Billy Lane criminal case delayed to Sept.
July 3, 2007
Well, it seems as if Mr. Lane’s attorneys have displayed their legal finesse once again. This is beginning to drag on a bit, don’t you think?
Billy Lane criminal case delayed
BY KEYONNA SUMMERS
FLORIDA TODAY
Lawyers for Billy Lane, the famed motorcycle builder charged with DUI manslaughter, will next appear in court Sept. 21, more than a year after the accident that left a Melbourne Beach man dead.
At a hearing Friday in Viera, Circuit Judge Meryl Allawas granted a request by Lane’s attorneys, hired earlier this year, to postpone the case until late September while they continue to investigate the charges.
Lane faces 15 years in prison if convicted.
“There’s work that we need to do that is ongoing,” said defense lawyer Robert Berry. “These (types of cases) take whatever time they take, and the court’s always interested in giving people a fair trial, especially with the penalties involved in a case like this.”
Among other things, Berry said the defense wants to arrange a date to inspect the condition of blood samples taken that night.
Assistant State Attorney Tom Brown did not return a call for comment.
Investigators said Lane, 37, had a blood alcohol level more than twice the legal limit last Labor Day when he crossed a double yellow line on State Road A1A south of Melbourne Beach to pass several other vehicles before striking Sebastian Inlet park ranger Gerald Morelock, who was riding a 1983 Yamaha motorcycle.
Morelock’s family has since filed a civil suit against Lane. The next court date in that case is set for 8:45 a.m. Friday in Titusville, court records show.
For the criminal case, Berry said he expects Allawas to schedule a conference in the near future for attorneys to lay out a timetable for gathering evidence.
Contact Summers at 242-3642 or ksummers@floridatoday.com.
xxxx
Beach, if you see this pass to Train
comments reply problem appears to be
functioning correct//Old Crow
Hey Crow,
I let her know you were having some problems. I’m glad she was able to fix you up.We like to hear what you have to say. I assume those xxxx’s are for the Train.I’ll pass that on too.
Beach
Beach,
In case you didn’t see it, seems Lane/Daimler Chrysler
settled the civil suit out of court, undisclosed
amount of course.
Now for more legal games in part 2, crimial trial.
Later//Old Crow
Hey Crow,
Yes we saw it, published it, gave our opinion, the day it happened. I think we were the first motorcycle website to do so.
I guess you haven’t been checking in. It’s on the site Crow. Thanks for the info anyway.
Beach
Beach,
I don’t know much about the legal system or how it works, but I know I’m one of the loyal fans of Billy. I hope things go well for him. I’m sure lots of people can’t understand why I feel this way. One reason is that I’ve been around Billy at various events and I think he’s a good person who made a bad decision. I’ve told him that I will support him and I’m a die-hard fan. I thank you for your comments and hope to see more from you. I visit your site often cause I think you are a good man as well. Anyway, keep up the good work. Have a great time at Sturgis and give my best to Train. Later.
Redneck midget in NC
Beth,
I want to thank you for commenting here and for the nice things you have said.We hope you will come back often.
It’s really tough. We know Billy Lane through the years and we noticed early on when his behavior seemed to go over the top. We commented then because we believed at that time as we believe now that he is a very talented guy who made a difference in the industry.We didn’t think then and we don’t think now that he is an evil person or that he wouldn’t do anything to change what happened.The Biker Breakfast we just attended was a great event!! It was for a great cause(Kids and Chrome) and it was Billy who started it and continues to support it all the way. The event attracts the best the industry has to offer as well as people from other walks of life who love motorcycles and want to help kids.There are lots of smiles, lots of great vibes, and a bunch of money raised through auctions,ticket sales and other acts of good will.
Personally, I got a lift from the likes of Michael Lichter, Bert Baker, Donnie Smith,Roger Goldammer, Darcy Betlach, Sara Liberte,The Perewitz Family, Randy Simpson, Eddie Trotta and several others whose smiles, warmth and recognition of our website was an inspiring event for both Train and myself.When Bert Baker smiles and shakes your hand you feel his energy and warmth.Bert also joined as a sponsor this year. We got to see and speak with so many othere who we know and met for the first time. We were honored to be v.i.p. guests at several events. We don’t do this to get rich!! We do it to help all of our brothers and sisters and when that is recognized it is an awesome feeling.
We made new friends with Dozier who will be featured here, Paul Yaffe, and spent quality time with Rick Fairless, Eddie Trotta, and the great Roger Goldammer. We saw and spoke with Arlen, Cory and Zach Ness and were blown away by what young Zach is doing. We said high to Jerry Covington, another quality man. We have pictures and video of all of this as well as much more.
We will be posting the photos on the blog and some of the best on the jewels for the special people who support this website.The video is over 2 1/2 hrs. long and will be edited.We think it is dynamite and will give our family members a real feel for what Sturgis 07 was like.
Having said all of that, I want to say that we have become friends with Byron Morelock over the last year and have experienced first hand the pain and anquish the family has endured by the loss of brother Gerald.We only ask that when people think about the tragic accident the remember a kind, warm, loved man named Gerald who is no longer with us.
Beach
Hi Sam,
We agree on all counts. There were numerous incredible, creative builds that we witnessed at the AMD show.Truley amazing stuff.We will be sharing all of our photos and video as soon as Train can get stuff edited and posted. It is a massive job and Train does it all herself.She is really amazing and talented but still human and all of 5′1″.
The event has been great fun for us but also incredibly draining.We put 1000 miles on our varios means of transportation.
Stay Tuned
Beach
Beach,
You made me feel good with the things you said. Yes, I will remember Gerald with warm thoughts and feel his loved ones’ pain. However, I didn’t know him personally, like I do Billy. My heart breaks thinking of how he must feel every day. I used to drink and do stupid things and I’ve been sober for six years. I still battle with some of the things I did and never got ‘caught’. It hurts and I just feel so much for Billy. I think often of Indian Larry, who I met at the Smoke Out in Salisbury in 2004. If he could stay sober then I can too. I just hope for good things to come Billy’s way cause the pain he lives with everyday would be too much for me to handle.
Well, thanks for doin what you do and the way you do it. It makes me feel good being able to express myself in my own weird way. I say, you do rock! One day I hope to meet you and Train. Just to let you know why I call myself the redneck midget, I’m 4′9″ and if you could hear my drrraaaaawwwwww, you’d know why. Anyway, thanks again for your fine work. Take care and keep it real.
The redneck midget in NC