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How do you know when a “first date” has gone really bad?

A Detriot man was sentenced last month to at least two (2) years in state prison for stealing a woman’s car after skipping out on the check during a first date. Terrance McCoy, 24, was sentenced in Oakland County, Michigan to two (2) to ten (10) years in prison for one of the classier moves that I’ve seen in awhile.McCoy pleaded “no contest” on September 18th to Grand Theft Motor Vehicle. As in Florida, a “no contest” plea does not admit guilty, but simply states that you believe it is in your best interest to resolve the case without going to trial.

Police say that McCoy dined with a twenty-seven (27) year-old companion on April 24th in Ferndale, Michigan. The woman told the police that McCoy said he forgot his wallet in her car and needed her keys to retrieve it. After that, McCoy took off in her car.

Defense attorney Terri Antisdale stated that McCoy is a “very nice man who made a bad decision.” Really? Do you think so?
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A laser-sighted 9mm Glock Firearm, which was stolen several months ago from a Tarpon Springs State Representative, was recovered in the waistband of a convicted felon yesterday during a traffic stop in St. Pete, Florida. For more information on this odd story, check out today’s St. Pete Times for more details.So far, this is what the Tarpon Springs Police Department knows: State Representative Peter Nehr’s 9mm Glock handgun (with an extended magazine) was stolen from his car on May 13, 2009.

4 1/2 months later, Elvis Leon Weaver, 20, of 3800 12th Avenue South, St. Petersburg, was wanted by law enforcement for several outstanding warrants (for previously committed offenses) when a “tipster” told police where they could find him. Soon thereafter, an unmarked police car conducted a traffic stop on a 2009 Chevy Impala, which Weaver was driving on 34th Street South in St. Pete. During this traffic stop, law enforcement found Drugs in the car and the gun in Weaver’s waistband. The serial number on the gun matched the one that was reported stolen, months earlier, by Nehr.

Ultimately, Weaver was arrested on charges of Dealing in Stolen Property, Carrying a Concealed Firearm, Failure to Appear and three (3) counts of Possession of a Controlled Substance. After being booked into the Pinellas County Jail, Weaver posted a $24,663 bond and is back on the streets (this time without Representative Nehr’s firearm).
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Jordan Valdez, the Davis Island teenager who was charged with Leaving the Scene of an Accident Involving Death, is expected to plead guilty and be sentenced on November 24th. For those unfamiliar with this case, Valdez, who was 16-years-old at the time, was involved in a fatal crash on February 8th, killing a homeless woman as she crossed Hyde Park Avenue near the Davis Island bridge. The victim, Melissa Sjostrom, 33, died as a result of injuries sustained in the accident.In what has become both a newsworthy and controversial case in the Tampa Bay area, Valdez has been charged (as an adult) with a First Degree Felony which carries up to a maximum of thirty (30) years in prison. However, authorities with the Hillsborough County State Attorneys Office have already indicated that they will not be seeking prison time or a conviction. For the complete story, please read today’s St. Pete Times article.

It only takes a quick look at the 256 online “comments” that follow a previous St. Pete Times article, that was published on May 19, 2009, to get the feeling that this case has upset many in the Tampa Bay community. Initially, Valdez was cited for Careless Driving, a non-criminal traffic infraction that is usually punishable by a small fine. Adding further insult to injury, that Careless Driving citation was dismissed in a Tampa traffic court (without anyone from Sjostrom’s family present — despite a written request from the family to continue the matter so the family could travel down from Kentucky) by Hillsborough County Court Judge Joelle Ober.

After the St. Pete Times went public with the story, and following the public backlash that the story created, the Tampa Police Department “re-opened” and “re-investigated” the case. And, after doing a much more thorough job the second time around, the Tampa Police Department finally built a solid case for prosecutors to bring to Court. Eventually, Valdez was arrested and charged as an adult with Leaving the Scene of an Accident Involving Death. Continue reading

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Eddy G. Reyes, 37, was arrested Monday for scamming a woman out of $2,500 for a TV box that he promised would give her “Free Satellite Television for Life.” For the complete story, check out the Pasco section of Wednesday’s St. Pete Times.

Pasco County Sheriff’s Office authorities say that Reyes operated a business called Dreamlinc which offered customers free satellite TV for a one-time fee. His arrest report indicates that Reyes sold devices that had software “designed to be used for defrauding satellite service providers with unauthorized reception of their services.”According to Kevin Doll, spokesman for the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, “if anyone offers to sell you one of these satellite boxes for free TV for life, its a lie.” Bottom line, according to Doll, is that “its stealing.” Other potential victims are encouraged to call the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office at (727) 844-7711.Reyes, who lives in Dade City, has been charged with Grand Theft, Fraudulently Intercepting Communications Services without Authorization and Fraudulently Advertising the Sale of Interception Devices. He is currently in the Land O’ Lakes jail with a $1,800 bond.
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In one of the biggest jury verdicts of its kind, a Hernando County jury awarded more than $330 million in civil damages today to the mother of a 13-year-old girl that was killed by a drunk driver in April 2007. For the complete story, check out today’s St. Pete Times article.

In an effort to send a message to future drunk drivers, Angela Stone filed a civil lawsuit against Christopher Marcone for his role in a fatal crash that occurred on the night of April 12, 2007, when Shelby Taylor Hagman was riding in a minivan with her grandparents. According to authorities, Marcone’s Dodge pickup truck ran a stop sign in a residential neighborhood in eastern Hernando County and plowed directly into the right side of the minivan. Shelby died the next day from injuries sustained in the crash.

Marcone’s blood alcohol level (calculator) was .207, more than twice the level at which a driver is presumed to be impaired. Marcone, 27, is currently serving a 13-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to DUI Manslaughter and three related charges in the death of Shelby Taylor Hagman.To view Marcone’s Florida Department of Corrections Inmate Population Page, please click here.
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Amer Ali Ejak, 16, has been Indicted for First Degree Murder and will be prosecuted as an Adult for his role in the death of a 34-year-old father, Thomas Johannesen, in Hillsborough County two weeks ago. For the complete story, please check out today’s St. Pete Times article.

Deputies say that Ejak, and his 22-year-old co-Defendant, Christopher Cox, killed Johannesen, then wrapped his body in a sheet before hiding it in a closet. It is alleged that Ejak fatally struck Johannesen in the head with a whiskey bottle.After hiding Johannesen’s body in a closet, the two Defendants returned to show their friends what they had done.While Ejak was originally booked into the Juvenile Detention Center, he was transferred today to the Orient Road Jail where he will remain, on no bond, until his trial.
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While Florida certainly has the dumbest criminals in the nation, this guy from West Virginia was pretty darn stupid last week.

Jonathan G. Parker, 19, of Ft. Loudoun, PA, was arrested following an August 28th Burglary where he broke into the victim’s home through a window and stole two diamond rings. While inside, this not-so-bright criminal decided to check his Facebook status. The only problem: Mr. Parker forgot to log out. When the victim returned home and checked her computer, she was greated with a not-so-funny message from her intruder.For the complete story, check out this article from The Journal (Martinsburg, West Virginia).
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Three Pasco County deputies came to court in New Port Richey this week to testify that they each saw Robert Corbin, 55, fall off his Harley-Davidson motorcycle and flee the scene — leaving the motorcycle on its side, running, with the key still in the ignition.

That testimony, however, was contradicted by an expert witness during Corbin’s DUI trial. Ken Wood, a Harley-Davidson salesman, told the St. Pete Times on Friday that “if the bike leans over for more than 45 degrees for one second, it shuts off.” And just like that, after only a few minutes of deliberations Monday afternoon, a Pasco County jury found Corbin Not Guilty of Driving Under the Influence.

For the complete story, check out Saturday’s St. Pete Times article.

Apparently, none of the three Pasco County deputies were aware of the bike’s safety feature which Harley-Davidson made standard in 2003. The deputies also indicated that Corbin “had glassy eyes, slurred speach and reeked of alcohol.” Corbin also admitted to drinking beers and not having a valid license because it was suspended after a prior DUI.In fact, Corbin’s Florida driver’s license was revoked back in January for having four or more DUI’s.
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On April 20th of this year, Andrew Hall of Safety Harbor was standing on the sidewalk outside of his Main Street apartment when he was struck by a vehicle which took his leg. Five months later, an arrest has been made in the case.

Joshua Dean West, 24, was arrested under the authority of a Pinellas County warrant and was transferred to the Pinellas County Jail from the Putnam Correctional Institution, where he was being held on a Violation of Probation on previous Drug Offenses.West has been charged with DUI Causing Serious Bodily Injury, Leaving the Scene of an Accident Involving Serious Bodily Injury or Death and driving with No Valid Drivers License while Causing Serious Bodily Injury.

After a lengthy investigation, dectectives determined that Joshua Dean West was behind the wheel of the Honda Accord that slammed into Andrew Hall apporoximately five months ago. Their investigation was made more difficult by the fact that neither West nor his passenger that day, Douglas Ziegler, would confirm for investigators who was driving that morning.
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One year after being arrested for stealing approximately $128,000 from the City of Safety Harbor, while serving as their finance director, JoAnne Ryan was sentenced by Circuit Court Judge Thane Covert to one year in the Pinellas County Jail. However, six months of her time will be spent on “work release,” formerly known as the “Day Reporting” program.Ryan, who accepted the State’s plea deal, was convicted of Second Degree Grand Theft. As part of her sentence, Ryan will be placed on 15 years of probation and will be ordered to pay $128,000 in restitution. She already paid about $58,000 in restitution, up front, in an effort to mitigate the damage that she caused.

At her sentencing hearing, Judge Covert stated, “You are a good person, but you made some very serious mistakes you knew were wrong. You should never hold a position of trust in the future.” For the complete story, check out today’s St. Petersburg Times article.

As part of a very well prepared defense, Dr. Walter Afield, a neuropsychiatrist, testified that Ryan suffered from a condition known as “chemo brain,” following her treatment for breast cancer, which affects memory, concentration and focus. Afield also told the Court that Ryan had major depression and was suicidal.

While this case does not qualify for entrance into this blog’s “Celebrity Justice” column, it certainly begs the following questions: Are all Defendants treated equal? Does it help to have an experienced and aggressive criminal defense attorney on your side? And would she have gotten this same sentence had she been represented by the Office of the Public Defender?
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