Sidebar Discussion #5

[logicalgirl]

According to Matt Morgan, it has been moved to Thursday:

Lovely - thank you! Now this saves me from looking all morning!

 

[lowens1975]

When my underage niece got drunk and caught by the police, my sister demanded that police take her to jail. :rocker: The police had to talk my sister out of it! :floorlaugh: She didn't drive though?

I don't agree with Jeff Ashton defending his son, legally! His son is an adult and should own up to his mistakes and take responsibility for them without dad getting involved.

If CA had done that, the world would be a friendlier place for her. :floorlaugh: I agree he should 'own up'. As a wife of a retired police officer, I've taken a lot jokes about 'getting tickets' fixed, when I have never asked anyone to ever do it. I actually got four tickets in one traffic stop before, I'm kinda proud of that, it's kinda a record, at least for me :what:. I admitted I was wrong, got 'wrote up and took them. I was actually embarrassed when they ran the tag and asked me if my husband was the police officer by the same name. Most of the time they would call him long before I got home, anyway. :banghead: But the point is, I never started out the conversation with an officer with "Do you know who I'm married to? You're OIC, that's who". I took my tickets and let it go at that.

 

[LambChop]

If CA had done that, the world would be a friendlier place for her. :floorlaugh: I agree he should 'own up'. As a wife of a retired police officer, I've taken a lot jokes about 'getting tickets' fixed, when I have never asked anyone to ever do it. I actually got four tickets in one traffic stop before, I'm kinda proud of that, it's kinda a record, at least for me :what:. I admitted I was wrong, got 'wrote up and took them. I was actually embarrassed when they ran the tag and asked me if my husband was the police officer by the same name. Most of the time they would call him long before I got home, anyway. :banghead: But the point is, I never started out the conversation with an officer with "Do you know who I'm married to? You're OIC, that's who". I took my tickets and let it go at that.

Well, maybe it was his son's first time in trouble. And no matter what way JA reacted someone would have had a problem with the way he handled it. I understand because my daughter, when she was a teen, got into something minor and my husband (who was a police officer at the time) said "You handle it because she will never learn her lesson if I go." So she and I went to court and paid a fine and that was it. No problems since. Afterwards my husband said he should have gone. Not to get her off paying the fine but because he was her Dad first and LE afterwards. jmo

 

[krkrjx]

Well, maybe it was his son's first time in trouble. And no matter what way JA reacted someone would have had a problem with the way he handled it. I understand because my daughter, when she was a teen, got into something minor and my husband (who was a police officer at the time) said "You handle it because she will never learn her lesson if I go." So she and I went to court and paid a fine and that was it. No problems since. Afterwards my husband said he should have gone. Not to get her off paying the fine but because he was her Dad first and LE afterwards. jmo

Seems they are claiming the breathalizer equipment is unreliable/was not working properly. If it were just that I could totally understand their fighting the charge of DUI. But...was the equipment that clocked him speeding at 20+ MPH over the speed limit also not working? Possible, but not probable that all equipment involved in this situation failed.

I hope there is more to this story than we know. If not, MOO is that dad should step aside and let someone else handle the defense.

 

[egnarts]

MOO: JA defending son in DUI.
Innocent until proven guilty.
I do NOT condone drunk driving.

Before happy hour here on WS, I would like each of you trying to walk a straight line, hold one leg up/forward with your toe pointed for 30 seconds & cite the alphabet backwards. This type of coordination is not my forte, sober or not! (But, I can stand on my head - go figure)
If what the son says is true & can be proven (2 beers?, 1 with dinner, in > x time frame) and equipment was faulty...he has every right to defend himself.

JA defending his son may not be the popular decision. I'm guessing JA knows that. I'm also pretty sure, in his position, he has made several decisions throughout his career that may have not been popular. Rather, they were the correct path to follow.
JA: Best the the public can do is IGNORE FCA. Not necessarily popular, but right thing to do?
Politically, should he have advised his son to seek other representaion? Maybe.
JA just doesn't strike me as one would would take the easy way out or LIE in a court of law. (FCA? GA? CA? LA?)
Nor does he strike me as someone who would defend his son if he did not believe extenuating circumstances were involved/he was innocent of the DUI.
Other mitigating factors based on the fact JA is running for office?
68 mph in a 45. Guilty as charged.
DUI? tbd in court.

OT: My (then 16 yo) son was recently given a traffic ticket.
HR student. Good kid. Normal minor 'teenage infractions'.
He professed his innocence.
We reviewed the offense/statute.
This same officer pulled him over on his 16th b-day, because 'he looked too young to be driving'.
We attempted to arrange a meeting with the Chief of Police and Officer. I had explained the mounting circumstances were not showing LE in a favorable light to an impressionable teen. Chief proclaimed great idea and would be happy to arrange a time to meet. Meeting has not yet come to fruition.
If he disobeyed the law - he should pay the price. After much consternation (will a judge believe a novice driver vs a 30 yo veteran officer?) we hired an attorney to fight the ticket. He should stand-up for his rights in a court of law & allow a judge to decide. A good lesson to learn, no matter the outcome.
His ticket was dismissed. He did much better than I would in front of a judge, officer & 2attorneys at that age! He was ecstatic he was proven NG, however, the further 'embellishments' of the officer's testimony were quite disconcerting to my son.

He is paying me monthly, for the cost of the attorney.
I find it difficult to believe JA's son will not 'pay' for his services in some manner.
Things are not always as they appear.
jmo

 

[wonders]

Seems they are claiming the breathalizer equipment is unreliable/was not working properly. If it were just that I could totally understand their fighting the charge of DUI. But...was the equipment that clocked him speeding at 20+ MPH over the speed limit also not working? Possible, but not probable that all equipment involved in this situation failed.

I hope there is more to this story than we know. If not, MOO is that dad should step aside and let someone else handle the defense.

I'm wondering if there was a dash-cam to record the sobrity test.
I'm one who thinks there is no excuse for anyone these days to drink and drive.
I also feel that JA should be there as a father not a defender.

 

[Basmat]

I'm wondering if there was a dash-cam to record the sobrity test.
I'm one who thinks there is no excuse for anyone these days to drink and drive.
I also feel that JA should be there as a father not a defender.

I would be willing to bet that the failed dexterity test was recorded by a dash cam.

JA can claim the breathalyzer was faulty, but the fact that his son failed the dexterity test, was speeding, and that officers could smell alcohol speaks volumes.

I'm sorry to say that JA defending his adult son in a case that could have resulted in his son killing or injuring someone has caused my respect for him to plummet.

JMO.

 

[Mama-cita]

:floorlaugh: You know what's coming next, right? A lawsuit because they used her picture without her permission or something like that. You just know she's going to want money for that cameo! Or she'll just be mad that they used an ugly picture of her! :floorlaugh:

She'll say they defamed her!! Lolol!! They totally mish-conshtrue and mish-represent everything! Without haste!! I can't wait to see all the mistakes in her self-penned legal brief against NBC, the Office and the general viewing public that laughed a her!! Lol! NBC has now TWICE made Mizz Anthony the butt of the joke. Just a big old butt.

 

[Mama-cita]

I don't think this will help his election chances.

Whether or not the device was faulty, he was speeding and stumbling and the police officer smelled alcohol.

Agreed, it most definitely will NOT help his election. I am surprised he is doing this as well. IMO he is not doing his son any favors buy teaching him how to avoid responsibility. From Cindy I would have expected this, not Jeff. His stock went down in my book...

 

[rossva]

JA is an attorney; why should his son have to find representation outside his family, or if indigent, force the state of Florida to pay for his defense? Ashton has joined the law firm of Troum and Wallsh, a firm that handles criminal law.

I hope there is more to this story than we know. If not, MOO is that dad should step aside and let someone else handle the defense.

 

[Basmat]

JA is an attorney; why should his son have to find representation outside his family, or if indigent, force the state of Florida to pay for his defense? Ashton has joined the law firm of Troum and Wallsh, a firm that handles criminal law.

Conflict of interest is the first thing to enter my mind. Some people just like to stir up a hornets nest.

Some people have criticized JA in his prosecution of Casey Anthony, but are now standing up for JA for defending his son in a drunk driving arrest. His son is an adult and should be held accountable for driving drunk and endangering other drivers on the road.

 

[SCHTown]

Conflict of interest is the first thing to enter my mind. Some people just like to stir up a hornets nest.

Some people have criticized JA in his prosecution of Casey Anthony, but are now standing up for JA for defending his son in a drunk driving arrest. His son is an adult and should be held accountable for driving drunk and endangering other drivers on the road.

It isn't cheap to hire an attorney! Since he's defending him, how is that not holding him accountable? It's not like he's trying to get the charges dropped illegally, he's going through the system as he would any other defendant. I'm sure JA has handled the situation at home in private. JMO

 

[zippitydoda]

It isn't cheap to hire an attorney! Since he's defending him, how is that not holding him accountable? It's not like he's trying to get the charges dropped illegally, he's going through the system as he would any other defendant. I'm sure JA has handled the situation at home in private. JMO

This is not any other defendant, and this case will be played out in public.

If JA had hired/used another attorney through his firm, this may not have even gotten notice in the local papers. Now it has, perhaps due soley to JA name - who just happens to be running for SA in Orange County. Lots and lots of wtf going on, and I suspect days of jabs from the non-supporters of JA.

I need a vacation.

 

[Basmat]

It isn't cheap to hire an attorney! Since he's defending him, how is that not holding him accountable? It's not like he's trying to get the charges dropped illegally, he's going through the system as he would any other defendant. I'm sure JA has handled the situation at home in private. JMO

If JA feels his son is totally innocent, he has the money to hire another lawyer for his son.

I don't mean to be disrespectful, but in my mind JA defending his son in this case is a conflict of interest.

And it now speaks volumes to me that JA is not as honorable as he once seemed to be.

He KNOWS that his son could have killed or injured innocent people yet chooses to defend him.

I apologize to those I might offend. JMO.

 

[GiantPickle]

I love me some JA but he should stay out of it and have a colleague represent his son.

 

[LambChop]

Maybe his son means more to him than the position of State's Attorney. A defense attorney will put in a not guilty plea because there was a problem with the instrument. Whether he had too much to drink or not I think I would have to trust JA's judgment on this one. jmo

 

[ZsaZsa]

JA is an attorney; why should his son have to find representation outside his family, or if indigent, force the state of Florida to pay for his defense? Ashton has joined the law firm of Troum and Wallsh, a firm that handles criminal law.

For the same reason a Physician should not treat his own family members.
He cannot be objective and that adversely influences his decisions.

 

[Camille]

MOO: JA defending son in DUI.


Before happy hour here on WS, I would like each of you trying to walk a straight line, hold one leg up/forward with your toe pointed for 30 seconds & cite the alphabet backwards.

Your whole post was excellent but I had to try this. No problem with the walking and holding the foot up but the backwards alphabet thing almost had me in tears. :banghead:

 

[TotallyObsessed]

For those interested

Mark Eiglarsh will give his opinion on this JA defending son matter tonite on HLN at 6:20 ET

 

[krkrjx]

For those interested

Mark Eiglarsh will give his opinion on this JA defending son matter tonite on HLN at 6:20 ET

LOL, I don't see why this is news at all. Charges are reduced and even dropped routinely in cases like this. Not saying it's right, just that that's how it is. But, if it happens in this case people will want to say JA demanded and received special favors of some kind. For that reason, it might be best to let someone else in the firm take over so this can all just blow over the way it should. JMO.