Jim Leyritz acquitted in manslaughter case
Posted by: Chad Jennings - Posted in Misc on Nov 20, 2010 
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I’ll let the Associated Press handle this one…
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — A jury on Saturday acquitted former major league baseball player Jim Leyritz of DUI manslaughter, after days of testimony that centered on whether Leyritz ran a red light moments before the 2007 crash that killed a mother of two.
The jury did convict Leyritz of driving under the influence, a misdemeanor punishable by a maximum six-month jail sentence. Jury foreman Brian Hall said the panel wanted to send a message that drinking heavily before driving was not acceptable — but no juror believed Leyritz had committed manslaughter.
“When you look at the manslaughter part of the case, it’s not provable either way,” Hall said. “It’s just two people who made bad decisions that night.”
On the night of the crash, Leyritz had been celebrating his birthday at local nightspots, according to trial testimony. The woman who died after the vehicles collided on Dec. 28, 2007, 30-year-old Fredia Ann Veitch, had gone out to bars after work and had a blood-alcohol level twice Florida’s legal limit, according to testimony.
Leyritz faced between four and 15 years in prison if he had been convicted of DUI manslaughter. The jury had signaled a deadlock on Friday, but they had been deadlocked on the DUI charge, not the manslaughter charge.
The 46-year-old former player burst into tears when the verdict was read, hugged his mother, attorney David Bogenschutz and other friends and family members. In an interview, he criticized the investigation as shoddy and the trial as unnecessary.
“If it had been investigated properly from the beginning, we wouldn’t be here,” said Leyritz, who played 11 major league seasons and hit a memorable 1996 World Series home run for the New York Yankees. “I wouldn’t wish this on anybody. It’s been a horrible situation for everybody.”
Defense experts testified that Leyritz may have been below Florida’s 0.08 percent blood-alcohol level limit when the crash occurred, even though it was 0.14 percent three hours later.
Two witnesses testified that Veitch had the green light at an intersection before Leyritz’s Ford Expedition hit her vehicle, causing a rollover crash that ejected her onto the pavement. But under cross-examination, those same witnesses were less definitive about whether Leyritz’s light was red or yellow.
Defense expert witnesses also said Veitch’s lights may have been off and that Leyritz did not appear to be speeding. They also raised questions about the reliability of Leyritz’s blood tests and suggested he may have suffered a slight concussion that caused his body to absorb alcohol more slowly.
Sad and tragic for everyone concerned.
# AldotheApache November 20th, 2010 at 5:33 pm
We’re here talking about Cano, Tex, ARod …
I said it before, I’ll say it again – the Yankees have the best infield in baseball.
Amen to that.
Manny Banuelos getting a lot of love on this broadcast.
I love it.
Where are they talking about ManBan?
Blake, I try to avoid contract talks as much as possible because they are boring and, with regards to Jeter, I hate seeing so many negative things written. I think 3/45 is very fair, but he won’t take it. I love the guy and would never say a bad word about him…….and I don’t think he’s done, either – but I don’t feel comfortable giving him 4 years guaranteed.
Betsy,
I would rather it be 3 but I think he will.be extremely motivated this winter to prove folks wrong.
Blake, I agree with his motivation (though I think it’s his self-motivation, not to prove to anyone else), but 4 years is still 4 years…………..I hope the Yankees don’t give it to him.
# GreenBeret7 November 20th, 2010 at 5:44 pm
Serena Roberts works at SI. What does that say about quality and veracity?
——————–
Well, she was right, wasn’t she?
# blake November 20th, 2010 at 5:40 pm
Where are they talking about ManBan?
AZFL championship game.
# BTX November 20th, 2010 at 5:49 pm
# GreenBeret7 November 20th, 2010 at 5:44 pm
Serena Roberts works at SI. What does that say about quality and veracity?
——————–
Well, she was right, wasn’t she?
About the Duke kids or A-Rod?
Dang I forgot about the AFL game.
BTX November 20th, 2010 at 5:49 pm
# GreenBeret7 November 20th, 2010 at 5:44 pm
Serena Roberts works at SI. What does that say about quality and veracity?
——————–
Well, she was right, wasn’t she?
———————————————————————————————————————-
With stolen/illegal information. She did next to nothing on her own. How well did that pig do on the Duke case?
Enough with the Selena Roberts nonsense. That is an old, stale topic.
——————————————————
Betsy,
I’ve been reading the threads. You stick to your opinions, I love it.
Selena Roberts did a great job of investigative reporting on A-Rod and steroids. Dave Epstein and Roberts were working on an A-Rod piece when steroid rumors were heard. Like good reporters they did their due diligence and verified and re-verified the information. They were right. It’s not Robert’s fault the union didn’t destroy the test results. Bottom line, he was a steroid user.
# West Coast Yankee Fan November 20th, 2010 at 6:06 pm
Selena Roberts did a great job of investigative reporting on A-Rod and steroids. Dave Epstein and Roberts were working on an A-Rod piece when steroid rumors were heard. Like good reporters they did their due diligence and verified and re-verified the information. They were right. It’s not Robert’s fault the union didn’t destroy the test results. Bottom line, he was a steroid user.
Then she tried to write a book about him. It flopped.
I know what her intentions were.
Didn’t work.
What were her intentions? Do you have some information on that? From everything I saw she was a good reporter who did a good job.
This case exemplifies some sage words I was taught in law school: You’re presumed innocent until the money runs out.
IOW, Leyritz had a great lawyer.
# West Coast Yankee Fan November 20th, 2010 at 6:12 pm
What were her intentions? Do you have some information on that? From everything I saw she was a good reporter who did a good job.
To make money off of the situation.
Didn’t work.
http://www.amazon.com/Rod-Many.....0061791644
Roberts sucks. Even the former blog host, who is no fan of Alex’s, said she didn’t make her case in the book.
You’re so used to reading your Hollywood gossip magazines that you wouldn’t know good journalism from a comic book. Still nothing to say about the hack jobs that she did on the “ARod Is a Slum Lord” or the Duke hatchet job…done again with illegal and false information?
Rich is right on the money pun intended. David Bogenschutz is Broward County’s leading criminal-defense, VIP attorney.
I don’t read Hollywood gossip magazines and I don’t care what her motivations in writing her book were.
The investigative reporting she did for SI on A-Rod and steroids was impeccable and she was right.
Alex didn’t tip at hooters. Pulitzer worthy stuff.
If you followed the story at all GB, you would know that Selena Roberts’ reporting focused on exposing the union as well as A-Rod.
What investigative reporting? She was the recipient of a selective leak of information in documents that were sealed under court order. The result was a violation of Alex’s 4th Amendment rights. She published the information for personal gain. There’s nothing laudatory in that.
Of course, she also accused him of tipping pitches to his friends on other teams and a guy who was hardly his biggest booster called it a flat out lie. The fact that he signaled to his infielders and outfielders to position the defense went completely over her head…no hard thing to do. You know..the same thing that jeter does. Michael Young also said she was full of it.
still nothing about Duke?
Wasn’t it David Epstein who did all the digging?
Rich I am not talking about the book. I am talking about the original SI piece. Take it up with Gene Orza, if the results were destroyed this never would have came out.
Heel, you’re an expert on everything else from the best lawyers in Florida to the Houston Chamber Of Commerce and have an opinion on everything, certainly you have an opinion on a “best selling book by one of your journalism idols.
“Rich I am not talking about the book. I am talking about the original SI piece. Take it up with Gene Orza, if the results were destroyed this never would have came out.”
The original republishing of the 4th Amendment violation was in her SI piece:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.c.....-steroids/
So your point is that Orza’s potential negligence excuses a violation of someone’s constitutional rights? Really?
GB – it’s not a secret that Bogenschutz is a very prominent VIP attorney. I have been following the case like many have and that has been reported. As far as Houston is concerned I lived there for many years so I do have some insight into the city that some may not have.
Finally, I would never call Selena Roberts one of my journalism idols far from it, Maureen Dowd would come closest to that. Roberts was wrong about the Duke Lacrosse players but that does not mean she was wrong about A-Rod. She wasn’t.
Rich – I am not an attorney and have no idea what the 4th Amendment issues are and what if anything legally was done about that or not.
My point is simply that the MLBPA could have and should have destroyed the test results which was their right and some would say their obligation.
Selena Roberts investigative report was correct, A-Rod was a steroid user and he lied about it.
Nobody quotes population numbers just because they lived there years ago. Just admit that you do searches to try sharp shooting people with information that you only know after looking it up.
“Rich – I am not an attorney and have no idea what the 4th Amendment issues are and what if anything legally was done about that or not.”
Amendment IV
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/ne.....egal020909
…The Rodriguez disclosure is especially serious because Illston and other federal judges had ruled that this was “information [the government] wasn’t entitled to,” said Charles La Bella, a former U.S. Attorney who practices criminal defense in San Diego. “It’s unfair to tarnish an individual based on that illegally seized information.”
I think that protection of constitutional rights trumps our right to know about what Alex may or may not have done.
GB most people know that Houston is the 4th largest city in the United States. The comment was made about Drayton McLane selling the team and I pointed out that Houston was an excellent sports and media market and the future could be bright under the right circumstances. I usually try to back up my contentions with accurate facts and statistics. Don’t you?
just like nobody quotes some lawyer’s name from a state that you don’t even live in and spell it correctly…especially that name. You’re not talking about an OJ Simpson bank of lawyers here. Other out of state lawyers but not some local yokel from California.
Rich, you may be right about the legal nuance here. I don’t know anything about it. What if anything was done to redress that perceived grievance?
GreenBeret7 November 20th, 2010 at 6:54 pm
just like nobody quotes some lawyer’s name from a state that you don’t even live in and spell it correctly…especially that name. You’re not talking about an OJ Simpson bank of lawyers here. Other out of state lawyers but not some local yokel from California.
***********
He’s not a California lawyer he is a Florida lawyer. And if you saw the same reports on television that I did you would know that, as well as his name. If you are offended by my trying to spell people’s names correctly and get the facts right GB – that would be your issue not mine.
Good stuff, Rich and GB
I didn’t say he was a local yokel from California. That’s you. What part of lawyer from a state you don’t even live in confuses you?
What went on back 7-8 years ago is about as interesting, accurate, and pertinent to the Yankees as what someone’s talent level might (or might not) be in 2014.
This is a really sad story but I guess I’m happy Leyritz got off? Maybe? I don’t know… I just hope he has learned his lesson and never drinks and drives again
The bottom line on Selena Roberts, the reviews of her book on A-Rod, even by folks stating they were Red Sox fans and disliked A-Rod, was the book was poorly written, and as written, made no sense.
You can not call this woman a serious journalist, she is a hack, at best. She should be writing for the trash papers, not SI.
She made numerous false charges, without proof, against the Duke lacrosse team players, and when proof came out they were not guilty, she never retracted her statements, nor did she apologize.
Please do not insult the intelligence of those of use here that recognize her for what she truly is by calling her a serious journalist.
go visit your Northern California friend’s basement like he invited you to…the ones with his collection of whips and chains. He’s right up your alley.
Arod had a reasonable belief that the results were confidential and thus reasonably believed he could deny the use of steroids. Roberts exploited illegal behavior to effectively trap ARod in a no win. Arod was unfairly treated by Roberts.
Rich, I would imagine if A-Rod’s 4th Amendment rights were that egregiously violated, as wealthy and lawyered up as he is, that a civil suit would have been an option. It’s my understanding that Selena Roberts had four sources. I would think that they would be the parties at fault. Is that not correct legally?
I don’t have any idea who ran a red light in that mess, and apparently neither do any of the witnesses, but, supposedly, neither should have been on the road after the drinking. Both were at fault for an unfortunate incident. I’ll make no judgements on that one. Both screwed up.
Al I don’t disagree with you on the Duke case and Roberts reporting. If I remember correctly that occurred when she worked for the New York Times. I might be mistaken about that.
But as far as the A-Rod case goes, the report she did for SI, she was 100% accurate and right.
GreenBeret7 November 20th, 2010 at 7:04 pm
go visit your Northern California friend’s basement like he invited you to…the ones with his collection of whips and chains. He’s right up your alley.
***********
Your intellect overwhelms me GB.
she accepted or bought illegally obtained information and then decided to profit from it. If that isn’t immoral anillegal, not to mention unethical, then nothing is. she should have been indicted until she explained where and from whom she got the info.
and illegle
illegal
most things overwhelm you.
Selena was proven right bcause Alex admitted it.
Otherwise the charges would have been alleged because none of her witnesses were named, she refused to disclose their identity or assist MLB in their investigation and her having the physical proof of the reports would be possession of stolen property.
If Alex pulled an Ortiz, there would have been lots of questions but few provable answers.
WCYF -
I believe you are incorrect, do to the fact she is a “journalist”, her sources are protected, therefore she need not divulge the names of she sources, thus they are protected from A-Rod’s attorney’s going after them.
It’s always easy to spred rumors or lies, if you know your name will not be revealed, I hate cowards that do that.
Hopefully, tomorrow morning will be normal, with the decent posters available. Murph, you need to show up then. Pat and Randy usually pop in around then. Have a great night.
It’s unfortunate GB that you can’t discuss these rather normal issues without being so hostile.
Then she tried to write a book about him. It flopped.
I know what her intentions were.
================
To line her pockets with dollars.
Good night GB, I agree it is difficult at times to discuss things in a rational way.
GB7
I see your spelling is getting better.
A,B,C’S for dummies has been a blessing for you.
Keep at it.
Al – I see your point. But journalists are accorded that protection for a reason. A judge can over rule that I believe. I am just not sure what happened or didn’t happen after the report. Did the judge make her reveal her sources/ I just don’t know the end game on all of that.
Man the comment quality on this blog used to be pretty good, but this is just horrendous.
Welcome to the boring off season.
Football at the Stadium…Now!
Its just the “regulars” on here, I feel like they need to go outside, see daylight.
Joe Girardi at the Army/ND game
This place is a shell of its former self.
WCYF -
Yes, a judge can order the journalist to reveal sources in the most extreme circumstances, and if the journalist refuses, could be sent to jail, until they comply, but this is very rare.
Take the example of what is happening as we speak, someone in our government is revealing top secret info, and is being protected by those journalist laws, this is wrong. When the law is violated, as it was in A-Rod’s case, the journalist S/B required to report the persons violating the law, not protecting them.
I’m not jumping out due to the discussion, but, I must go. Pick it up at a later time.
Wow. A bunch of geniuses on this board.
Fist off, As a huge Jeter fan, was he not paid extremely well for his career so far? I seem to remember that he is a very rich man. I live pretty close to his mansion in Tampa in which he bought 3 houses on the water and tore them all down to build his new house.
The offer of 3 years and 45 million (which is 15 mil per season for those that can’t add) is not based on 1 year of dreadful performance. He is 37 years old ! Duh. How many 37 year old shortstops have there been? Again, he is 37 years old at the end of 3 years he will be 40 years old.. are you out of your mind to think that anybody, no matter how good the numbers are can be productive at 40 years old, especially as a SS?
Some of you are silly. You’re throwing up his career numbers as if he should get paid for that until he is in a wheelchair. Yesterday is yesterday, he banked on the Yankees contract and still makes even more with his contracts with Ford, Nike, Gillete, etc.. if he didn’t play for the Yankees he would not have nearly the money he has. It’s been a WIN WIN for both NYY and Jeter.
Stop using what he did in the past seasons as a basis for what he should get until he is cripple and can’t lace up his spikes anymore.
IN the open market not a single team would give him more than 3 years, maybe only 2 years and they sure as heck aren’t going to give him 15 million, which is more than anyone is gonna pay for a 37 year old who’s past his prime. Can he hit .300 next season? Possibly, but he sure is not going to hit .300 for all 3 years. Just what I want to see.. a 40 year old shortstop making 20 million a year who was once one of the best SS of the past decade.
You guys make no sense. Wake up. Just because the Yankees made a bad contract with Arod (which by the way was Hank) or any other player period, that means that you should give out another bad contract on purpose? Are you guys for real?
I am seriously holding back my post here, because I am just embarrased by what I am reading here.. oh, I will say this much..
“Dumb people really don’t know that they are dumb, because they don’t know what being smart is”.
Have some common sense.
The Stadium is where the Jets or Giants should be playing.
I stopped after reading “Wow. A bunch of geniuses on this board.”.
GreenBeret7
November 20th, 2010 at 7:04 pm
go visit your Northern California friend’s basement like he invited you to…the ones with his collection of whips and chains. He’s right up your alley
========
I will ask that you keep your disparaging, false statements to youself. It is unfortunate that you have to turn almost everything into an argument here.
Are you capable of just having a discussion without the insults and personal attacks onto others ?
Sometimes I go to Yankees games and I see a guy wearing a fanny pack, and an AM headset that looks like something you would win if you did the most boyscout fundraising back in 1987…. and that is the person I envision when I see some of these posts on here.
ron
November 20th, 2010 at 7:19 pm
GB7
I see your spelling is getting better.
A,B,C’S for dummies has been a blessing for you.
Keep at it.
==============
LMAO ! !
Just got home and saw this post.
In my humble opinion, Leyritz has been given a gift of sorts, and needs to something positive with the rest of his life.
I purposely ignored the subject of the post because just reading about it this afternoon made me rather mad
“If it had been investigated properly from the beginning, we wouldn’t be here,” said Leyritz,”
Uhh, no Jim. If you hadn’t been driving drunk and killed a woman, we wouldn’t be here. Learn a lesson and grow up. You got lucky, like in 1996.
Wow, that’s an interesting take. So the Yankees “lucked” into winning the ’96 World Series?
I feel awful for everyone involved in the accident. But anyone who has read more than superficially into the details of the accident knows that it was an extremely complicated case
Leyritz will always have this on his conscience. Now at least he can try to put the other pieces of his life back together and be a father to his children.
Honestly, get lucky like he did in 96? I suppose he just got lucky in 95 too…or any of the other postseason homers he hit. Get real Nettles.
Count, your right. Anyone who took the time to examine the case would know alot of the blame falls on the female driver as well. I’m happy for Leyritz that he was acquitted, and hopefully the Yankee family will let him back into the fold now.