the school resource officer.”
Pack said her son was the next to get on the bus.
“He said he got on and went to the back of the bus and sat down. He said the man then got up and walked to the back and sat down beside him,” Pack said. “My son told me the man kept asking for cigarettes. He said it was pretty obvious something wasn’t right – that he appeared to be drinking.”
Clem has previous arrests for burglary and possession of marijuana, Sloss said.
Clem told Officer Dean Murray he had taken some pain medication before flagging down the school bus. Investigators believed he was drunk.
By Sonny Turner
sonny@athensnews-courier.com
Elaine Pack was alarmed when she learned an intoxicated 21-year-old man, pretending to be a student, flagged down a school bus and rode to Owens Elementary school with her 13-year-old son and other students.
She filed a complaint with county school officials after the incident Wednesday morning.
“You never know, he could have had a gun or some other weapon,” Pack said. “I’m concerned because I think the children on that bus could have faced real danger there.”
But a Limestone County Sheriff’s investigator said the bus driver, who allowed the man to get on the bus at Smith-Gover Road in western Limestone County, had no way of knowing the man was not a student.
Eric Allen Clem, of 22268 Sugar Way Road, Elkmont, was arrested Wednesday after Principal Cleo Miller saw him wandering the parking lot at Owens. He was charged with public intoxication and removed from the grounds.
“He could have passed for a student,” said Lt. Fred Sloss of the Limestone County Sheriff’s Department. “He told the bus driver he was a student at West Limestone High School, but when he got to Owens Elementary he got off the bus,” said Sloss. “The principal noticed him wandering in the parking lot and called the school resource officer.”
Pack said her son was the next to get on the bus.
“He said he got on and went to the back of the bus and sat down. He said the man then got up and walked to the back and sat down beside him,” Pack said. “My son told me the man kept asking for cigarettes. He said it was pretty obvious something wasn’t right – that he appeared to be drinking.”
Clem has previous arrests for burglary and possession of marijuana, Sloss said.
Clem told Officer Dean Murray he had taken some pain medication before flagging down the school bus. Investigators believed he was drunk.
But Still Made it to Court - Pt. II
Defendant drunk during trial
By CAITLIN HEANEY
Evening Sun Reporter
Article Launched: 01/26/2008 04:05:30 AM EST
A man on trial for allegedly shaking and injuring his infant son was taken from the courtroom in handcuffs Friday after a portable breath test showed he was under the influence of alcohol during his trial.
Kelly Rolan Wantz, 38, whose last known address was 45 N. Queen St. in Littlestown, had a blood-alcohol level of 0.32 - four times Pennsylvania's level for driving under the influence of 0.08 - and was remanded to Adams County prison. President Judge John D. Kuhn also revoked Wantz's bail and berated him for his actions, telling Wantz he did not know what to say about how disappointed he was.
"You have created an inconvenience for the court," Kuhn said.
Wantz's trial started Thursday and resumed Friday but recessed shortly before 11 a.m. when the county sheriff's department took Wantz into custody. The trial is scheduled to resume at 9:30 a.m. Monday.
Wantz is charged with aggravated assault, endangering the welfare of children, simple assault, recklessly endangering another person and harassment for allegedly shaking one of his month-old twin sons, Jacob Wantz, on Jan. 27, 2005. But District Attorney Shawn Wagner said Friday he did not plan to pursue the simple assault and reckless endangerment charges.
The prosecution had not yet rested its case Friday when Kuhn asked to speak privately with Wantz's attorney, Gettysburg-based Robert Chester, and Wagner, who had paused a few times while questioning witnesses earlier in the day when Wantz began speaking loudly to Chester.
Kuhn then decided to recess the trial for a few minutes, during which time the county's probation department gave Wantz a portable breath test. Kuhn later said it was brought to his attention that Wantz might have been under the influence of alcohol.
There was a concern the portable test's results might not have shown the extent of Wantz's intoxication, Kuhn said.
The jury did not return to the courtroom after the recess, so no jurors were there when Wantz left in handcuffs with sheriff's department officials.
Wagner said the prison would have to decide if Wantz needed to be taken to the hospital.
Chester said Wantz appeared to be under the influence of alcohol and believed, as Wantz's attorney, he needed Wantz sober to thoroughly proceed with the trial. Wantz was not drunk at trial Thursday, Chester said.
Wantz has not taken the stand yet in his own defense. Jacob's foster mother, Dana Talcott, was in the middle of her testimony Friday when the trial halted.
Adams County Children and Youth took custody of Wantz's sons shortly after the alleged shaking in January 2005 and turned the boys over to Talcott and her family, who live in Fairfield. At first the family did not know whether it would even take care of Jacob, she said.
"We weren't sure if he was even going to make it to be able to come to our house," Talcott said.
Dr. Mark Dias, a pediatric neurosurgeon who treated Jacob at Milton S. Hershey Medical Center in Hershey, testified Thursday that Jacob's injuries were caused either by slamming into an object, being shaken or both. Veins connecting the brain to a larger vein can break during such incidents, causing blood to build up in the brain. Scans of Jacob's brain show where blood gathered and that his brain shrank during the week following the alleged shaking, Dias said.
Talcott recalled visiting Jacob at Hershey Medical Center, during which time he used a feeding tube, barely opened his eyes and took medications to control seizures.
"He just basically laid motionless," Talcott said. "There wasn't a lot of response at that point."
Talcott and her husband kept Jacob's cradle next to their bed because of concern that Jacob might stop breathing. Jacob would open his mouth but could not cry like other infants when they first started taking care of him, Talcott said.
"You wouldn't know if he needed something because he couldn't cry," she said. "There was no way to communicate like a normal baby."
Jacob has undergone physical, occupational and speech therapy, but his brother has not had any therapy, Talcott said. Jacob has speech delays and difficulty with beginning and ending sounds of words, she said. People who know him can figure out what he says by the tone of his voice, she said, but it is frustrating for Jacob.
Becki Scott, an Adams County Children and Youth Services employee, testified Thursday that Wantz told her and Littlestown Police that he had been wiping down his twin sons, whom he put in their carseats on a table, on Jan. 27, 2005, when Jacob started to cry. The boy then began to fall asleep so Wantz rocked Jacob's carseat, but Jacob's head flopped forward and he was cold to the touch when, Scott testified Wantz told them.
Littlestown Police Department officer Douglas Hilyard testified Friday that Wantz was the man who dropped off a letter at the department in December 2005. The letter includes an admission allegedly from Wantz that he shook and threw Jacob into a crib in January 2005 and that his wife was not involved in the incident.
By CAITLIN HEANEY
Evening Sun Reporter
Article Launched: 01/26/2008 04:05:30 AM EST
A man on trial for allegedly shaking and injuring his infant son was taken from the courtroom in handcuffs Friday after a portable breath test showed he was under the influence of alcohol during his trial.
Kelly Rolan Wantz, 38, whose last known address was 45 N. Queen St. in Littlestown, had a blood-alcohol level of 0.32 - four times Pennsylvania's level for driving under the influence of 0.08 - and was remanded to Adams County prison. President Judge John D. Kuhn also revoked Wantz's bail and berated him for his actions, telling Wantz he did not know what to say about how disappointed he was.
"You have created an inconvenience for the court," Kuhn said.
Wantz's trial started Thursday and resumed Friday but recessed shortly before 11 a.m. when the county sheriff's department took Wantz into custody. The trial is scheduled to resume at 9:30 a.m. Monday.
Wantz is charged with aggravated assault, endangering the welfare of children, simple assault, recklessly endangering another person and harassment for allegedly shaking one of his month-old twin sons, Jacob Wantz, on Jan. 27, 2005. But District Attorney Shawn Wagner said Friday he did not plan to pursue the simple assault and reckless endangerment charges.
The prosecution had not yet rested its case Friday when Kuhn asked to speak privately with Wantz's attorney, Gettysburg-based Robert Chester, and Wagner, who had paused a few times while questioning witnesses earlier in the day when Wantz began speaking loudly to Chester.
Kuhn then decided to recess the trial for a few minutes, during which time the county's probation department gave Wantz a portable breath test. Kuhn later said it was brought to his attention that Wantz might have been under the influence of alcohol.
There was a concern the portable test's results might not have shown the extent of Wantz's intoxication, Kuhn said.
The jury did not return to the courtroom after the recess, so no jurors were there when Wantz left in handcuffs with sheriff's department officials.
Wagner said the prison would have to decide if Wantz needed to be taken to the hospital.
Chester said Wantz appeared to be under the influence of alcohol and believed, as Wantz's attorney, he needed Wantz sober to thoroughly proceed with the trial. Wantz was not drunk at trial Thursday, Chester said.
Wantz has not taken the stand yet in his own defense. Jacob's foster mother, Dana Talcott, was in the middle of her testimony Friday when the trial halted.
Adams County Children and Youth took custody of Wantz's sons shortly after the alleged shaking in January 2005 and turned the boys over to Talcott and her family, who live in Fairfield. At first the family did not know whether it would even take care of Jacob, she said.
"We weren't sure if he was even going to make it to be able to come to our house," Talcott said.
Dr. Mark Dias, a pediatric neurosurgeon who treated Jacob at Milton S. Hershey Medical Center in Hershey, testified Thursday that Jacob's injuries were caused either by slamming into an object, being shaken or both. Veins connecting the brain to a larger vein can break during such incidents, causing blood to build up in the brain. Scans of Jacob's brain show where blood gathered and that his brain shrank during the week following the alleged shaking, Dias said.
Talcott recalled visiting Jacob at Hershey Medical Center, during which time he used a feeding tube, barely opened his eyes and took medications to control seizures.
"He just basically laid motionless," Talcott said. "There wasn't a lot of response at that point."
Talcott and her husband kept Jacob's cradle next to their bed because of concern that Jacob might stop breathing. Jacob would open his mouth but could not cry like other infants when they first started taking care of him, Talcott said.
"You wouldn't know if he needed something because he couldn't cry," she said. "There was no way to communicate like a normal baby."
Jacob has undergone physical, occupational and speech therapy, but his brother has not had any therapy, Talcott said. Jacob has speech delays and difficulty with beginning and ending sounds of words, she said. People who know him can figure out what he says by the tone of his voice, she said, but it is frustrating for Jacob.
Becki Scott, an Adams County Children and Youth Services employee, testified Thursday that Wantz told her and Littlestown Police that he had been wiping down his twin sons, whom he put in their carseats on a table, on Jan. 27, 2005, when Jacob started to cry. The boy then began to fall asleep so Wantz rocked Jacob's carseat, but Jacob's head flopped forward and he was cold to the touch when, Scott testified Wantz told them.
Littlestown Police Department officer Douglas Hilyard testified Friday that Wantz was the man who dropped off a letter at the department in December 2005. The letter includes an admission allegedly from Wantz that he shook and threw Jacob into a crib in January 2005 and that his wife was not involved in the incident.
But Still Made it To Court
Charge against ex-boxer dropped when witness shows up drunk
January 25, 2008
PORTLAND, Maine --A felony charge against a former women's boxing champion from South Portland was dropped Friday when the victim showed up in court too drunk to testify.
The prosecutor said she was reluctantly dropping the elevated aggravated assault charge against 57-year-old Margie Dunson, who could have faced up to 20 years in prison if convicted. Instead, she will not have to do any additional jail time.
"I don't see that I have any other option at this point," District Attorney Stephanie Anderson said.
Dunson, who held the world welterweight title in 1977 and 1978, was accused of stabbing a friend, John Jackson, in the chest during an argument while they were drinking and watching the Super Bowl last year at Dunson's home.
Anderson said Jackson appeared drunk when he arrived at the Cumberland County Courthouse, and a test revealed that his alcohol content was 0.12, which is above the legal limit for driving.
The prosecutor also noted that a witness to the stabbing failed to appear in court
January 25, 2008
PORTLAND, Maine --A felony charge against a former women's boxing champion from South Portland was dropped Friday when the victim showed up in court too drunk to testify.
The prosecutor said she was reluctantly dropping the elevated aggravated assault charge against 57-year-old Margie Dunson, who could have faced up to 20 years in prison if convicted. Instead, she will not have to do any additional jail time.
"I don't see that I have any other option at this point," District Attorney Stephanie Anderson said.
Dunson, who held the world welterweight title in 1977 and 1978, was accused of stabbing a friend, John Jackson, in the chest during an argument while they were drinking and watching the Super Bowl last year at Dunson's home.
Anderson said Jackson appeared drunk when he arrived at the Cumberland County Courthouse, and a test revealed that his alcohol content was 0.12, which is above the legal limit for driving.
The prosecutor also noted that a witness to the stabbing failed to appear in court
But Don't Have Tuberculosis
Man with active TB found drunk in public
By PATRICK MALONE
THE PUEBLO CHIEFTAIN
A Puebloan who has been diagnosed with active tuberculosis exposed police and medical professionals to the disease again Friday, when he was found drunk in public and in violation of an isolation order issued by the local health department.
Gilbert Ortega Jr., 50, was found at 12:40 a.m. by medics in the 700 block of East Fourth Street. He was passed out drunk there, according to a report by Pueblo police officer Mindy Mangel.
Ortega was behaving combatively with ambulance personnel when police arrived.
Dr. Christine Nevin-Woods, head of the Pueblo City-County Health Department, issued an isolation order on Dec. 28 requiring Ortega to be confined to an apartment until his condition is deemed to be no longer contagious.
Ortega was treated at Parkview Medical Center and released to his girlfriend.
Police paid Ortega a surprise visit soon following his release from the hospital to make sure he was complying with the isolation order.
Officers found Ortega at home along with a 37-year-old man who shares the apartment with him and also is under an isolation order for active TB.
Police and jail staff have dealt with Ortega and his father, Gilbert Ortega, 71, multiple times in recent months. Those contacts exposed dozens of law enforcement members and medical professionals to the disease.
Police forwarded their reports about the incident to the district attorney's office for possible filing of charges over Ortega's violation of the isolation order.
As of last week, there were five active cases of TB in Pueblo
By PATRICK MALONE
THE PUEBLO CHIEFTAIN
A Puebloan who has been diagnosed with active tuberculosis exposed police and medical professionals to the disease again Friday, when he was found drunk in public and in violation of an isolation order issued by the local health department.
Gilbert Ortega Jr., 50, was found at 12:40 a.m. by medics in the 700 block of East Fourth Street. He was passed out drunk there, according to a report by Pueblo police officer Mindy Mangel.
Ortega was behaving combatively with ambulance personnel when police arrived.
Dr. Christine Nevin-Woods, head of the Pueblo City-County Health Department, issued an isolation order on Dec. 28 requiring Ortega to be confined to an apartment until his condition is deemed to be no longer contagious.
Ortega was treated at Parkview Medical Center and released to his girlfriend.
Police paid Ortega a surprise visit soon following his release from the hospital to make sure he was complying with the isolation order.
Officers found Ortega at home along with a 37-year-old man who shares the apartment with him and also is under an isolation order for active TB.
Police and jail staff have dealt with Ortega and his father, Gilbert Ortega, 71, multiple times in recent months. Those contacts exposed dozens of law enforcement members and medical professionals to the disease.
Police forwarded their reports about the incident to the district attorney's office for possible filing of charges over Ortega's violation of the isolation order.
As of last week, there were five active cases of TB in Pueblo
Unlike Well-to-do Sections of Society
Drunk man molests air hostesses
There’s been another case of molestation of flight attendants, this time on a Goa-Mumbai-Delhi SpiceJet flight.
The incident, for which Delhi resident Raj Singh Hooda was booked, occurred on January 21 while the flight was airborne between Mumbai and Delhi. It comes close on the heels of Jaipur businessman Ved Prakash being thrown off a GoAir flight at Mumbai airport on January 17 for molesting a flight attendant.
According to the first information report filed at Palam police station in Delhi, Hooda was drunk when he boarded the plane. The four victims told police that he started groping them once the flight took off from Mumbai. Hooda refused to behave despite several warnings. Hooda was handed over to the police as soon as the flight landed.
The police booked him under Section 354 of the Indian Penal Code, which amounts to assault or criminal force against a woman with the intent to outrage her modesty. Hooda, a farmer, by profession was let off on bail later.
A SpiceJet spokesperson, confirming the incident, said: “We have filed a complaint.”
Unlike in the GoAir case, the SpiceJet flight attendants gave statements to the police at the time of the complaint. Prakash, the GoAir offender, was let off after being fined Rs 1,200 because the incident occurred close to take-off and the victims did not get a chance to speak to the police. Prakash has not yet been arrested.
Aviation experts said the industry would have to plan for such challenges as low-cost carriers like SpiceJet and GoAir have dramatically changed flier profiles in India. “Till half a decade ago when air travel was limited to the well-to-do sections of society, such incidents were rare,” said Gurcharan Bhatura, secretary-general, Federation of Aviation and Sustainable Tourism, an industry think tank.
There’s been another case of molestation of flight attendants, this time on a Goa-Mumbai-Delhi SpiceJet flight.
The incident, for which Delhi resident Raj Singh Hooda was booked, occurred on January 21 while the flight was airborne between Mumbai and Delhi. It comes close on the heels of Jaipur businessman Ved Prakash being thrown off a GoAir flight at Mumbai airport on January 17 for molesting a flight attendant.
According to the first information report filed at Palam police station in Delhi, Hooda was drunk when he boarded the plane. The four victims told police that he started groping them once the flight took off from Mumbai. Hooda refused to behave despite several warnings. Hooda was handed over to the police as soon as the flight landed.
The police booked him under Section 354 of the Indian Penal Code, which amounts to assault or criminal force against a woman with the intent to outrage her modesty. Hooda, a farmer, by profession was let off on bail later.
A SpiceJet spokesperson, confirming the incident, said: “We have filed a complaint.”
Unlike in the GoAir case, the SpiceJet flight attendants gave statements to the police at the time of the complaint. Prakash, the GoAir offender, was let off after being fined Rs 1,200 because the incident occurred close to take-off and the victims did not get a chance to speak to the police. Prakash has not yet been arrested.
Aviation experts said the industry would have to plan for such challenges as low-cost carriers like SpiceJet and GoAir have dramatically changed flier profiles in India. “Till half a decade ago when air travel was limited to the well-to-do sections of society, such incidents were rare,” said Gurcharan Bhatura, secretary-general, Federation of Aviation and Sustainable Tourism, an industry think tank.
Like A University at Albany Student
Police say intoxicated man smashed in door at Harriman State Office Campus and slept there
Friday, January 25, 2008
ALBANY -- A University at Albany student trying to get home after a night of drinking downtown allegedly smashed in a door at the Harriman State Office Campus and fell asleep inside Thursday morning, State Police said.
Troopers found Daniel Johnson, 19, passed out in a second-floor hallway of the Department of Taxation and Finance Building after a grounds worker called around 5:25 a.m. to report a drunken man at that location, said Sgt. Kern Swoboda. Johnson lives nearby at UAlbany's uptown campus.
"He was unable to recall how he got to the state office campus, how he got into the building, or how he became injured," Swoboda said.
The student was "extremely intoxicated" and had a cut over his left eye and another one on the back of his head when troopers Kenneth Ahigian and Ben Fitelson arrived, Swoboda said
Police found a garbage can next to the shattered glass downstairs, which Johnson apparently used to smash the locked door's glass.
Johnson told police he was trying to get back to his dorm. The teen from Hopewell Junction claimed he had been drinking at a "downtown establishment," but didn't say which one, Swoboda said.
It's standard procedure for police to try to find out where the alcohol was obtained in cases of underage drinking, Swoboda said.
Johnson faces the felony charge of possession of a forged instrument for changing the birth date on his driver's license, Swoboda said.
He also was charged with criminal mischief and trespassing, both misdemeanors. Johnson was released after an appearance in Albany City Court. He's due back on Feb. 14.
Friday, January 25, 2008
ALBANY -- A University at Albany student trying to get home after a night of drinking downtown allegedly smashed in a door at the Harriman State Office Campus and fell asleep inside Thursday morning, State Police said.
Troopers found Daniel Johnson, 19, passed out in a second-floor hallway of the Department of Taxation and Finance Building after a grounds worker called around 5:25 a.m. to report a drunken man at that location, said Sgt. Kern Swoboda. Johnson lives nearby at UAlbany's uptown campus.
"He was unable to recall how he got to the state office campus, how he got into the building, or how he became injured," Swoboda said.
The student was "extremely intoxicated" and had a cut over his left eye and another one on the back of his head when troopers Kenneth Ahigian and Ben Fitelson arrived, Swoboda said
Police found a garbage can next to the shattered glass downstairs, which Johnson apparently used to smash the locked door's glass.
Johnson told police he was trying to get back to his dorm. The teen from Hopewell Junction claimed he had been drinking at a "downtown establishment," but didn't say which one, Swoboda said.
It's standard procedure for police to try to find out where the alcohol was obtained in cases of underage drinking, Swoboda said.
Johnson faces the felony charge of possession of a forged instrument for changing the birth date on his driver's license, Swoboda said.
He also was charged with criminal mischief and trespassing, both misdemeanors. Johnson was released after an appearance in Albany City Court. He's due back on Feb. 14.
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