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[RedFXR2]

IBut you know how this celebrity stuff works in California and Florida IE. "the Judge that handled Anna Nicole's deal" who knows what the hell is gonna happen. Would not suprise me if he walks with a suspended sentence and community service on the criminal charge,  and he will have to compensate the family financially on the civil case.

Yep.  Could be interesting:


Date set for Lane's civil trial in case of slain motorcyclist
February 8, 2007 •• 289 words •• ID: brv33418961
KEYONNA SUMMERS Florida Today TITUSVILLE -- Celebrity motorcycle builder Billy Lane will face his crash victim's family in a civil case in August, but the trial for a DUI manslaughter charge he faces in the Labor Day wreck that killed Gerald Morelock is still pending.

I don't have a link since this is an archived article, but it's curious already that the date for the civil trial has already been set but the date for the DUI trial (charges filed much earlier) has not.  It's also curious that the two other charges of driving with a suspended license (a known fact-slam dunk guilty) and illegally passing on a double yellow (also a known fact-slam dunk guilty) have been dropped.  I've been told that the Prosecutors dropped the lesser charges to take away any possibility of a deal based on pleading guilty to the lesser charges in exchange for lessening the more serious one.  Makes no sense to me but I'm not a lawyer.

But back to the theme--who knows what might happen.  They're obviously still "negotiating" ?? 

[RJ749]

Sounds like OJ's prosecutor got a new job in Florida.

[Twolanerider]

Sounds like OJ's prosecutor got a new job in Florida.

Or else they decided not to give a jury the option of convicting on a lesser charge just because they liked him.  That kind of thing is always a massive crap shoot.  One of the reasons I'm glad I hire lawyers rather than be one.

[SPIDERMAN]

Justice in America in the year 2007 is what you can afford it to be !

B B

[mr_magoo]

Thats to bad for all involved to have it drag on.

[RedFXR2]

Update:


Bike builder Lane avoids lawsuit questions

BY KEYONNA SUMMERS
FLORIDA TODAY

A Brevard Circuit judge Monday upheld motorcycle builder Billy Lane’s refusal to answer questions in a civil case filed by the family of his alleged drunk driving victim because those answers could influence the criminal case against him.

“Our thought was that he very well could have not invoked the Fifth (Amendment) and made things easier,” said S. Sammy Cacciatore, attorney for victim Gerald Morelock’s family. “We were trying shortcut things (and) get some basic things admitted from him. But if he won’t, we’ll call witnesses and prove it up and show how bad his conduct was.”

Lane, 37, faces 15 years in prison if convicted of DUI manslaughter in connection with the Labor Day crash, in which, police said, Lane crossed a double-yellow line and hit Morelock’s mini-Yamaha motorcycle.

In the civil suit, Lane has refused to say whether the accident took place or whether anyone died as a result because those are elements that prosecutors must prove in the criminal case. He also refused to say when or where he met Erin Derrick, the 22-year-old passenger in his Dodge pickup the night of the crash, or what they were doing immediately before the crash.

“The circumstances under which they met could definitely be a link in the chain of evidence,” said Gregory Eisenmenger, Lane’s criminal lawyer.

Judge John Dean Moxley Jr. agreed, saying the state must prove any negligence by Lane in court.

Lane’s attorneys said they will disclose Lane’s prior driving citations — including one in which North Carolina authorities in June charged Lane with driving a motorcycle while intoxicated and revoked his license after he refused to take a breathalyzer test — because Lane no longer faces a revoked license charge in Florida.

Lane was cleared of the North Carolina charges in October.

Brevard prosecutors could not pursue the suspended license charge, initially filed by the Florida Highway Patrol, because North Carolina authorities never reported Lane’s refusal to take a breath test to Florida, which would have suspended his Florida license for a year, said State Attorney’s spokeswoman Lynne Bumpus-Hooper.

The FHP also charged Lane with a DUI causing serious bodily injury charge, but Bumpus-Hooper said Derrick, the passenger, declined to pursue charges against Lane for her injuries.

Florida law allows prosecutors to proceed without the woman’s consent, though it is unlikely they will do so, she said.

[CVOwner]

Justice in America in the year 2007 is what you can afford it to be !

B B

Amen brother, have you seen Billy lately? He cut his hair, of course for his appearances, those dreds would have been frowned upon by any self respecting judge, and jury. 

[EAGLE1]

Amen brother, have you seen Billy lately? He cut his hair, of course for his appearances, those dreds would have been frowned upon by any self respecting judge, and jury. 

dam that's short, but I doubt that it will have any influence on his jail term, and he may regret it in the long run.
That "pretty boy" look might attract a few more inmates than what he bargained for.

[UltraPolecat]

  Hope he finds a new friend named Bubba 

[SPIDERMAN]

dam that's short, but I doubt that it will have any influence on his jail term, and he may regret it in the long run.
That "pretty boy" look might attract a few more inmates than what he bargained for.

Billy will be more the celebrity inside than he is on the outside. Most of those guys dream of building their own bikes, many build little models of what they hope to have out of wire, nuts etc or wood. Sorry if anyone's hoping Billy's time inside will be tough, but truth be told, he'll be a megastar.

[Jock]

Sorry if anyone's hoping Billy's time inside will be tough, but truth be told, he'll be a megastar.

Brian,

That's correct...if he goes inside, which may be doubtful at this point.  Given the conditions, he should, however who knows with a jury.