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Reloader Taken from brother rider posted in Gulf Coast Bikers news.
Gulf Coast Biker News Howe to Serve 5 Years For Hitting Rob Shaffer
We all make decisions every day. Some are important, some are routine, most of them are good and hopefully very few are bad. In rare cases they can be life threatening. Whether we decide to wear a helmet or not is our legal choice, but some people decide whether or not to drink and drive and that is unlawful. The choices are yours, but so are the consequences of that action.
On a cool 50 degree March 24th morning more than 30 bikers representing groups like ABATE, Blue Knights, HOG and the American Legion Riders assembled in Room 405 of the Blanchard Judicial courthouse to hear what 1st Circuit Court Judge Joel Boles was going to say in the sentencing of a young man’s decision to drive drunk in a stolen vehicle, nearly kill one of our local brothers, and then leaving the scene of an accident. For two hours we sat listening to one sentencing after another on cases from cocaine sales within 1000 feet of a school, home invasion, burglary, theft, and so on. The maximum sentences ranged from 5 to 15 years in State lockup, but it seemed like most people were receiving the same punishment…9 months County time and 18 months probation plus fines and restitution.
With no time table posted for the cases we just waited and watched. Then, at 0940, the Judge took a 10 minute recess as 2 more Sheriff Deputies were added to the 3 already present. We knew the time was getting closer. After the recess one case was adjudicated before Brother Rob Shaffer got his first real look at the young man who made the decision to steal a vehicle, drive drunk against the advice of everyone telling him not to, who ran over Brother Rob while he was sitting on his PARKED motorcycle “safely” off of the road…Nicolas Blake Howe. Mr. Howe had pleaded “no contest” to the 5 charges leveled against him.
Before sentencing, Brother Rob was asked if he was going to address the Judge and he did. As he walked up to the microphone the court room fell totally silent for the first time that day. He told of spending more than a year building a custom bike that was destroyed. He told of his near fatal injuries, the surgeries he has gone thru and the surgeries yet to come. He spoke of loosing his job of 23 years because he was unable to perform for more than a year. And the impact this has had on his life which will never be the same. Then he asked the courts permission to let Gary “Satch” VerCrouse, President of the Gulf Coast Chapter of ABATE, speak. Judge Boles agreed, but asked that he be brief. Brother Satch complied and gave a very effective talk about ABATE and who they are. He explained that they have a lobbyist in Tallahassee and are actively trying to change laws and create stiffer penalties to help the Judge in cases just like this one. He also told the Judge how many biker funerals and hospital visits he has made just since the beginning of this year.
Judge Boles then turned to the 22 year old Mr. Howe and asked him if he had anything to say. Choking back tears and nearly unable to speak it took him at least 30 seconds to say that he was sorry and wished it had never happened.
Judge Boles found him guilty on all charges and sentenced him to 5 years (maximum time currently allowed by law) in state prison with 5 years probation upon his release on each of his 3 main charges, but ordered they be served concurrently not consecutively:mad:. Random drug and alcohol testing and 2 alcohol abuse classes during his probation. He must make restitution to Brother Rob as well as to the owner of the vehicle he stole and crashed, as well as a third vehicle that was also damaged to the tune of $19,000. The total amount of restitution is still to be determined.
A Sheriff’s Deputy immediately approached Mr. Howe, cuffed him and walked him over to the side of the court room where they started his processing. He had walked into the court room about 90 minutes earlier a free man wearing an untucked sport shirt and jeans with his lawyer, wife and mother but left with uniformed officers. I do not believe that either Mr. Howe or his legal representation expected this to be his fate when they were working on his defense. However, it was clear that his counsel had second thoughts when he saw the amount of leather clad observers seated in the rear of the room. 30+ bikers silently and uniformly stood turned to the right and walked out.
Keep it in the wind…
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Polaris/Victory has issued a recall of certain 2008 Vision motorcycles.
The electrical contact plate on the ignition switch base may not be properly secured to the ignition switch body, which can cause an unexpected loss of electrical power to the vehicle. A loss of electrical power could cause the vehicle to stall, increasing the risk of a loss of control and a vehicle crash.
1585 units are affected.
Check out my
Motorcycle Recalls feature for more details.
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Hearing set in 2006 Hells Angels gunfight case
The Associated Press
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — A hearing has been scheduled before a new judge in the case of two Hells Angels bikers, including a Washington state man, accused of starting a gunfight that injured six rivals in South Dakota.
Chad Wilson, 32, of Lynnwood, and John Midmore, 34, of Valparaiso, Ind., face numerous charges. The case stems from a shootout between Hells Angels and the Outlaws Motorcycle Club members in 2006 at a resort in Custer State Park.
Their trial has been delayed several times, most recently because of an appeal to the South Dakota Supreme Court.
Retired Circuit Judge Gene Paul Kean of Sioux Falls has since been appointed to hear the case. A hearing is scheduled for April 8 in Rapid City.
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| 12:24 AM (7 hours ago)  Iron City Blues is a new film documentary by Scott Jackson that debuted at Daytona Bike Week earlier this month. It chronicles the adventures of biker blues musician Big Mike Griffin and his ex-Marine buddy Jason Neese as they ride into the town of Iron City, TN, to find out the story behind the legend. Griffin wanted to write a new blues song and had heard stories about Iron City as being one of the roughest toughest towns in all of America. It's a town that hasn't had any police department since 1989, a town where insurance won't sell coverage to business owners, and where buildings lie burned and abandoned. So he summoned up his cigar-chewing buddy Jason to be his guide and bodyguard. The two loaded up their guns, hopped on their Harleys, and headed into town to find material for his song. There they found pre-teen boys rolling their own cigarettes, a half-crazed moonshiner named "Monkey Tidwell", a cross-eyed Mayor, and locals who pass their time away racing lawnmowers. They gathered up stories of Insurance Bluff, a place where locals drove their brand new pickup trucks off of a cliff to collect insurance money, and stories about moonshining like the time when a colored woman shot Monkey Tidwell four times because he wouldn't sell shine to some kids.  Griffin learned that there are many in Iron City who are peaceful and considerate, but find themselves helpless when outsiders wander into town to run roughshod, shoot their guns, and fence their illegal substance business. The documentary concludes with Griffin inviting the town's folks to a concert to perform Iron City's new blues anthem. Having won five film festival awards, the documentary runs 52 minutes in length, and the DVD offers an additional CD of soundtracks by Griffin. I found Iron City Blues to keep you well entertained and does a pretty good job of keeping you intrigued with Iron City's veil of mystique. And if you like the "biker blues" genre of music, you'll find the additional soundtrack CD to be worth the price of the DVD itself. Iron City Blues is available online from Amazon.com... http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/ironcityblues/ |
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