In prison, Billy Lane fixes cars, teaches others
This from Florida Today and www.motorsportsnewswire.wordpress.com, original URL http://motorsportsnewswire.wordpress.com/2010/01/06/in-prison-billy-lane-fixes-cars-teaches-others-0106104/
6 01 2010
Bike builder in ‘motor pool,’ teaching others to weld
BY KEYONNA SUMMERS • FLORIDA TODAY
January 4, 2010 – (Motor Sports Newswire) – Celebrity motorcycle builder Billy Lane hasn’t lost his passion nor shed his “gearhead” persona while serving time in the state penitentiary.
A state prison spokeswoman says Lane, serving six years for a 2006 car crash that killed another biker, has spent the last four months using his mechanical skills at the Avon Park Work Camp to fix Department of Corrections vehicles as part of the “motor pool.”
Lane, 39, was sentenced in August to prison after pleading no contest to one count of vehicular homicide for crashing his pickup truck head-on into 56-year-old Sebastian Inlet Park ranger Gerald Morelock’s motorcycle while speeding past slow traffic in a no-pass zone on Sept. 4, 2006.
“It looks like he’s using his skills to help the state of Florida,” said corrections spokeswoman Jo Ellyn Rackleff.
In the meantime, the Melbourne Beach founder of Choppers Inc. has resolved his other legal problems surrounding the crash.
Court records show a civil suit filed last year by Erin Derrick — the passenger in Lane’s truck the night of the Labor Day 2006 crash — seeking compensation for hospital bills and suffering related to back injuries was settled through mediation.
The suit also held liable DaimlerChrysler, which provided the promotional vehicle to Lane despite his prior driving history.
Derrick’s attorney, Martin T. Buckley of Orlando, declined to comment on the suit or its resolution. Lane’s attorney, G. Jeffrey Vernis of North Palm Beach, did not return a call seeking comment.
A wrongful death suit brought against Lane and DaimlerChrysler by crash victim Morelock’s family was settled out of court in July 2007 for an undisclosed amount.
Greg Eisenmenger, Lane’s attorney in the criminal case, said he visited the prison work camp around early October to discuss filing a motion seeking a reduced sentence for Lane, claiming Morelock’s family thought Lane could do more good outside of prison.
A judge denied the motion, and Eisenmenger said no more are planned.
Lane has tried to turn the experience into a positive by helping other inmates learn how to weld, according to Eisenmenger.
“He’s adjusting as best he can,” Eisenmenger said. “They are allowing him to work in the shop, help other people and make good use of his time, so I think that’s a positive.”
Corrections spokeswoman Rackleff said inmates are assigned to facilities and work based on extensive mental and physical screens during reception.
She said Lane was immediately assigned to the “motor pool,” where his skills could be used.
Working doesn’t automatically equal gain time, Rackleff said. Instead good behavior earns that, and working is part of it.
Lane, placed in a minimum custody setting, has not been the subject of any disciplinary action, Rackleff said.
Eisenmenger said Lane is still willing to comply with a request Morelock’s family voiced at sentencing asking Lane to use his celebrity status to help save the lives of young people through a foundation they plan to create in Morelock’s name.
“While in prison, he’s not in a position to do that,” Eisenmenger said. “But it’s still his plan when he gets out.”
SOURCE: FLORIDA TODAY
Tags: Billy Lane, Celebrity motorcycle builder, motorcycle busniess, Powersports Business, V-Twin
Those of us that have first hand knowledge of the gray bar hotel know that this is preferential treatment that takes a long time in your cell to earn. He brings no more knowledge to the repair shop than was already there. This will be his new TV series.
I’m not impressed at all.
This is preferential treatment. Not impressed. This is something to be earned over time, he slid in and will probably use this as a new show.
Billy’s contributions to the custom motorcycle world are not diminished in my mind by his present personal circumstances. Yes he used poor judgement by mixing driving with alcohol and isn’t he paying a price now and isn’t he remorseful and won’t he continue to pay and pay? It looks like he is making the best of it while locked up and that is a credit to his character. Some lessons we only learn the hard way. He is a man like you and me after all. Hero worship usually ends up as disappointment and is therefore folly.
Keep on keepin’ on Billy!
Respectfully, Hammer
Look at what money and celebrity status can do for you! If I, or anyone I know, had committed vehicular murder/manslughter, as Lane did, we would be doing real time in a regular prison, not easy time at a minimum security facility for people that write hot checks or cheat their taxes. Or is Florida always this lenient on murderers?
The motorcycle community has a long memory when it comes to those that kill us on the road. Lane will have a very long row to hoe to regain anything close to the fame he once enjoyed. I hope he learns his lesson and doesn’t let money and status go to his head again when he is released.
The only thing positive I can say about Lane is that he is doing time while former Governor of SD Janklow got off without so much as a slap on the wrist for committing the same crime.
What a slime ball…PERIOD!
Evey one of us have had some drinks and got in our car and drove,if you denie this your lying.This tragedy could of happened to any of us.I feel for the family of the victem.Every one deserves forgivness and it appeares the family has done that with billy.Any one elses judgment doesnt really matter.Good for you Billy do your time and build your life again!Ill certainly support you!
Go Billy!
yea what he said. Thank god Florida did not drop the ball on this one. He tried his best to get it swept under the rug.
i agree with red harley that’s wonderful he is helping with the auto industry must b nice to have money to serve time with no rules.yea we all at one time have gotten behind the wheel when we should not have..but it’s hard to say ok billy u did your time for killing a biker good boy now let’s do a reality show…
next will be a show about Billy going to celebrity rehab
wow some of you are clueless. 1st Billy didn’t have unlimited money. His cash was used up in the trial. Lawyers aren’t free.
2nd, how would any of you know if Billy has more skill then another inmate??? How many auto mechanics are in the joint with him??? If he is teaching welding, obviously then there are people who don’t have his skills.
Finally as far as all this BS about if a regular guy had done this…sorry, it’s the legal system. How about Donte Stallworth committing the same crime & spending 2 weeks in jail & is now on the Baltimore Ravens collecting millions again….but Micheal Vick kills some dogs & does 2 years…..I guess a Pit Bull is worth more then a Hispanic male.
i suppose envy is the emotion that causes us humans to wish bad things on people. im human. im certain that billy has relived his responsibility every night he lays down in prison to go to sleep. lets not be so foolish to believe it ends upon his release. i dont know billy but i did do time in avon park in 76 and 77. i hope the best for everyone involved and prison aint best.
best wishes billy
mudd
im always confused by those that cry for justice ALWAYS being the ones that want special treatment for themselves.
We have all made mistakes billy were all waiting for your return love and miss you !
We all make poor decisions at times, some of us get by and others don’t. I know I could’ve been in this situation many times but thankfully I survived and so did everyone else. I got off easy and Billy didn’t. I feel for everyone in this situation including the family and Billy. Billy didn’t mean to kill anyone and he will be haunted by his mistake for the rest of his life. I hope that he stays true to his word about speaking to others about drunk driving, and one day continue to build bad ass bikes.