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Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Velazquez Seeks to Further Delay DUI Trial

posted by on August 20 at 16:59 PM

City Attorney Tom Carr and several members of his staff are seeking to avoid a deposition by lawyers for Venus Velazquez, a onetime city council candidate who was arrested and charged with DUI just weeks before the 2007 election.

In court documents, Velazquez claims Carr failed to recuse himself adequately from her case—a promise he made when Velazquez was arrested in late October 2007 because he had endorsed Velazquez’s opponent, Bruce Harrell. (Harrell won the race). However, Velazquez points out that Carr’s assistant Ruth Bowman sent an email from Carr’s account responding to a Seattle P-I records request about the case three days after Carr said he would recuse himself; and that Carr sent an email to two assistant city attorneys on October 25 in response to an email about the Velazquez case. Velazquez is seeking to have the entire city attorney’s office barred from prosecuting the DUI case against her—a move that would require a total change of venue.

It’s defies belief that, eight months after being arrested for DUI, Velazquez is still trying to dodge the charge. Does she really believe Carr’s employees won’t give her a fair shake because their boss endorsed her opponent nearly a year ago? (Carr himself can make the case pretty convincingly that he actually did recuse himself; the October 23 email was sent by his assistant, and the October 25 email consists, in its entirety, of the statement, “I have asked to be walled off from the Velzaquez [sic] matter. Thanks for the info, but I really should not be involved.”) Does Carr’s alleged bias against her really justify a change of venue, after three continuations and eight months’ delay?

If Velazquez has a case (and it sure doesn’t sound like it—she was going 50 mph in a 30 mph zone, crossed the center line, and was drifting back and forth in the lane), she should make it. Instead, she’s resorting to obfuscation and delay.

RSS icon Comments

1

She's ridiculous. I am so glad her stupid actions during the campaign and refusal to own up to her mistakes saved us from having this loser on our city council.

Posted by Psot | August 20, 2008 5:58 PM
2

Sounds like she's pulling a Larry Craig: "I am not a drunk, I never have been a drunk."

Posted by snarky | August 20, 2008 7:28 PM
3

In most cases, a defendant should Delay, delay, delay...

She lost the race. She's not a public figure right now. Leave her alone.

Posted by six shooter | August 20, 2008 7:31 PM
4

Also known as the R. Kelly defense.

Posted by Banna | August 20, 2008 7:45 PM
5

Maybe she should have been elected. She's acting like an incumbent. Well, at least she's acting like Jane Hague.

Posted by kk | August 20, 2008 8:05 PM
6

Six shooter, but it's likely she may be a candidate or be in the public spotlight in the future. And just because she lost doesn't mean all of the sudden she's some anonymous bystander.

Posted by Sam | August 20, 2008 8:24 PM
7

Erica,
don't you read the Stranger?
Jackass binge drinking is a celebrated lifestyle....and the source of 90 percent of your advertising.

Posted by Editor's Note | August 20, 2008 9:38 PM
8

Leave her alone. She's attempting the best defense she's got, and we'd be crazy for not doing the same if we were ever in trouble with the law.

Posted by John | August 20, 2008 9:42 PM
9

@8: Giving the best defense you've got, when you know that you've got jack, is unethical. That's not something anybody should be applauding.

Posted by Greg | August 21, 2008 9:31 AM
10

@5 GOOOOOOOOOALLLLLLLLLL!

Posted by Slog Officiating Board | August 21, 2008 10:48 AM
11

Some call it obfuscation and delay; I call it fully availing yourself of your legal protections.

Besides, I say it's just a matter of time before Harrell blows a 0.12 on his way home one night.

Posted by Joe M | August 21, 2008 11:06 AM
12

Oh come on, it's not like they found all DUI cases back then suffered from improper testing and inaccurate measurements.

Oh. Wait. They did.

Especially for women who weren't about 5'10".

Posted by Will in Seattle | August 21, 2008 11:33 AM

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