Update: Dr. Road Rage, Mandeville Case
Thread started by
GarySe7en at 01.15.09 - 11:34 am
L.A. Now Story
Dr. Thompson, the evil one not the
goofy one, has pleaded not guilty in his arraignment for the more serious charges he has been accused of. Trail date has been set to March 6th, though his lawyers may try to pull some voodoo before then.
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My sympathies are with the doctor. Far too often I see pretentious idiots wearing tights who think they are Lance Armstrong riding bicycles recklessly. This incident is an excellent example. How fast does a bicyclist have to be moving to generate enough force to ram their head through the rear windshield of a car.? The fact of the matter is that these bicyclists were riding way too fast and were a hazard to everybody on that road. By their own admission when the doctor told them to ride single-file (AS REQUIRED BY LAW) they hurled profanities at him and made threats. I'll bet they were chasing the car and thought they could catch him at the bottom of the hill.
Posted by: James Sullivan | January 15, 2009 at 11:02 AM
why is the name james sullivan so familiar to me? maybe im just imagining things.
ruinedbyidiots01.15.09 - 12:08 pm
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The doctor admitted to police he was trying to teach the cyclists a lesson.
studiodrome01.15.09 - 12:12 pm
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WELL HE SURE TAUGHT ME A LESSON:
- ' DO NOT FOLLOW A CAR TO CLOSE, AFTER GETTING IN TO A
VERBAL CONFRONTATION.'
eddieboyinla01.15.09 - 12:20 pm
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eddy they didnt even have a chance to make that decision. the guy cut them off.
Roadblock01.15.09 - 12:23 pm
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I HEAR YOU, BUT I STILL WILL NOT FOLLOW A CAR TO CLOSE.
THAT'S WHAT I LEARNED.
eddieboyinla01.15.09 - 12:24 pm
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I think Dr. Road Rage taught himself a very good lesson.
studiodrome01.15.09 - 12:32 pm
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I think we have to do everything we can to make his lesson hurt more.
Roadblock01.15.09 - 12:35 pm
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I think mob lynchings are an underrated deterrent for this type of driver's behavior
tallcans4tallbikes01.15.09 - 1:08 pm
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I really hope our legal system comes through in this case. I am curious as to why he was not charged with assault with a deadly weapon.
If this guy is found not guilty, in my mind, things could get nasty.
angle01.15.09 - 1:10 pm
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The most serious charge they could have made was attempted vehicular homicide, which I think would have been quite justified in this case. However it is extremely difficult to get that conviction, and so other charges were pursued that would be easier to win. If it were up to me he would be charged with attempted vehicular homicide no question looking at the situation and hearing the accounts. He did get one charge of mayhem amongst his laundry list of charges, which I had never even heard of.
GarySe7en01.15.09 - 1:32 pm
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"rich people with lawyers.... "
Underpaid prosecutor vs overpaid private defense lawyer? It's pretty easy to guess the outcome.
toweliesbong01.15.09 - 1:51 pm
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"Underpaid prosecutor vs overpaid private defense lawyer? It's pretty easy to guess the outcome."
oh yeah... very well put.
Roadblock01.15.09 - 1:53 pm
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he probably wouldn't get time if he was found guilty, but it would be awesome if he was convicted of a felony since that could also lead to the California Medical Board either suspending his license, or (HOPE HOPE) completely revoke his privileges to practice
ipsofatso01.15.09 - 1:58 pm
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Damn I tried to get over there to get some videos of our dickhead of the year, but I was busy today. You can bet I'll be there next month!
User101.15.09 - 2:45 pm
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"Underpaid prosecutor vs overpaid private defense lawyer? It's pretty easy to guess the outcome."
That's what O.J. thought about his 2nd trial.
Let's give the legal system a chance to work here.
Lawyers aren't magical, and this case has multiple eye witnesses as well as the Doctor's own statements to the police, so he stands a pretty good chance of getting found guilty.
JB01.15.09 - 2:54 pm
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March 6th I want to see a huge crowd to send a message to this mother fucker and anyone else like him. I'll paint signs, take the day off work and come with my camera. Lets give him a welcoming committee when he shows up for trail.
GarySe7en01.15.09 - 2:57 pm
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"
"Underpaid prosecutor vs overpaid private defense lawyer? It's pretty easy to guess the outcome."
That's what O.J. thought about his 2nd trial.
The motherfucker was broke for his second trial. BIG DIFFERENCE.
"Let's give the legal system a chance to work here.
Lawyers aren't magical, and this case has multiple eye witnesses as well as the Doctor's own statements to the police, so he stands a pretty good chance of getting found guilty."
heh. been living in the US long? how would the stats add up if we compiled a "rich people who got out of jail free card" vs. "rich people who got their fucking due justice" database. hahah c'mon man do we have to start in intrade account on wether Dr. Death will get anything more than a slap on the wrist?
Roadblock01.15.09 - 3:25 pm
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thats a great idea a justice pool .
lvl 0 - scott free
lvl 1 - misdemeanor/ probation
lvl 2 - felony/ prison sentence
lvl 3 - felony/ general population
lvl 4 - max sentence
trickmilla01.15.09 - 3:29 pm
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TO RUINED;
Who side are you on?
Who cares if cyclist haul ass down hill and take up the lane?
It is often safer to take over the lane at speed that get pushed into the curb by aggressive motorist.
As stated in the DMV manual driving is a privlige not a right !
To many motorist are confussed about this issue.
They assume they have the right to become;
SELF APPOINTED TRAFFIC ENFORCERS !
Hey we never got to drag last night, maybe next time ?
I will be wearing my spandex
Dedicated81801.15.09 - 8:07 pm
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Hey Gary. Take that day off man. Everybody should take this day off!!!
We should be holding races to get there, crankmob should stay out late, wolfpack should have a team race...... anything we can do to get everyone to take that fucken day off and be there. Huge. HUGE.
Make a ride for this!
Roadblock01.15.09 - 8:13 pm
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Dedicated, rbi was quoting from a reply left on another site by someone named James Sullivan. Ha. Those aren't the comments of rbi.
Roadblock01.15.09 - 8:16 pm
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I tried to but this under comments on BOX's blog, but no luck
Do you know if the DA has offer him a deal at present time. i.e. plead guilty to these lessor charges and this will be your sentence?
I don't think any cyclist is going to see this man get what they feel he has coming to him. I do think at the very least this will end up being a major pain in the ass for him. If convicted of a felony(s), he will most likely get a suspended sentence. Possible jail time, more then likely most of the time being done on house arrest. If any time is demanded that it be served, he could pay to do it at a city jail as oppose to going to the county jail. He will have to do anger management courses. He may have his license to practice medicine reviewed.
My arm chair predictions.
sexy01.15.09 - 10:32 pm
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Not bad buddy. I like that prediction...
Roadblock01.15.09 - 10:35 pm
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Not to mention the civil suit which is going to take a good chunk of change out of his pocket.
sexy01.15.09 - 10:39 pm
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Lol dedicated, you need to read more closely...
If I may speak for him, RBI's sympathies are definitely not 'with the doctor'. he was posting that to show how ignorant some people can be, even in the face of overwhelming evidence of douchebaggery (and potentially lethal douchebaggery at that!)
This motherfucker's gonna get his, legal system or not. I'm more than happy to let the DA take her shot, but if Dr. Thompson isn't in jail for at least a couple of years, I'm going to personally make sure his life is nevertheless hellish...and I know i'm not the only one.
Lance K01.15.09 - 10:43 pm
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Even if he gets a suspended sentence, a felony conviction will probably cause him to lose his medical license, as well as his driver's license, in addition to all the other rights you lose as a result of being a convicted felon. (Not to mention that if the judge does anything less than throw the book at him, the doctor will probably have to move to avoid the wrath of the cyclists.)
"Thompson is charged with one felony count of reckless driving causing injury and two felony counts of battery with serious injury, two counts of causing “great bodily injury” to the cyclists while attempting to commit a felony and one count of mayhem for other severe injuries to one of the cyclists. He also faces one count of misdemeanor reckless driving causing injury in an incident with another cyclist on the same road in March."
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/01/a-brentwood-phy.html#comments
Getting arrested for a violent felony is no joke, even if you've got lots of money, and he's facing charges for 6 felonies and 1 misdemeanor.
And this is just the criminal trial, the civil lawsuits that will follow after this will be a whole other wringer that he's going to get put through.
It's easy to be cynical about the justice system, but even IF this guy has the best lawyers in town, and the D.A, and the plaintiffs attorney screw everything up repeatedly, he's still looking at another year or two of legal hell before he can put this behind him, and that's his BEST CASE scenario.
Worst case, he's facing several years in prison.
JB01.15.09 - 11:00 pm
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I agree with you JB. The lawyer fees alone in the criminal and civil cases could feed an entire city in some 3rd world country. An old boss of mine is going through a divorce, he has gone through $200k in Lawyer fees alone in a short amount of time. The guy is getting punished no matter what. And what about his community? Hes a doctor and he intentionally put other people in harms way, if I were him I'd live with my shades closed for at least 2 years.
I don't feel sorry for the guy at all, just pointing out that he is for sure getting what he deserves no matter the outcome of the criminal trial.
The Doc will throw everything he has, so as not to be classified as a felon, and keep
kaslik01.15.09 - 11:28 pm
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Holy shit! 100+ comments on the L.A. Now story linked above.
angle01.16.09 - 9:50 am
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I read the later post that Box put up and he said it's March 6th 2010, something the LA post did not specify. If this is in fact the case, will try to get confirmation on that, that is fucking BS!! Two year delay, WTF!! If he pulled a knife and stabbed the 2 cyclists or shot at them he wouldn't be getting some 2 year delay. If this is true I think we should organize a protest of the delay of justice.
GarySe7en01.16.09 - 10:57 am
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I'm telling you. Rich people have all the tools they need to get away with murder in this country let alone attempting to murder some "annoying cyclists"
This old fuck of a doctor might be dead by then. Good riddance but still, why does he get to wait so long before justice is served? Oh yeah, cause he can afford lawyers to bungle up the system. This also gives him enough time to transfer his assets and protect most of them from a civil suit. Its all kinds of wrong.
Roadblock01.16.09 - 11:31 am
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I'm okay with letting him sweat for two years. That's a really long time to sit with a shitty thing you've done. A long time of not sleeping nights until he comes up with some fucked-up justification. Then, when he's found guilty (and I have faith that he will be found guilty), he'll totally flip. It'll fuck him up, big-time. We know he has rage problems; maybe he'll even throw a fit in the courtroom & get contempt of court charges.
As for his medical license, I know there's a part of the Hippocratic oath that states you must at the very least "do no harm." I don't know if it applies to the doctors' life outside the hospital. If it does, his license is gone, mostly because of his "teach them a lesson" comment. It's not his job to inflict serious personal injury on someone in order to teach them a goddamned thing; it's exactly not his job.
katiepoche01.16.09 - 11:38 am
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I think that's a typo. It suppose to be 2009.
User101.16.09 - 11:44 am
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Civil suits are also strengthened by a successful criminal trail, so he gets to spend the next two years still driving the roads and holding on to his sweet money while the cyclists recover from surgery and financial loss from not being able to work for a while. Fuck this guy.
GarySe7en01.16.09 - 11:48 am
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I will ask Meghan who can call and get more information from the news room when she gets in to work to make sure on this.
GarySe7en01.16.09 - 11:50 am
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"Can someone please post this Doc's address please? THANX!!!
"I'm telling you. Rich people have all the tools they need to get away with murder in this country let alone attempting to murder some "annoying cyclists" "This old fuck of a doctor might be dead by then. Good riddance but still, why does he get to wait so long before justice is served? Oh yeah, cause he can afford lawyers to bungle up the system. This also gives him enough time to transfer his assets and protect most of them from a civil suit. Its all kinds of wrong."
OJ went to prison, and he's not broke. He's still got his $300k a year NFL pension. Most doctors don't make $300k/yr, and OJ didn't actually physically harm anyone, while the Dr. did.
Guys, take a look at this from the Dr.'s position. It's not a pretty one.
First, he's 59, so he's got plenty of time.
Second, thanks to anti-terrorism efforts, and the IRS rewarding overseas bank staff for providing info, asset transfer is pretty difficult. The only reasonable method is to buy a home in Florida (which is judgment proof), but who really wants to live in Florida?
If he were smart, he would have apologized, done his utmost best to make things right with the cyclists, gone for a plea bargain, and gotten on with his life.
But no, he's being a self-righteous dumbass about this, so now he has to spend the next 2-3 years of his life paying legal fees and wondering if he's going to go to prison, and wondering how much $ he's going to be out in the civil suit, which he'll also have to pay the legal fees for, since insurance doesn't cover intentional torts.
Even for a retired doctor, $300+ per hour adds up pretty quickly, and that's just the legal fees, a civil judgment on top of that could be harsh.
His best shot is for some dumbass to get his address and take vigilante action against him or his property, thus proving that cyclists ARE as obnoxious and incapable of obeying the law as he's claimed, thus swaying community opinion (somewhat at least) in his favor. Don't do that.
The next year or two are going to be a nightmare for this guy even if he does manage to avoid going to prison.
JB01.16.09 - 11:52 am
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Please confirm if that's a typo.
And can we confirm is this piece of garbage is actually going to show up?
Allan, I like waht you said about fooling the body guards who were trying to block you from getting in the elevator.
I'm down to get me you big bike dan and box into an elevator with doctor death and his body guards and a video cameras galore. Hahahahah come on baby, lets make sure not to shower and ride the whole way there too so we're nice and sweaty. I will eat garlic and beans the night before.
Roadblock01.16.09 - 11:53 am
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JB is talking some sense.... but we all feel it don't we.... the guy is going to drag this shit on and on, remember, this dr death owns a pharmaceutical lab or some shit. He's making millions every year. The legal fees are big, but dr. Death has bank coming in. Even if the legal fees reach into the 10 million range - which it won't - its not going to change up dr deaths lifestyle.
The delay tactics are precisely to diffuse "community opinion" and anger. The longer this takes the mopre its forgotten the less pressure for the judge to have a pair.
I gotta hand it to martha stewart. She just got it over with. Served her fucken time like a responsible human being. Props to her.
Roadblock01.16.09 - 12:00 pm
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Nah, it's supposed to be 2010. Stephen box said so in 3 separate places (his blog, and two facebook comments). I don't understand why anyone's surprised at this- aren't there a couple of threads floating around about how easy it is to tie up the legal system? And someone suggested that Thompson might skip out; that will probably be made much more difficult by the fact that his passport is being detained. He also can't back out of the civil suit by buying property, the judge would just make him sell it to pay up.
danya01.16.09 - 12:01 pm
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No, the lab he owns is pretty small-scale as I remember. He may be a millionaire, but he's not a deca or centi-millionaire, so a civil judgment could pretty much wipe him out.
JB01.16.09 - 12:04 pm
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An attempted murderer gets to chillax until 2010 where MAYBE they will procede unless his lawyer$ delay it a bit more..... Justice american style.
Roadblock01.16.09 - 12:12 pm
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JB. You killin me man... his home alone has to be worth a couple mill... lets look it up on zillow.
Roadblock01.16.09 - 12:13 pm
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Roadblock- Actually, I totally agree with JB. Thompson lives in a showy neighborhood, with people more concerned with looking like they have millions than being able to back it up. he probably doesn't own his house, at least not completely.
danya01.16.09 - 12:21 pm
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Dude, if we don't see this fucker for a year, I really like RB idea!! I wana send this fucker off with the best fuck you we can come up with!
User101.16.09 - 12:23 pm
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"I wana send this fucker off with the best fuck you we can come up with!"
His current situation IS the best fuck you I can think of, at least if you like psychological abuse.
Imagine spending the next year or two of your life with the local paper basically proclaiming you a shithead every month or two, being hated by a large segment of your community, spending thousands of dollars per month on lawyers knowing full well that their efforts could easily fail, the money may be wasted, and you could still go to prison for years AND find yourself owing a couple of million bucks to the folks you hit (and owing it at the same time the high-end real estate market bottoms out). I'd be popping Xanax like they were jelly beans.
Best of all, the cycling community doesn't have to do anything, we can just sit back and laugh.
JB01.16.09 - 12:41 pm
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Wow lots of idealism and hope in here.... maybe we need to do an experiment. Lets go grab a broke motherfucker, throw him in a banged up car and have him attempt to murder a couple people on bikes and see who gets justice quicker the broke guy or Dr. Death.
All cynical anti-americanism aside... What I want to know though is whether or not this piece of garbage will be around march 6th 2009???? What's the deal. Someone confirm. I want to be there with a mob of stinky sweaty drunk hungover bike riders. I want to film this guys face and put it on youtube forever.
So is there, or is there not something happening that this piece of shit has to be at on march 2009?
Roadblock01.16.09 - 12:44 pm
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" want to be there with a mob of stinky sweaty drunk hungover bike riders. I want to film this guys face and put it on youtube forever."
How about a bunch of nicely dressed, respectful, sober bike riders that look like people worth taking seriously?
JB01.16.09 - 12:54 pm
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I've been following this case since the beginning and it's a terrible situation. What the Dr. Thompson did was wrong and I hope he gets jail time for it. On the other hand, if the cyclists were egging him on, they were fucking with the wrong pissed off driver. Over the years riding in this city, I've learned (sometimes the hard way) that you don't engage angry motorists. Let them honk and curse and pass you so close you can feel the wind from their car. As long as they don't hit you it's cool. Don't let their negative energy fuck up your ride. We all know that driving in this city can be a frustrating experience, and some of us handle it better than others. For some reason, cyclists bear the brunt of some motorists' frustration. I've given up on trying for figure out why someone riding a bicycle could make you mad enough to use your vehicle as a weapon. Mandeville is a beautiful and challenging climb I love to ride it, but I usually go on the "off-peak" hours during the week (I don't want to deal with asshole cyclists either). How would you feel if a bunch of people were coming to your neighborhood every weekend early in the morning yelling, littering, and taking up the road? Oh and if weren't for aerodynamics and my desire to someday have children I'd race in Dickies shorts and a t-shirt.
Velocipede01.16.09 - 12:56 pm
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"The Dr. is charged with 7 counts including Mayhem, the District Attorney asked the Judge to have him turn over his passport. Next date is February 23, 2009 and the trial is set for March 6, 2010."
"The trial date is set for March 6, 2010, almost 2 years after the July 4 weekend incident that set this journey in motion. "
So I'd say...not 2009. I'm not sure if he has to be at the 2/23/09 court date. If he does... I say we start riding at 5. Bike District-> DTLA-> Mandeville Canyon -> Courthouse, let's get good and sweaty! Also, no spandex- let's find the ideal material for holding in as much of our lovely scent as possible!
danya01.16.09 - 12:57 pm
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"Let them honk and curse and pass you so close you can feel the wind from their car. As long as they don't hit you it's cool."
Me -
ahhhhh no it isn't cool! They're fucking with my life. Also CVC code is being violated. CVC gives them the right to take up the road too. Littering? And what do you do with the drivers that litter? Bar them from being on the road? Anyways this is the first I've heard that these cyclist were litter bugs. Is proper punishment slamming your brakes in front of them?
User101.16.09 - 1:06 pm
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Clarification: The Court Date is now set for "March 6, "zero of 10" not March 6 of '10.
This means that based the Defendant has the right to a trial within 10 days of March 6 but that date will be determined at the pre-trial conference on Feb 23 where motions will be made including the Defendant's motion to dismiss. The attorneys will then compare schedules and negotiate for a date.
The defendant will probably want to push the date as long as possible but that all remains to be seen.
SoapBoxLA01.16.09 - 1:13 pm
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Ahhh JB yor right, we should look respect-able and well dressed. I've even argued that point about protests.... the more we look like "kooks" the less serious we'll be taken by the powers that be.
I won't wear a suit but I will dress accept-able, maybe even a collared shirt. But I will ride there and I will get in the elevator and film and whatever else I need to do to make this piece of trash feel it because he's already getting special treatment.
I just don't buy the argument that because he's feeling stressed that's justice.
You know, lawyers have schemes too. They will charge "exorbatnt fees" for their services which is really a back channel way to funnel off assets and protect them as part of a "partnership" deal with clients. There's all kinds of ways this piece of shit can get off pretty easy compared to your average citizen.
Roadblock01.16.09 - 1:14 pm
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While I'm not saying the 2010 court date is very timely (whatever happened to that constitutional, public and speedy trial thing?) the silver lining is that this doctor probably cares more about money than people. He's probably paying quite alot in retainer fees for these lawyers and most people aren't that liquid to come up with that kind of cash. So while we're mad about the delay, it's probably hitting him where it hurts most.
nancine01.16.09 - 1:17 pm
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You can't film legally in the courthouse. You can outside the courthouse.
User101.16.09 - 1:22 pm
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I've been up Mandeville and I see gu packets and other cyclist-related litter on the ground. When I started riding, older cyclists would tell me to keep all my trash with my until I got home and leave no trace where we ride. This isn't the pro tour where you can throw shit on the ground and people will pick it up. Maybe I can have the attitude I do about rude motorists because I try not to let shit bother me. Take the energy you would use to get mad and put it towards not getting hit and riding safely. Or put it into your pedals and ride faster. What are you going to do? Unless you can catch up to the person and get into a fistfight with them you have very little recourse on your bike. Will you bust out their window or something with your u-lock? You better hope you don't run into another Dr. Thompson who runs you over and pleads not guilty.
Velocipede01.16.09 - 1:29 pm
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Thanks for clarifying the date mix up Stephen, so basically exact date of trail is undecided but he has a right to a trail within 10 days of March 6. February 23rd will be lawyers being lawyers and Dr. Thompson may not be there.
GarySe7en01.16.09 - 1:31 pm
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Velocipede is speaking some zen. Though I've caught up plenty of times to give a mouthful, its not worth it 99% of the time.
Roadblock01.16.09 - 1:50 pm
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Where the zen to the cyclist's right to the road? CVC says they have a right to that road. The cyclist do not have to stay away cause Dr. Death doesn't like them there. They don't even have to get in single file!
User101.16.09 - 2:02 pm
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Not entirely sure but I believe the next step (hearing? trial?) is scheduled to take place this month... maybe in a few days.
Agent Orange03.9.09 - 3:30 pm
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what ever happened to the person who killed Ilia Pankin?
Roadblock03.9.09 - 3:33 pm
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Don't know about the driver who took out Ilia but Mandeville's Dr. Thompson is still moving through the legal system. There is an upcoming "Trial setting" event this month at which time they will review the witness list etc. and then set a date for a trial.
SoapBoxLA03.9.09 - 5:07 pm
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any news?
I want to be in court for this when it goes down.
Roadblock responding to a
comment by SoapBoxLA
05.27.09 - 5:09 pm
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If anything, his car should also be towed out to Fort Irwin and be used as an artillery target.
bentstrider responding to a
comment by Roadblock
05.27.09 - 5:10 pm
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When is the "trial setting" going to be?
Those are usually done in open court, which means spectators can be present.
JB responding to a
comment by SoapBoxLA
05.27.09 - 5:42 pm
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Next steps should be in the first week of June.
SoapBoxLA05.27.09 - 11:05 pm
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Hmm I got jury duty that week.. maybe I'll get on this! *crosses fingers*
will05.27.09 - 11:54 pm
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I made some calls this morning to the LAX courthouse.
Dr. Christopher Thomas Thompson's next court date is:
June 5, 2009 at 8:30 AM in Dept. A which is on the 7th Floor.
The clerk for Dept. A explained to me that on June 5 MOTIONS will be heard. She did not know the nature of the motions just that there are several of them for this case. I can pretty much guess that there will be a variety of procedural and evidentiary motions, which will look to exclude particular types of evidence and address other "housekeeping" matters. Both sides will argue and the judge will rule on the motions at the moment or decide to rule at a later point in time.
These things can be a little boring if you don't know what they're talking about. However, it can be the first good look at the interaction between the judge and the attorneys in the case. You can get a sense of how the trial will go depending on how the judge rules on some of these motions. I plan on being there.
The clerk also told me that the next court date will be the Trial Readiness Conference set for July 8, 2009. Therefore, jury selection and the actual trial won't begin until sometime after July 8.
DJwheels05.29.09 - 11:28 am
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Dr. Thompson probably won't be there for that one, but it would be awesome if people could go and report back.
JB05.29.09 - 11:52 am
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At his last court appearance Thompson's defense attorney said he expected the case to be dismissed, so that may be one of the motions brought forward.
Agent Orange05.29.09 - 1:32 pm
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Hmm. I'll try to be there, but my family's coming in town that day. Actually... it may just work perfectly.
danya05.29.09 - 1:38 pm
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ride to trial?
Gav05.29.09 - 1:57 pm
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It isn't much of a ride for some of us. The lite rail station is only about a half a mile away from the courthouse. Regardless, I'll probably be there looking like an action reporter. :-)
User1 responding to a
comment by Gav
05.29.09 - 2:29 pm
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your last video was a hit! if the attempted murderer Dr. Thompson is going to be at the court, would be nice for a part 2.
Roadblock responding to a
comment by User1
05.29.09 - 2:32 pm
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& For some of us it's quite a long ride. Gav, I'd be willing to meet at CMob Park or something if I'm on a bike. I might drive and just hang out until my family's flight comes in though.
danya responding to a
comment by User1
05.29.09 - 2:34 pm
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I'm sure his defense attorney has to at least attempt a motion to dismiss and give his client his money's worth, but I don't see him winning such a motion. If he's still contending that there was no intent to batter or assault the cyclists and it was all just an accident, whether or not there was intent is still a question of fact for the jury to decide. The judge can only rule on questions of law, not fact.
Therefore, motion DENIED...I hope.
DJwheels responding to a
comment by Agent Orange
05.29.09 - 5:57 pm
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I called LAX Courthouse Dept. A - (310) 727-6106 this morning. Thompson's case is on calendar for tomorrow morning Wednesday, July 8 at 8:30am.
For those interested in a little criminal legal procedure, the purpose of tomorrow's hearing is Pre-trial Discovery Compliance and Trial Date Setting. They're supposed to confirm with the Judge that both sides have complied with all discovery requests and then determine the date that the trial will start. Not the most exciting stuff, but that's the legal process for you.
Also, based on the statements from the defense attorney, Peter Swarth, during the previous hearing, the good doctor would not be attending tomorrow.
However, I will be. Observing, taking notes and yes, perhaps even tweeting (DannyJwheels). Hope to see some more ridazz there as well.
Ride safe.
DJwheels07.7.09 - 10:17 am
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All right, I'll try and make it down also. Anyone want to ride together? I'm going to head straight down Sepulveda, I think.
danya responding to a
comment by DJwheels
07.7.09 - 11:00 am
reply
nice work man. you riding? I'm debating whether to ride down there....
Roadblock responding to a
comment by DJwheels
07.7.09 - 11:45 am
reply
I was going to, but I have to be in the OC afterward to meet some clients and make a court appearance out there.
I'll offer to keep stuff in my car for any other ridazz with metal objects that won't be allowed in, such as multi-tools with sharp blades.
DJwheels responding to a
comment by Roadblock
07.7.09 - 12:14 pm
reply
I'll make it to this. It's not that hard to get to and I can budget some time. For those that are curious on how to get there. There's a lite rail station about a half mile away from the courthouse. That station would be Aviation.
User1 responding to a
comment by DJwheels
07.7.09 - 2:30 pm
reply
RT @DannyJwheels: mandeville case is #12 on calendar, defense atty just checked in. no judge yet
Roadblock07.8.09 - 9:03 am
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RT @DannyJwheels: ok, trial date is set for thursday september 17. see everyone there!
Roadblock07.8.09 - 9:37 am
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Huh, my tweets aren't that important?
There's another motion for the case being heard August 5. Where was everyone this morning?
The defense attorney took pictures of me while I was leaving the court house. CREEPER STATUS!
Also, I wouldn't worry too much about sharps- My multitool got through security just fine, it's got a 2"-3" blade on it.
danya07.8.09 - 1:17 pm
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Glad someone made it out there this morning. I feel like such a putz for missing this, but I missed my alarm. I'll be sure to get plenty of sleep next time.
User107.8.09 - 1:38 pm
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really?
he took PictureS of you?
Di you smile?
Pose?
When the real trial gets going full force we should show up en masse and fill up his memory card.
trickmilla responding to a
comment by danya
07.8.09 - 2:02 pm
reply
your tweets are VERY important Danya. I stopped re-tweeting apparently by the time you started. and what a fucking creep that defense attorney is for taking your picture! was he obvious about it? perhaps he was trying to intimidate you?
Roadblock responding to a
comment by danya
07.8.09 - 2:37 pm
reply
Yeah I don't know what his deal was. He was staring at me the whole ride down in the elevator, and when we got out and walked outside, he walked down the stairs to the parking lot and I walked around the building to my bike. I happened to look up right hen he got the the bottom of the stairs, and he was doing that 'I'm-not-taking-a-photo-with-my-iPhone-I-just-need-a-different-screen-angle' thing. With the phone's camera pointed straight at me. And then he brought the phone down and started poking it with the
stick thingy that I can't remember the name of at the moment stylus. He got a picture of me with my messenger bag- but the I bike LA t-shirt side, not the MR bandana side.
danya07.8.09 - 3:22 pm
reply
Yeah, I'm confused about it too.
Is it totally weird that I'm *hoping* I get called for jury duty soon?
We most definitely should try and flood the courtroom. We need to make a point with this one.
danya responding to a
comment by trickmilla
07.8.09 - 3:24 pm
reply
really weird. is he wondering about you as a "bike activist" and looking to do some intel on your "organization"?
Roadblock responding to a
comment by danya
07.8.09 - 3:32 pm
reply
We should silkscreen some MR neckties and dress up for court in September.
JB responding to a
comment by Roadblock
07.8.09 - 3:45 pm
reply
I think i saw you on sawtelle and venice around 8:15 this morning....you live in the valley so i thought it was a look alike....
barleye responding to a
comment by danya
07.8.09 - 3:48 pm
reply
I don't know. I don't think I ever had my back turned to him for him to even see the bandana in the first place, and what would be the point of taking a picture of the shirt? It's so generic. If it was a good camera, he might've gotten the 50mm sticker on my helmet, but what good would that do?
I kind of want to send a cease and desist letter. This is creeping me out more and more every time I think about it. Any lawyers out there know where I could go as far as that route's concerned?
danya responding to a
comment by Roadblock
07.8.09 - 3:48 pm
reply
Yeah, I took Sawtelle from Santa Monica to Sepulveda- I got to the courthouse around 9 am, just as they were starting things up for Thompson's case.
danya responding to a
comment by barleye
07.8.09 - 3:49 pm
reply
eh dont get TOO creeped out. dude was probably just a pervert.
Roadblock responding to a
comment by danya
07.8.09 - 3:52 pm
reply
...is that supposed to make me feel better?
danya responding to a
comment by Roadblock
07.8.09 - 3:54 pm
reply
Damn, what did I miss? Sarah I didn't see you.
I left at 9:30 after the judge and attorneys figured out a trial date and announced it for the record. They also announced a couple of other pre-trial hearing dates (more procedural/discovery related hearings.)
July 23 - Final Discovery Compliance (Thompson will NOT attend)
Sept 9 - Trial Date Election Waiver (Little complicated, but I believe Thompson needs to be present for this one, I'll double check with the clerk.)
Sept 17 - Trial (Thompson will definitely be there for this)
I saw the district attorney Mary Stone leave after that to head to a different department and I thought Swarth was sticking around for a separate matter on another case.
Sarah, did you happen to catch what type of motion will be heard on August 5?
DJwheels responding to a
comment by danya
07.8.09 - 4:04 pm
reply
Huh, maybe I came in after you? I had a bit of trouble figuring out where I was supposed to go, since I'm not familiar with the courthouse. If I remember correctly, I tuned off my phone at 9:24, when I walked in the courtroom.
When I walked in, Swarth was in the hallway on the phone and Stone wasn't around. The judge heard another one of the cases, during which Stone and Swarth entered the courtroom, and after that she returned to the Thompson case.
All I know was that the motion heard on Aug 5 isn't a motion to dismiss- I was listening for that, since I know what it is. I didn't really understand what the lawyers and judge were talking about.
danya responding to a
comment by DJwheels
07.8.09 - 4:20 pm
reply
yeah I guess that's not really helping... my bad. really he's probably trying to build a case that the attempted murderer Dr. Chris Thompson should be tried outside the county due to bike activists...
Roadblock responding to a
comment by danya
07.8.09 - 4:21 pm
reply
What the EFF? He stared you down, followed you out the elevator and took a picture? Definitely creepy, unnerving and unnecessary.
The only thing I can imagine is that he could try and make a motion before trial starts to exclude any members of the audience that give the appearance of "cyclists" or "cycling-activists/sympathizers."
Sounds shitty, but here is why a judge would definitely consider such a motion: The courtroom has to be free of anything that may influence the jury or give the appearance of impropriety in the judge's courtroom.
For example, if the the judge had a poster on one of the walls of her courtroom of Lance Armstrong, the defense could ask for the poster to be removed because it suggests that the judge is also a cyclist; that Lance is a great guy; that cycling is awesome; etc. All that may cause the jury to become biased in favor of the cycling victims in this case and ultimately serve as the basis for a mistrial. Judges hate mistrials. They will do whatever they can to avoid one.
(More examples: Can't have a courtroom audience full of uniformed police officers in a case where a cop is being sued.
In this case, having an audience full of people wearing I Bike L.A. shirts, cycling gear or even MR related stuff could also influence the jury negatively.
It would probably be smart of any one attending the trial to look as "normal" as possible. City Council and LADOT hearings are one thing, and a certain level of theater and mind-bombs are permissible. But a courtroom is a completely different venue. Pretty sure the judge will NOT allow that kinda stuff. She can have the big burly bailiff remove you or make you wait out in the hallway, and there's nothing you can do about it.
DJwheels responding to a
comment by danya
07.8.09 - 4:34 pm
reply
ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh nice analysis!
Roadblock responding to a
comment by DJwheels
07.8.09 - 4:38 pm
reply
"I kind of want to send a cease and desist letter. This is creeping me out more and more every time I think about it. Any lawyers out there know where I could go as far as that route's concerned?"
Cease and desist letters are usually for a pattern of activity and not an isolated incident, but you could send his office a letter expressing your concern about his unprofessional behavior (and maybe send a copy of said letter to the CA state bar).
That's pretty creepy.
JB07.8.09 - 5:08 pm
reply
My sense is that the defense attorney was just playing an intimidation mind game @danya.
DJwheels makes a good point about neutralizing attire in the courtroom, but members of the public who bike are a bit different than a platoon of police officers. Judges hate mistrials, but even though a judge will consider pretty much any motion put before him or her, it would be pretty much unprecedented to bar people with no connection to the case from attending the open trial because of their chosen mode of transportation.
But if the judge does, the prosecution should immediately make a motion calling for the court to be emptied of any motorists in attendance -- including the judge, jury and legal counsels.
One more point I'd like to bring up though this might get me flamed: There's a good chance the doctor's defense team is all over these threads, perhaps recording the most incendiary comments and opinions for whatever nefarious purposes. I'm not saying that as a reprimand, just that we should be mindful of the venom that can be unleashed here.
Just as DJwheels wisely suggests a more subdued manner of dress in the courtroom, perhaps clothing comments in less derogatory attire in here isn't such a bad idea.
Agent Orange responding to a
comment by DJwheels
07.8.09 - 7:19 pm
reply
"But if the judge does, the prosecution should immediately make a motion calling for the court to be emptied of any motorists in attendance -- including the judge, jury and legal counsels. "
oh shit. maybe ONLY pedestrians allowed???
haha
how the hell are they going to choose a jury?! everyone who drives a car will potentially be biased!
Roadblock responding to a
comment by Agent Orange
07.8.09 - 7:42 pm
reply
Sorry for the last minute update:
I talked to the clerk in Dept. A at the LAX courthouse.
Dr. Thompson will be present tomorrow morning at 8:30am for his Trial Setting hearing. It's really just a procedural formality and not very exciting, but he has to be there....unlike his other hearings where he was granted permission not to attend.
I'll be there.
DJwheels09.8.09 - 2:40 pm
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Sounds like it'll be an in and out type day for him. I might make it since it's not that hard for me to get there.
User1 responding to a
comment by DJwheels
09.8.09 - 10:32 pm
reply
Yeah, pretty much, and I bet the defense attorney will request priority again to be heard before the other cases.
Allan, we need more funny parking lot footage of the good doctor. Lord knows the local media isn't covering the story.
DJwheels responding to a
comment by User1
09.8.09 - 11:27 pm
reply
hahahahahahaha.............
you said good doctor!
User1 responding to a
comment by DJwheels
09.9.09 - 12:04 am
reply
Anyone know how this went?
I couldn't make it today.
User109.9.09 - 6:41 pm
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anyone know when the next big day is for the attempted murderer DR. Thompson and when he will be in court?
Roadblock responding to a
comment by User1
09.9.09 - 6:48 pm
reply
Damn, should've reminded you guys about the twitter updates at DannyJwheels.
All I can say is....goddamit..the criminal justice system is slow!
The defense attorney filed oppositions to the prosecution's pretrial motions late in the day yesterday so the Judge didn't even have time to go over them before today's hearing. So they set a date of September 24 to hear these motions.
This ultimately pushed the start of the trial back from the original date of Sept 17. The new trial start date is set for Tuesday Oct. 6, but jury selection does not begin until Oct. 13. Thompson is required to be in court starting on Tuesday Oct. 13. There was some kind of scheduling issue between the judge and the attorney and they held a sidebar to work it out, so I think there might be some kind of break between the 6th and 13th.
DJwheels responding to a
comment by Roadblock
09.9.09 - 6:59 pm
reply
This Thursday pretrial motions will be heard in the Mandeville Canyon case.
Dr. Thompson is not required to be there.
LAX Courthouse. Dept A. 7th Floor.
8:30 a.m. courtroom doors open, but Judge hasn't taken the bench till about 9:00 a.m.
DJwheels09.22.09 - 6:13 pm
reply
More scheduling conflicts. Judge Rayvis offered both parties a compromise, which would have allowed the motions to be heard today but also would've required a partial waiver of the defendant's right to speedy trial in order to keep her on the case. Defense attorney declined to accept.
So, trial is still set to begin on Oct. 6, but it is just a formality. The attorneys will appear before the judge and they will discuss if they are ready to proceed with the trial. Hopefully there are no surprises causing more delays that day.
Parties are also still ordered to return on Oct. 13, including Dr. Thompson, in order to have a hearing on the motions. Jury selection may begin later that day or the next day on Oct. 14.
DJwheels09.24.09 - 12:29 pm
reply
So is Dr. Death going to be there on Oct 6? I'll definitely be there on the 13th!
User1 responding to a
comment by DJwheels
09.24.09 - 1:08 pm
reply
No, he won't be there on Oct. 6. There is still a standing order from the judge for him to return on the 13th.
However, if something weird happens with scheduling on Oct. 6, they'll have to vacate the order and issue a new one with a new date.
So stay tuned...
DJwheels responding to a
comment by User1
09.24.09 - 1:54 pm
reply
As expected, today's hearing was continued to Tuesday, Oct. 13 at 8:30am for jury trial.
However, it will not be in Judge Rayvis' courtroom (Dept. A). It will now be heard in Dept. E (8th floor, #803) before Judge Stephanie Sautner.
DJwheels10.6.09 - 3:00 pm
reply
Is the change of judges good or bad for the people?
User1 responding to a
comment by DJwheels
10.6.09 - 10:58 pm
reply
I don't know if it's bad for the people necessarily, but it's better for the defense, I think.
The original judge, Cynthia Rayvis, was a former prosecutor for over 10 years with the district attorney's office (including 5 years at the hardcore gang division). She's been on the bench for only 5 years.
Stephanie Sautner was also a former prosecutor but for less time and in a special division for the city of L.A. going after slum lords. She also is a former detective for NYPD sex crimes division before becoming an attorney in CA. She's been on the bench longer than Rayvis though since 1992, and I think she is one of the supervising judges at the LAX courthouse. She's also one of the few openly gay judges in L.A.
However, Sautner may delegate the case out to another judge if she doesn't have room on her own calendar.
Regardless of the judges' profiles, Rayvis was familiar with all the issues in the case and the attorneys on both sides. A new judge won't have that knowledge right away and may not have the time to invest in the case to get up to speed like Rayvis. So that plays out better for the defense.
I trust Sautner can do a good job though because of her experience. We'll see if she keeps the case.
DJwheels responding to a
comment by User1
10.7.09 - 10:02 am
reply
Thanks for keeping us posted on these cases Danny. Great job!
Much appreciated.
User1 responding to a
comment by DJwheels
10.7.09 - 11:10 am
reply
Crap. I gotta be at the Burbank courthouse tomorrow morning at 8:30.
Anybody planning on attending the pretrial motions tomorrow at the LAX courthouse?
I'd like to be in contact with someone who's going.
Let me know. Thanks.
djwheels [at] rocketmail [dot] com
DJwheels10.12.09 - 4:21 pm
reply
I'll probably be able to make it. I'll know later tonite.
Have cam, will travel.
User1 responding to a
comment by DJwheels
10.12.09 - 5:05 pm
reply
Cool. Shoot me an email with your #.
DJwheels responding to a
comment by User1
10.12.09 - 5:51 pm
reply
Any updates on the trial? In all fairness, there should be a cyclist on the jury.
mk4524 responding to a
comment by DJwheels
10.13.09 - 10:21 am
reply
They spent most of the morning figuring out what Judge would take the case.
Case will now be in Dept. C. with Judge Scott Millington.
They started working on the jury pool this afternoon. The remaining jurors are coming back Thursday.
A schedule was hammered out for the rest of the week. Tomorrow morning at 10:30 will be pretrial motions, since the judge was assigned today, he obviously didn't have time to review all the motions. Thursday at 10:45 will be the second and final half of jury selection. Opening statements and the prosecution's first witnesses will begin Friday.
Both sides expect to take a week to present their cases, so we're looking at a 2 week trial. The judge listed the final day of trial as the 30th of Oct.
DJwheels responding to a
comment by mk4524
10.13.09 - 5:21 pm
reply
Can anybody just show up on friday and just observe? Do you think it will be interesting for non-legal types?
trickmilla responding to a
comment by DJwheels
10.13.09 - 5:33 pm
reply
Can anybody show up? YES and NO. If you're thinking of attending, please make a serious attempt to look as professional as possible. Dress like it was your OWN trial going on. Also, you have to sit quietly and not be disruptive. Meaning no talking, no cell phones, no rummaging around in bags...NUTHIN'
I think I mentioned it before. It's important not to give any advantage to the defense who might look to start excluding people from the audience that might unduely influence the jury and result in a mistrial, which would be essentially a win for the defense.
The most interesting parts for non-legal types would be the opening statements and the closing arguments. It's where the attorneys break it down for the jury in plain english, who are generally all non legal types.
DJwheels responding to a
comment by trickmilla
10.13.09 - 5:43 pm
reply
Thanks! I think I can handle that.
Boredom can be meditative
I'm generally well behaved.
Not sure if I can find an orange jumpsuit though. ;-)
what time does it start on friday?
I might go if I am free.
trickmilla responding to a
comment by DJwheels
10.13.09 - 6:06 pm
reply
Thanks for the update, sounds like we're past the pre-trials stuff and we're now getting into it. Friday should be interesting, I'm wondering what the Defense has to say.
I've been on a few juries and I think you're right. If you show up, keep a low profile. It can get a little boring but at least if you're not on the jury, you can get up and quietly leave for the bathroom or anything else.
I ride Mandeville and I hope this guy does some time.
mk4524 responding to a
comment by trickmilla
10.13.09 - 6:17 pm
reply
The DA doesn't want me back. :-( I was not low profile and I really wanted to get more video of Dr Death. It's not worth showing up and I'll just end up hurting the case. So I gota stay away.
I hope we meet again some day Dr Death.
User110.14.09 - 12:16 am
reply
I'm sorry I missed the jury selection yesterday afternoon. I was going to take advantage of the rain (too wet to ride) and attend today.
Please keep the flow of information going on this thread for those of us who aren't there.
Question, was there any obvious attempt by the defence to keep bicyclists off the jury?
Question, can you take cameras into the courthouse?
RSRO (ride safely, ride often),
Jim
jlyle10.14.09 - 7:41 am
reply
Mayhem is deliberaite destruction or removal of a body part such as an eye, finger etc. So if the the collision one of the cyclists lost something, that could be construde as mayhem. It's pretty serious, carries a sentence of 20 years last time I checked.
In addition, I think all the vigilante talk on this board is chicken-shit. As a group we have to be better then that to prove that we can be left to our own devices, we take the law into our own hands and we're no better than t he road ragers, just cycle ragers. Think.
rev106 responding to a
comment by GarySe7en
10.14.09 - 7:52 am
reply
As of now, Friday gets started at 10:30am.
DJwheels responding to a
comment by trickmilla
10.14.09 - 2:06 pm
reply
Yesterday they were only excusing potential jurors that had "hardship" issues. ie. work schedules, medical appointments, employers that don't pay for jury duty, young children that need rides.
Tomorrow will be when they start excusing jurors for bias. I'm sure the defense will look to exclude roadies and commuters, but the prosecution will also try to exclude people that don't like cyclists as well.
NO, cameras are NOT allowed in the courtroom without the judge's prior consent. I saw a sign next to the elevators today that said MEDIA AREA, so they are allowed in that area. What exactly counts as MEDIA? I'm sure they are talking about print, radio or television and not individual members of the public.
Here's a helpful link:
Cameras in court
As for today...arguments on the pretrial motions were heard. The judge will take them all for submission and render his ruling tomorrow morning before starting the second half of jury selection.
DJwheels responding to a
comment by jlyle
10.14.09 - 2:31 pm
reply
I'm sure they will exclude any regular bike commuters, but somehow regular drivers is okay because that is the default.
GarySe7en responding to a
comment by DJwheels
10.14.09 - 5:05 pm
reply
Opening arguments in the Mandeville Canyon case are scheduled for 9 - 11 am
Friday.
It's at the Airport Courthouse, 11701 S. LaCienga, just below Imperial
Highway, Dept. C, from 9 - 11 am (short day due to a funeral one of
the jurors has to attend).
Unfortunately I can't make it, I was planning to take vacation time for it if I had to back when I first heard about this case but time off is on lock down at work right now with crazy deadlines. I think it's important that we keep some attention focused on this case to see it through and build exposure for the risk road rage has for cyclists especially.
GarySe7en10.15.09 - 6:42 pm
reply
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-doctor-bike17-2009oct17,0,2872136.story?track=rss
buckchin10.16.09 - 8:55 pm
reply
http://velonews.com/article/99398/
Good article about the case.
(Please feel free to HTMLify the link. How do you do that?)
JB10.19.09 - 9:20 am
reply
Cut and paste from Velo News:
http://www.velonews.com/article/99475/defense-attorney-cross-examines-cyclists-in-la-road-rage
Defense attorney cross-examines cyclists in LA road rage case
By Patrick Brady
Published: Oct. 20, 2009
Two cyclists were looking for a fight before an incident that led to assault charges being filed against a California driver, the driver's attorney suggested in court Monday. The attorney for Dr. Christopher Thomas Thompson also suggested that one of the cyclists may have simply fallen on his own accord.
Thompson is on trial in Los Angeles Superior Court, charged with assault with a dangerous weapon and other violations in connection with a July 4, 2008, confrontation in a Los Angeles area canyon and an earlier incident involving a cyclist on the same road.
Prosecutors say Thompson, 60, a former emergency room physician, purposely braked in front of the two riders as they descended Mandeville Canyon Road.
Defense attorney Peter Swarth tried to show a jury that injured cyclists Christian Stoehr and Ron Peterson were already looking for trouble before the confrontation and collision last year. Swarth also suggested that at least one of the cyclists may have simply succumbed to the inherent instability of his bicycle, lost balance and fallen over.
In testimony last week, Stoehr told prosecutors that he hit the back of Thompson's Infiniti sedan, rolled over the top of the car and fell into the left lane of the road. Stoehr suffered a grade-3 shoulder separation and road rash in the incident. Peterson, the more seriously injured of the two, crashed through the car’s rear window. The impact broke his nose, nearly severing it and shattered several of his teeth. Surgeons used more than 90 stitches to reattach his nose.
On Monday, Swarth finished Stoehr’s cross-examination, with questions largely centered on details of his cycling clothing. Swarth questioned Stoehr about his explanation regarding his impact with the rear of the car, wondering aloud how Stoehr ended up on the ground in front of the car. When Stoehr had difficulty explaining the physics involved, Swarth suggested that Stoehr simply lost balance and fell down.
’My face did that.’
Deputy District Attorney Mar Stone then called Peterson to the stand, taking him through his history as a cyclist, his coaching business, the location of the accident and the nature of the holiday ride, before moving on to the incident.
Peterson said that before the impact, Thompson pulled alongside him and spoke through the open passenger window. He said several words before Peterson said he clearly made out, “Ride single file.” He testified that Thompson seemed angry and, because his car was within a foot of Peterson, he felt “he was bullying me.”
Peterson said he responded by saying, “Fuck you.”
Peterson said Thompson then pulled ahead and stopped. The back of the car “felt like a wall,” he said. Stone displayed a photo of the back of the car. Peterson pointed to a hole in the rear window and said, “My face did that.”
Then, pointing at large red drops on the trunk, he said, “That’s my blood.”
Peterson said after he pulled himself out of the window and got off the car, Thompson got out. Peterson responded, “Get the fuck away from me.” Asked about what he said next he admitted he told Thompson, “I’m going to fuck you up.”
“What happened next?” Stone asked.
“I sat down,” Peterson said. “I was hurt and I wasn’t doing anything. I said it. I’m not proud.”
Stone asked if any of Peterson’s injuries resulted in long-term problems.
“I still can’t feel my nose,” Peterson said as he pointed to scars across the bridge of his nose, on his lip and chin. Peterson added that will have to undergo further surgery to remove the scars.
Testimony then turned to his bicycle and for the court some description was required to convey what would be obvious to any cyclist, that the head tube was broken and separated from the top and down tubes. No other damage was discussed.
In cross-examining the witness, Swarth suggested that “bicycles are inherently unstable,” a point Peterson vigorously disputed. Most of the cross-examination focused on Thompson’s proximity to Peterson and the known statement, “Ride single file.”
Swarth spoke rapidly and frequently interrupted Peterson and even sometimes the judge. The court sustained six separate objections from the prosecution that Swarth was mischaracterizing Peterson’s statements or questioning him in an argumentative manner.
“You were out of control,” Swarth told Peterson at one point. “You wanted him to stop. Why shout ‘fuck you?’ There’s something dangerous about saying ‘fuck you,’ isn’t there?”
“Only in this case,” Peterson responded.
’I want justice’
Swarth proceeded to pick apart Peterson’s previous testimony that Thompson’s car was stopped when he hit it. Peterson had conceded in earlier testimony that Thompson’s car probably had not yet come to a full stop by the time he hit it. But Peterson, stuck to his guns, saying, “That was my perception. It felt like I hit a wall.”
Swarth finished his cross-examination by questioning Peterson’s motives for participating in the criminal case. “You’re furious,” he said.
“That’s not the right word,” Peterson responded. “I’m not happy. It’s complex. I want justice.”
’They flipped me off. I slammed on my brakes’
Investigating officer Robert Rodriguez testified that when he arrived at the accident, Thompson told him, “I live up the road. There were bikes in front of me, three across the road. They flipped me off. I stopped in front of them. I wanted to teach them a lesson. I’m tired of them.”
Stone then played Thompson’s 911 call in which Thompson can be heard saying, “Get your bike out of the road, why don’t you?”
“There are three bikers in the road. They flipped me off. I slammed on my brakes.”
When the operator asked if there were any serious injuries, Thompson responded, “not really, but they’ll tell you that.”
Cross-examination of Rodriguez begins on Tuesday.
mk4524 responding to a
comment by stevestevesteve
10.20.09 - 10:44 pm
reply
There's also been a guy from the L.A. Times there the last couple of days, so there should be something from him published soon.
The VeloNews summary is a day behind, but fairly comprehensive.
Ron Peterson was a great witness...calm, composed...said all the right things when Swarth tried to corner him on cross exam. The presentation of the pictures of his injuries and the blood on the back of Thompson's car was powerful stuff. They even brought in Ron's broken Specialized Tarmac. The damn head tube and fork were completely split off from the top tube and down tube!
The line about "I just want justice, that's why I'm here," was classic.
On direct exam on Monday, Rodriguez said that when he heard Thompson say, "I wanted to teach them a lesson," he stopped investigating it as an accidental traffic collision and called for another patrol unit to investigate it as assault with a deadly weapon.
Yesterday on cross examination, Swarth was trying to establish that Officer Rodriguez basically did a crappy investigation and jumped to the conclusion that it was an intentional and deliberate act on the part of Thompson based solely on his statement, "I wanted to teach them a lesson." Rodriguez is a veteran police officer and former Marine, so he wasn't cracking and repeated that it wasn't up to him to follow up and ask what Thompson meant by that statement because it was not protocol. Another investigator would have to do that follow up.
Two doctors also testified yesterday. One who was actually at the scene going home and stopped to help. The other doctor was a plastic surgeon who assessed Ron Peterson's injuries a few days after the incident.
The last witness called yesterday was Patrick Watson, who had reported a prior similar incident on Mandeville Canyon involving this same vehicle and Thompson back in March 2008. He testified that he had to bunny hop on to the curb twice to avoid getting hit by Thompson's vehicle. He also said that when another cyclist that was there yelled at him to get out of the car and actually punched his car, Thompson started to drive away and come right toward Watson, but then swerved away and drove off.
Swarth is still cross examining Watson and will continue on Thursday. (NOTE: Wednesday the courts are closed because of state-wide furloughs.)
I dunno about Watson though. He looks sincere, but not as calm and composed on the stand as Ron Peterson. Swarth is grilling him on stuff he posted about the incident to his cycling club's email list on Yahoo Groups. Swarth is trying to point out inconsistencies and bias that are pretty obvious in his email.
The prosecution will call another two detectives on Thursday and then some experts on Friday. The defense may begin calling their first witness on Friday if time and schedules permit.
DJwheels responding to a
comment by mk4524
10.21.09 - 6:51 am
reply
Thanks for keeping track of this DJwheels.
JB responding to a
comment by DJwheels
10.21.09 - 9:27 am
reply
Dr. Thompson took the stand today for the last 10 minutes of the day before the court recessed. He mostly described his background, education and the early years of his career as an emergency room physician.
His testimony will resume tomorrow morning at 10:30 am. The defense attorney, Peter Swarth, expects to take about 2 hours for his direct examination. The prosecutor, Mary Stone, also expects to take another two hours for cross examination. Thompson's testimony will likely take all of the day, and closing arguments should begin Thursday morning.
DJwheels10.27.09 - 11:22 pm
reply
More in depth summaries from the last few days here:
http://bikinginla.wordpress.com/
DJwheels10.27.09 - 11:25 pm
reply
So is this guy proud of being yet another, "research physician"?
I dunno, but when people of this standing leave the world of the nitty gritty ER-environment to look at microscopes, it makes you hate them even more.
bentstrider responding to a
comment by DJwheels
10.27.09 - 11:43 pm
reply
AFTER READING THE 'BIKINGINLA' SEEMS LIKE:
THE GOOD DOCTOR----> GUILTY !!!
eddieboyinla10.28.09 - 2:47 am
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The Doctor's going on the stand?
That's a mistake. I'm guessing he's following the advice of his ego instead of his counsel, as cross examination is not likely to end well for him.
Man, I wish I could be there to see the cross, as it's likely to be pretty lulzworthy.
I wonder how long it takes for transcripts to become available.
JB10.28.09 - 8:30 am
reply
me too! I would go but unfortunately I'm going to traffic court today to fight a ticket... bleh!
Roadblock responding to a
comment by JB
10.28.09 - 10:37 am
reply
Damn, I hope we can get good account on what happened today. I would have loved to be there today.
User1 responding to a
comment by DJwheels
10.28.09 - 3:13 pm
reply
The "good" doctor's testimony hopefully will hang him.
It must really hurt for those injured by him to sit and listen to his lies.
Creative Thing responding to a
comment by DJwheels
10.28.09 - 7:14 pm
reply
the 911 call is going to fry his piece of shit ass.
eddieboyinla10.28.09 - 7:17 pm
reply
No kidding, Eddie. What a dumbass.
________
Immediately after the crash, Thompson said, one of the cyclists rejected his help but that he nevertheless watched to assess the condition of the injured riders.
But Deputy Dist. Atty. Mary Stone questioned Thompson's account, noting that a police officer testified that the doctor said soon after the crash that he had slammed on his brakes in front of the cyclists "to teach them a lesson." Thompson denied making the remark.
Stone played a 911 call in which Thompson told an operator that the cyclists had yelled a profanity at him. "I slammed on my brakes," he told the operator. "They went into me. There are two injuries."
Also on the call, Thompson could be heard telling someone, "Get your bike out of the road."
When the operator asked whether the injuries were serious, Thompson replied: "Not really. But they'll tell you that."
Thompson testified that he was not trying to downplay the injuries but was explaining as a doctor that they were not life-threatening.
JB responding to a
comment by eddieboyinla
10.28.09 - 7:22 pm
reply
So, if he wins or loses we should get ready for a huge CM?
Gav10.28.09 - 8:18 pm
reply
Just got out if court with DJWheels. Final arguments were today. The jury is in deliberation and may return a verdict by Monday noonish perhaps afternoonish is the guess I'm hearing from others.....
Roadblock10.29.09 - 5:12 pm
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SO IF HE WINS, CAN I POST A RIDE TO RIDE UP AND DOWN THAT FUCKING STREET ABOUT 20 TIMES?
eddieboyinla10.29.09 - 5:15 pm
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500 laps around the block
Gav responding to a
comment by eddieboyinla
10.29.09 - 6:50 pm
reply
You guys were actually there? If so, what was the feel of the courtroom? Were the attorney closing arguments worth mention? Did you get any sense how the jury might be leaning? (You know, any body language clues from any of them?) Actually, what is the jury make-up like? Is it relatively diverse, or is it mainly retired folks who have the time to be jurors?
It will be interesting to see what the verdict is on Monday.
Nurblie responding to a
comment by Roadblock
10.29.09 - 8:55 pm
reply
Yep we were there to see both the defense and prosecutor make arguements. There really is not much more that dr. Death can claim other than
it was an accident. The prosecutor made a dramatic rebuttal by comparing Dr. deaths actions as akin to waving a baseball bat at someone gettin in your way at the supermarket and finally hitting someone. It was a great analogy.
Monday or Tuesday expect a verdict. Really hard for me to guage the outcome as u only say yesterday's action. The courtroom was packed with dr death's friends. I happen to be sitting next to a friend of the wife.
All I can say is that I hope he gets a lot of time. What a dumbass that guy us. He fucked up his whole life because he let
"the cyclists" get under his skin.
The dude Had to sell his house and moved to oklahoma. Fuckin idiot.
Roadblock responding to a
comment by Nurblie
10.30.09 - 3:59 pm
reply
Thats a punishment in itself moving to Oklahoma
Dedicated818 responding to a
comment by Roadblock
10.30.09 - 4:05 pm
reply
I believe His parents and family live there. I know you are kidding but really I heard someone else talk about how "punished" dude already is because of his lifestyle change. Fuck that. I hope this dude does hard time. That's the kind of punishment that can reverberate through a car driver's head before they cross that line.
Roadblock responding to a
comment by Dedicated818
10.30.09 - 4:44 pm
reply
No wonder he has the bad attitude towards cyclist,
most likely he goes and hunts helpless animals also.
Dedicated818 responding to a
comment by Roadblock
10.30.09 - 6:07 pm
reply
what does hunting animals have to do with his bad attitude towards cyclists?
are you inferring that people that don't like cyclists are hunters?
let's stay on topic here. what he did was wrong and it has nothing to do with anyone's opinion on hunting.
mikeywally responding to a
comment by Dedicated818
10.30.09 - 6:28 pm
reply
GUILTY ON ALL COUNTS! REMANDED TO JAIL AWAITING SENTENCING!
jlyle11.2.09 - 4:17 pm
reply
From: http://bikinginla.wordpress.com/
==============================
Evil on Trial: GUILTY, GUILTY, GUILTY!
November 2, 2009
No details yet, but just got a text from DJwheels in the courthouse. Dr. Christopher Thompson has been found guilty on all seven counts. More details as they come in.
I’m taking off the comment filter for now, so feel free to offer any comments or talk between your selves.
This just in from Eric, which I’m moving up from the comment section so everyone can see:
He was convicted of the following:
2 counts of Assault with a Deadly Weapon (245a)
2 counts of Battery with Serious Bodily Injury (243d) reckless driving (23103a) Reckless driving causing specified injury (23105a)
Mayhem (203)
The first five charges are felonies, the judge would not release him on bail so he goes to jail for the moment.
==============================
Nurblie responding to a
comment by jlyle
11.2.09 - 6:28 pm
reply
According to the District Attorney, Mary Stone, the sentencing hearing has been postponed till after the holidays.
The defense asked for a continuance and it was granted yesterday despite the objections of the d.a.
The new date is January 8, 2008 at 8:30am.
In the meantime, Dr. Thompson is still locked up at North County Correctional Facility in Castaic, CA.
DJwheels12.1.09 - 3:29 pm
reply
we should regift him a fruitcake (from last year).
trickmilla responding to a
comment by DJwheels
12.1.09 - 4:10 pm
reply
or maybe it is gonna be tomorrow
i just listened to the lead of the NPR story.
im so confused.
trickmilla12.2.09 - 6:05 pm
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-->
Ridazz Roulette!
GIVE HIM ONE FROM ME!!!