Despite widespread media reports that Fort Lee, New Jersey had made an unusual decision ban texting while walking. Not exactly true says Thomas Ripoli, chief of the Fort Lee Police Department

Plenty of municipalities have placed limits on the use of mobile phones while driving.  In particular the sending of text messages has been increasing regulated, with many states banning the practice while behind the wheel.

Virginia, notably has made texting while a vehicle is moving a primary offense, worthy of a traffic stop in its own right, not just and add-on infraction that can be levied against a driver pulled over for some other behavior.

While the quirky local story angle spread false information about Fort Lee’s supposed ban on texting while walking far and wide, Ripoli described the more mundane reality to MSNBC.

According to Ripoli, because of a rash of pedestrian-related accidents, Fort Lee police began a jay-walking oriented public education campaigns handing out more than a hundreds jaywalking tickets and hundreds of information pamphlets.

If you happen to be texting while jaywalking, Fort Lee police will quite possible ticket you for jaywalking (a $54 offense).  But no one has yet been ticketed simply for texting while walking.

After the crash, the driver of the van hopped out to check on Shannon. At that point, Shannon allegedly ran from his vehicle and out into traffic. According to Virginia State Police, Shannon proceeded to jump onto four different westbound vehicles, breaking the window of the first car in the process.

By the time state troopers made it to the scene, Shannon was across to the left shoulder of I-66.

Taken to a local hospital after the incident, Shannon was charged with reckless driving, destruction of property, illegal pedestrian on the interstate and interfering with passing vehicles on the highway. Doctors at Fairfax Inova Hospital ruled out drugs and alcohol as causes of Shannon’s odd behavior.

Based on these same sources, Zach Parsons is presumed to be the young man killed in the crash. Cole Kinsley and Christian LaPrad are likewise presumed to be the two other injured passengers. All three were 17 at the time of the accident.

Parsons family has filed a $2.75 million civil suit alleges neglegence on Snyder’s. A second civil suit, filed be Anthony Kinsley on behalf of his son Cole, asks for $2.75 million. The third suit filed against Snyder was brought by the  one of the other drivers involved in the accident: Jonathan Hall, who is asking for $500,000. It was not immediately clear whether Hall suffered injuries in the wreck.

Although Snyder is a minor, Virginia state law allows prosecutors to request a juvenile court judge move felony criminal proceedings against a teen age 14 or older up to the circuit court for trial as an adult if the juvenile court judge determines probable cause to do so exists and the teen is competent to stand trial.

According to authorities, the real-life Kenobi, formerly Benjamin Cale Feit, is responsible for causing a five-car accident in Roseville, California on March 19th

Kenobi, who has been changed with hit and run as well as leaving the scene after the accident occurred.also had a prior warrant for a misdemeanor letty theft charge.

What in the world would Yoda say?

The Name Change

Feit changed his name in 1999 as a part of a radio contest run in connection with the release of the first Star Wars prequel film, The Phantom Menace (which doesn’t even make the top 100 regrettable decisions involving that film).

Feit told reporters at one point that he’d only  meant to keep the gimmick name for month before changing it back. However, soon after a new law in California raised the cost of  changing a legal name to $500.

Not wanting to spend the money and, perhaps correctly surmising that “I was going to be single anyway,” Feit decided to keep his new moniker indefinitely.

After The Accident

Police traced Kenobi to his home, subsequent to the accident, which does not appear to be a desert bungalow amongst the jundland wastes. No Jawas were harmed in the police search.

After spending five days in jail, Kenobi was released without bail (but with “electronic monitoring“), pending an April 30th court date. He faces a felony hit and run change due to his involvement in the accident.

This month we’ve launched a new website that focuses specifically on our criminal law practice and the work of Gordon Law Firm attorney, Carlos Wall. Here’s a bit of info about Carlos:

George Mason University School of Law. Carlos has extensive experience in Virginia courts including representation of clients before the Virginia Supreme Court. He has represented hundreds of individuals charged with misdemeanor and felony offenses and he brings considerable trial and post-trial experience to the firm.

Prior to joining The Gordon Law Firm, Carlos was an associate with Devine, Connell, and Sheldon LLC and served the community as an Assistant Public Defender in Fairfax County. In his previous employment, Mr. Wall was part of a team that defended several high-profile individuals, including Paul Powell, Larry Gooch, and John Allen Muhammad.

Carlos is also experienced in immigration law and post-conviction remedies, including appeals, habeas corpus, pardons, restoration of rights petitions, and other extraordinary writs.

Mr. Wall was born in El Salvador and he has lived in various countries, including Peru, Kenya, the Congo, the Ivory Coast and El Salvador. Mr. Wall is fluent in Spanish.

We’re still ironing out all the kinks on the new site and we look forward to providing new and useful content over the upcoming months.

Thanks for taking a look.

Police caught up to Gibson and managed to force the stolen vehicle from the road. But Gibson escaped and contented on foot, diving into the back of a pick-up truck. Cornered by police, Gibson grabbed a shovel from the truck bed and began swinging.

Literally outgunned, Gibson agreed to drop the shovel but then bolted through the surrounding police and climbed over a roadside cement barrier. Gibson then tried to fight his way through two more police officers but was finally subdued.

Gibson was walking along I-66 when he was initially approached by Virginia State Police Trooper C.T. Grzelak, who had responded to a report of a pedestrian on I-66. An Arlington County Police Officer pulled up to assist.

The two officers attempted to encircle Gibson, who became violent punching the Arlington officer and making off in his vehicle

Gibson has been charged with thirteen counts, including: grand larceny, carjacking, eluding police, malicious wouding, destruction of property, and assault on a police officer.  He is being held without bond at the Prince William County Detention Center.

It isn’t clear whether those sorts of “big brother” fears motivated the man who calmly stepped out of his Audi sedan at 20 after 1 in the morning, dressed in a nightshirt and put five bullets into a vacant Santa Fe patrol car.

One thing’s for sure though. He was mad about something.

Here’s the video taken from the patrol car dashboard as the shooting occurred:

1. Why did the police officer believer that he’d seen him run the stop sign?

2. How could Krioukov prove that he hadn’t done so, despite the officer’s insistence?

To answer these questions convincingly, Krioukov published a scientific paper, illustrating the problem with the officer’s observation.  As summarized by PhysicsCentral.com:

When Krioukov drove toward the stop sign the police officer was approximating Krioukov’s angular velocity instead of his linear velocity. This happens when we try to estimate the speed of a passing object, and the effect is more pronounced for faster objects. 

Trains, for instance, appear to be moving very slowly when they are far away, but they speed past when they finally reach us. Despite these two different observations at different distances, the train maintains a roughly constant velocity throughout its trip.

In Krioukov’s case, the police cruiser was situated about 100 feet away from a perpendicular intersection with a stop sign. Consequently, a car approaching the intersection with constant linear velocity will rapidly increase in angular velocity from the police officer’s perspective.

Combined with the police officer’s momentarily obstructed view, an ill-timed sneeze from Dr. Krioukov and some fancy manta, this explanation was enough to convoke a judge the the officer was wrong in his initial determination that Krioukov hadn’t made the appropriate stop at the intersection.

So stay in school kids. Knowledge is power!

You can check out Krioukov’s full explanatory paper, entitled “Proof of Innocence” right here.

Be afraid, Virginia. And use good sense with your footwear when driving…

Upon exciting her vehicle, according to media reports, Toles loudly proclaimed her status as a Prince Georges County Council member. If she expected her county government position to get her better treatment from place that you or I might expect, she was proven right – at least initially.

Incredibly, Toles walked away from her high-speed beltway chase with a citation for an unsafe lane change and a $90 ticket. An outcry followed and the police faced intense scrutiny over their handling of the incident.

After further review, while defending their officer’s initial handling of the incident, the department slapped Toles with a reckless driving citation and a $500 fine.

Initially mum on the whole incident, Toles, under mounting pressure, issued a public apology. A week later, on March 12, she requested a hearing on the reckless driving case, which has been scheduled for April 20th in Prince George’s County General District Court.

Had Toles been stopped in Virginia, she wouldn’t have had a choice about wether to appear in court. Virginia’s reckless driving laws are some of the most severe in the country. Reckless Driving in Virginia is a Class 1 misdemeanor, with penalties similar to a DWI or Assault and Battery conviction.

In Virginia Toles reckless driving charge would mean a mandatory court visit and, given her driving record and excessive speed, she faced potential penalties of: up to 12 months in jail, up to a $2,500 fine, and a possible loss of her driving privileges for up to six months.

When she appears in court, Toles will likely attempt to get her reckless driving ticket dismissed or reduced.  With the help of an experienced attorney she may have a good chance at success. We recommend that if you are charged with reckless driving in Virginia do not plead guilty with speaking to an attorney first.

The consequences can be severe.

Speak to an attorney about your specific circumstances before you commit to a guilty plea. The Gordon Law Firm is happy to offer a FAST, FREE CONSULTATION to anyone with a reckless driving charge in the jurisdictions we serve: Fairfax, Loudon or Prince William Counties.

We’ve helped hundreds of Virginians protect their driving privileges. I know we can help you too… Even if you’re not a county council member. We’ll do out best to understand your specific circumstances and present an aggressive defense that we believe with result in the best possible outcome for you