Leonard Little is innocent [Archive] - The Orange Mane

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Atlas

04-02-2005, 02:01 PM

Little innocent of drunken driving
Posted: Friday April 1, 2005 9:35PM; Updated: Saturday April 2, 2005 12:02AM

Leonard Little, who had 46 tackles, 6 1/2 sacks and recovered four fumbles last season, was cleared of drunken driving by a jury.
AP

CLAYTON, Mo. (AP) -- St. Louis Rams defensive end Leonard Little was found innocent of drunken driving Friday by a St. Louis County Circuit jury.

Jurors ruled that Little was speeding at the time of his arrest April 24 on Interstate 64 in a St. Louis suburb. He will be sentenced on that charge May 6.

"We're absolutely thrilled," said Little's lawyer, Scott Rosenblum. "Couldn't be happier."

Little will not be considered a persistent offender, which had been a possibility under the charges because he pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter in a 1998 drunken-driving accident in downtown St. Louis that killed 47-year-old Susan Gutweiler.

Little served three months in jail, completed 1,000 hours of community service and four years of probation for the earlier crime. He was also suspended without pay for the first half of the 1999 season.

The prosecution argued in this case that Little failed several field sobriety tests when stopped for speeding and refused to be chemically tested for alcohol when taken into custody.

Rosenblum countered that his client should be cleared, arguing in part that the officer at the scene failed to give Little the proper instructions.

Rosenblum said during the trial that Little had consumed two beers and was not intoxicated when stopped by police, who reportedly found Little driving 78 mph in a 55-mph zone.

Little had 46 tackles, 6 1/2 sacks and recovered four fumbles last season. He was a Pro Bowl selection in 2003.

Atlas

04-02-2005, 02:03 PM

FADERPROOF

04-02-2005, 02:09 PM

words of wisdom. Don't drink and drive BUT if you do and you get pulled over. NEVER BLOW!!! Take the field test but don't blow.

Little refused to blow and failed the field sobriety test and still got out of it.

If he would have blew and failed it would have been an open and shut case.

Refusing a breathilzer is an automatic year suspension on your license, plus I doubt many of us have the money and star power to get off even if we refuse and go to court with it.

Hercules Rockefeller

04-02-2005, 02:15 PM

Refusing a breathilzer is an automatic year suspension on your license, plus I doubt many of us have the money and star power to get off even if we refuse and go to court with it.

Yeah, but depending on the state, refusing to blow might not be admissible as a postive inference that he was drunk and gives you a chance at your DUI trial.

Jury could still draw the negative inference though that you refused because you were drunk, so it probably won't work most of the time though. You're losing your license anyway if you're drunk and blow, or refuse to blow.

Little can burn in hell though for what he continues to do.

Atlas

04-02-2005, 02:33 PM

Refusing a breathilzer is an automatic year suspension on your license, plus I doubt many of us have the money and star power to get off even if we refuse and go to court with it.

In Texas it is an automatic 90 day suspension but if you get a DWI your still going to lose your license for that amount of time. The reality of the situation is that if you have a trial by jury a couple of those jurors will be sympathetic to you because they to drink and drive or they just distrust what the police officer has done. A lawyer can do a great many things to cause doubt and many police are not trained as well as they should be.

Ray Finkle

04-02-2005, 03:14 PM

my buddy refused to blow and that was the worse mistake he made, well besides attempting to drive after a few rounds of happy hour.....

Atlas

04-02-2005, 03:17 PM

my buddy refused to blow and that was the worse mistake he made, well besides attempting to drive after a few rounds of happy hour.....

How is that. The worst that can happen if you refuse to blow is that you get a DWI. IF he had 5 beers he was going to get one anyway.

Moon§hiner

04-02-2005, 03:35 PM

Warfield in KC has had 3 DUI's in 4 years and is still on the street and possibly in the starting lineup for the Chiefs....it amazes me that the laws set down for you and I, don't seem to apply to "stars"

Edit......I do want to add, that I want them to allow him to play football, just have a designated driver though..seeing his flailing arms as a receiver runs past him is priceless

Atlas

04-02-2005, 03:43 PM

Warfield in KC has had 3 DUI's in 4 years and is still on the street and possibly in the starting lineup for the Chiefs....it amazes me that the laws set down for you and I, don't seem to apply to "stars"

That is amazing that the NFL allows him to play. Although he didn't neccessarily get any star treatment by the court system. I know 3 or 4 people that have 3 or more DWIs.

DBroncos4life

04-02-2005, 03:50 PM

In Montana I think ist the same if you do blow. But the kicker is you don't have that DUI on your record. You get something else on there but its no where near as bad as having a DUI. I have one and with all the classes I had to take and the SR 22 or what ever the heck that is, I can tell you this. DON'T DRINK AND DRIVE or just don't get caught :)

Moon§hiner

04-02-2005, 03:55 PM

That is amazing that the NFL allows him to play. Although he didn't neccessarily get any star treatment by the court system. I know 3 or 4 people that have 3 or more DWIs.

true...but would you still have a job with your current employer if you had three DUI's in 4 years?
If so, I'd like to know if you guys are hiring?...heh..jk bud

Ray Finkle

04-02-2005, 04:29 PM

How is that. The worst that can happen if you refuse to blow is that you get a DWI. IF he had 5 beers he was going to get one anyway.

Most cops and judges I have spoken (remember I am getting my MPA with a concentration in Admin of Justice) equate a refusal to blow as the same as blowing over the limit. It is smarter to blow and fail and get a good lawyer then not blow.

Ray Finkle

04-02-2005, 04:30 PM

true...but would you still have a job with your current employer if you had three DUI's in 4 years?
If so, I'd like to know if you guys are hiring?...heh..jk bud

If you played for the Chiefs, wouldn't you need to drink?

gunns

04-02-2005, 04:52 PM

Little can burn in hell though for what he continues to do.
_________________

Amen! So can Warfield.

TexanBob

04-02-2005, 05:07 PM

Depends on what you mean by "innocent". In a court, Little was "not guilty". I doubt anyone except his mother and his lawyer believe he is innocent.

Moon§hiner

04-02-2005, 05:16 PM

" It is smarter to blow and fail and get a good lawyer then not blow."
Wow...if there were ever a tagline opportunity for me that would be it....I choose not to blow...LOL

Ray Finkle

04-02-2005, 05:22 PM

" It is smarter to blow and fail and get a good lawyer then not blow."
Wow...if there were ever a tagline opportunity for me that would be it....I choose not to blow...LOL

Feel free to take it.....ROFL!

Moon§hiner

04-02-2005, 05:27 PM

naa...I'll just send an E Card to my ex wife with those lines and tell her thanks for the memories

gunns

04-02-2005, 05:40 PM

" It is smarter to blow and fail and get a good lawyer then not blow."
Wow...if there were ever a tagline opportunity for me that would be it....I choose not to blow...LOL

I choose not to swallow.

DBroncos4life

04-02-2005, 05:45 PM

I choose not to swallow.

We can never date then gunns.

Moon§hiner

04-02-2005, 05:50 PM

roflmao

Bronco_Beerslug

04-02-2005, 06:21 PM

Most cops and judges I have spoken (remember I am getting my MPA with a concentration in Admin of Justice) equate a refusal to blow as the same as blowing over the limit. It is smarter to blow and fail and get a good lawyer then not blow.
Why, what's the benefit?

Ray Finkle

04-02-2005, 09:09 PM

Why, what's the benefit?

Basically, a good lawyer can get you out of a DWI if you take the test. He can build a case around it. If you refuse the test, he does not have as much solid evidence to build a case on.

ro_50

04-02-2005, 09:23 PM

tornado927

04-03-2005, 10:26 AM

In Texas it is an automatic 90 day suspension but if you get a DWI your still going to lose your license for that amount of time. The reality of the situation is that if you have a trial by jury a couple of those jurors will be sympathetic to you because they to drink and drive or they just distrust what the police officer has done. A lawyer can do a great many things to cause doubt and many police are not trained as well as they should be.

"The reality of the situation is that if you have a trial by jury a couple of those jurors (or judge) will be sympathetic to you because they to drink and drive"

You nailed it right there. Anytime there are jurors involved, it is a roll of the dice. I have seen a large number of trials and I get nervous anytime it goes to trial because you never know who is sitting in the jury box, what expierences they have had with the court system, cops, their own DWI's etc.

"many police are not trained as well as they should be"

I will politely disagree, simply because I have seen the training and gone through it. Many times it is a lack of expierence and not a lack of training. You can teach someone everything in a classroom, but putting it together on the street is a whole another monster.

Nuggets4

04-03-2005, 10:29 AM

Anyone who drinks and drives -- I hope you take your own f**king life and not someone else's.

There is NO EXCUSE to drink and drive. Period.

Atlas

04-03-2005, 10:31 AM

There is NO EXCUSE to drink and drive. Period.

Well, the bar closes and you need to go home and go to work in the morning
:-*

Nuggets4

04-03-2005, 10:50 AM

Get a f**king cab or walk.

Mr Chatterboodamn

04-03-2005, 11:01 AM

Did you see the story on Leonard Little last year on sportscenter. The lady that Little killed in that drunk drive accident, her husband is a freelance photographer that occasionally takes pictures at Ram home games. My heart went out to him and his sone during that piece. It was tragic. LL should be locked up and should not be allowed to play. How many second chances is this loser going to get?

I totally agree... I can't believe that you can kill someone drunk driving and just walk after another arrest. A friend pointed out his history at this site, which is a pretty awesome site overall btw: http://www.nndb.com/people/032/000045894/

As far as whether to blow or not to blow, most DMV's predicate the driving priveledge on your willingness to submit to a blood, urine, or breath sample by a peace officer during a stop. so I guess I would gauge whether I blew on whether I thought I had a chance to pass or not. it's hard to always drive sober given the many social contexts of drinking, but it's always smart to only drive when you feel like you're in control of the car and alcohol isn't in control of you. I know plenty of people with DUI's, so I don't automatically condemn because I think most of us have been legally drunk at one point in time while driving for whatever reason. I also know people who have thrown up in their cars, at which point I would say they have a problem... like mr. little. he should have his license suspended for several years. he can afford limos and unforuntately he can afford good lawyers. if he was just a random guy he would have been upstate, on lockdown by now.

Spider

04-03-2005, 11:03 AM

http://www.casperstartribune.net/articles/2005/04/02/news/casper/b1bb37f54693aa7587256fd500677ae7.txt
Man gets 60 days in fatal rollover

By ANTHONY LANE
Star-Tribune staff writer

The man who pleaded no contest to negligent homicide in the September death of a 20-year-old friend was sentenced Wednesday to serve 60 days in jail.

According to reports, Cassidy Thomas Fitzpatrick, who was then 20, had been drinking with friends Sept. 4 before getting into a rollover accident that killed Amy Otterholt.

The sentence, which suspends all but 60 days of a one-year sentence, exceeds the suggestion by Cassidy's attorney that his client be sentenced to serve 10 days in jail on weekends, a request designed to allow Cassidy to continue working.

In all, there were five passengers in Cassidy's pickup truck at the time he failed to negotiate a corner on Bates Creek Road about 12 miles from Wyoming Highway 487, according to reports from the Natrona County Sheriff's Office.

The road was slippery and Fitzpatrick could not steer or stop the vehicle, which began to slide down a 30-foot embankment, reports say. The truck rolled and landed on its roof.

No one was ejected from the truck in the crash, but Otterholt died at the scene, reports say.

A separate charge against Fitzpatrick of driving under the influence of alcohol was dismissed as part of his plea agreement.

According to the letter from attorney Mel Dunn asking that Cassidy receive 10 days in jail, "Cassidy did everything humanly possible to help all occupants of the truck, and then humbly admitted his responsibility to Amy's mother."

The letter goes on, quoting a letter from Joan Otterholt: "We feel Amy would want others to be educated about the risks she and her other friends took that led to this accident as only Cassidy could relate them."

The order from Natrona County Circuit Court Judge Michael Huber falls between the request by Cassidy's attorney and the full year he could have been ordered to serve under the law.

Reporter Anthony Lane can be reached at (307) 266-0593 or at