KevinthePRF Posted April 1, 2005 Share Posted April 1, 2005 ....again. http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/3505800 CLAYTON, Mo. (AP) - Leonard Little failed several field sobriety tests when stopped for speeding a year ago, the officer who arrested him told jurors Thursday as testimony began in the DWI trial of the St. Louis Rams defensive end. Ladue Police Officer Gregory Stork said Little "was intoxicated. There's no doubt in my mind." Scott Rosenblum, Little's attorney, said in his opening argument earlier in the day that the sobriety tests were flawed. Little is charged with speeding and felony drunk driving as a persistent offender. In 1999, Little pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter in the death of 47-year-old Susan Gutweiler in a crash in downtown St. Louis. In that case, Little's blood-alcohol level was nearly twice Missouri's legal limit. Little later served three months in jail, four years of probation and 1,000 hours of community service. He also was suspended without pay for the first half of the 1999 season. If convicted of the DWI charge, Little - a Pro Bowl selection in 2003 - could face up to four years in prison and another NFL suspension. Little was stopped shortly before 4 a.m. last April 24 on Interstate 64. During testimony, Stork told jurors that Little swayed to keep his balance, placed his hand on his 2003 Mercedes to stay steady, and had watery, bloodshot eyes. He said Little failed three field sobriety tests and submitted to a portable breath test at the scene that detected the presence of alcohol. But Stork said the 30-year-old refused to take a breathalyzer test once in custody at the Ladue police station within an hour of being pulled over. He later asked to place a call to his attorney. Rosenblum said Little had only had two beers the morning in question and was not intoxicated when stopped by police, who said Little was driving 78 mph in a 55-mph zone. Little told the arresting officer he had been with friends in downtown St. Louis and was headed home to St. Charles. Rams coach Mike Martz was among those attending the trial - in a packed courtroom - in support of Little. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fred Jones Posted April 1, 2005 Share Posted April 1, 2005 Two beers is the standard answer. He should not have had any alochol before he got behind the wheel based on his prior troubles. This guy needs to go to jail. He obviously has not learned his lession. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkinsRback04 Posted April 1, 2005 Share Posted April 1, 2005 Hang 'im...Hang 'im high. Zero tolerance for repeats, especially when he's already killed. (And gotten off with a pretty light sentence.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGGS_DADDY Posted April 1, 2005 Share Posted April 1, 2005 Originally posted by Fred Jones Two beers is the standard answer. He should not have had any alochol before he got behind the wheel based on his prior troubles. This guy needs to go to jail. He obviously has not learned his lession. Can't argue with you on that one. Such a shame, this kid has so much talent and he just can't stay off the booze. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Funkyalligator Posted April 1, 2005 Share Posted April 1, 2005 Put him in jail and throw away the key...too bad he drank himself out of the NFL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stwasm Posted April 1, 2005 Share Posted April 1, 2005 He already has killed someone. If it was any of us, we'd still be in jail with no hope of gaining reasonable employment. What a joke! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonMagicJuan Posted April 1, 2005 Share Posted April 1, 2005 jeez, talk about a waste of talent...he can straight up play football and is very good but outside of football, thats pothetic.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bearrock Posted April 1, 2005 Share Posted April 1, 2005 Dude, you make obscene amounts of money. Hire a damn driver! :doh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RockyMountainHog Posted April 2, 2005 Share Posted April 2, 2005 Really..Buy the bar you drink in and sleep it off upstairs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan T. Posted April 2, 2005 Share Posted April 2, 2005 He was acquitted. Little found innocent of drunken driving April 1, 2005 CLAYTON, Mo. (AP) -- St. Louis Rams defensive end Leonard Little was found innocent of drunken driving Friday by a St. Louis County Circuit jury. Jurors ruled that Little was speeding at the time of his arrest April 24 on Interstate 64 in a St. Louis suburb. He will be sentenced on that charge May 6. ``We're absolutely thrilled,'' said Little's lawyer, Scott Rosenblum. ``Couldn't be happier.'' Little will not be considered a persistent offender, which had been a possibility under the charges because he pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter in a 1998 drunken-driving accident in downtown St. Louis that killed 47-year-old Susan Gutweiler. Little served three months in jail, completed 1,000 hours of community service and four years of probation for the earlier crime. He was also suspended without pay for the first half of the 1999 season. The prosecution argued in this case that Little failed several field sobriety tests when stopped for speeding and refused to be chemically tested for alcohol when taken into custody. Rosenblum countered that his client should be cleared, arguing in part that the officer at the scene failed to give Little the proper instructions. Rosenblum said during the trial that Little had consumed two beers and was not intoxicated when stopped by police, who reportedly found Little driving 78 mph in a 55-mph zone. Little had 46 tackles, 6 1/2 sacks and recovered four fumbles last season. He was a Pro Bowl selection in 2003. http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news;_ylc=X3oDMTBpZ2NvMjltBF9TAzk1ODYxMDU5BHNlYwN0aA--?slug=ap-rams-little-trial&prov=ap&type=lgns Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay87 Posted April 2, 2005 Share Posted April 2, 2005 Lock him away! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkinsFTW Posted April 2, 2005 Share Posted April 2, 2005 What an idiot Jury. They must have all been Ram fans. The guy refused the test. If he was sober and he took the test this would have never been a story at all. There is only one reason to refuse the test. I can't believe a guy who killed someone else while drunk gets only 4 months in jail and then is driving again doing the same thing. The laws are as stupid as the jury. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renegade7 Posted April 2, 2005 Share Posted April 2, 2005 Originally posted by Jay87 Lock him away! Glad to see you Rams fans aren't blind-homers. Seriously, ya'll already know how I feel about drunk drivers. Totally sick that this guy is living my dream of playing football and getting away with DWI, while others are having the court system rip their veins out for the same crime. What a joke. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay87 Posted April 2, 2005 Share Posted April 2, 2005 The jury was made up of 11 women and one man. It was the part where Little's lawyer convinced them that the cop followed incorect procedure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hauss Posted April 2, 2005 Share Posted April 2, 2005 I saw a tv story a couple of years ago concerning the lady he killed. That 3 months in jail was a travesty. If I was Little and I had taken a life the way he did--I would do two things 1. Thank God everyday that I only got 3 months in jail 2. I would never have one sip of alcohol again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
citigent Posted April 3, 2005 Share Posted April 3, 2005 until the goverment finds its way back to God, things like this will continue to happen. It is a shame that money and fame can have such an importance that moral values and human life take a back seat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevinthePRF Posted April 3, 2005 Author Share Posted April 3, 2005 Ridiculous, I'm dumbfounded. What a stupid jury. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fifty Gut Posted April 4, 2005 Share Posted April 4, 2005 This man is rich, why take the risk driving drunk? He has the luxury to hire a driver when he goes out, something the rest of us do not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Higgs44 Posted April 4, 2005 Share Posted April 4, 2005 A lesson learned from all this... If your drunk dont blow. You can get off just about every time, they have no proof of your actual intoxication. I dont condone what he has done, but you cant blame the guy for being semi smart and stupid at the same time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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