Jury acquits Al Unser Sr. on misdemeanor charges
Associated Press Sports
Updated: 3:19 p.m. ET Dec 15, 2006
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) -A jury has acquitted four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Al Unser Sr. on misdemeanor charges of resisting and disobeying police.
The 67-year-old Unser was arrested Aug. 9 near his home after authorities cordoned off a road named after the famous racing family. The roadblock, close to the Unser family's property, was part of a SWAT situation. Officers were trying to arrest a man who led them on a high-speed chase and fired shots at police.
Prosecutors alleged Unser ignored officers' orders to leave the area and instead exited his vehicle "with the purpose of giving officers a piece of his mind.''
Charlie Daniels, Unser's attorney, said the only reason Unser was arrested was because he objected "to the abusive way he was being treated by police.''
"We were glad to see that justice was done,'' Daniels said. "We knew that once anybody looked at the real evidence instead of the accusations that they would see it as we did.''
Closing arguments in the trial in Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court wrapped up Friday, and jurors deliberated for about three hours before coming to a verdict.
Unser said that since the arrest, he has lost speaking engagements and work as a consultant, his police mug shot has appeared in racing magazines and his case was even the subject of Jay Leno's late night television show.
He sings, plays guitar, fiddles and practices law? Is there anything this guy can't do?
Civil suit is next. I hope the Unser brothers wind up taking their street back and turning it into a toll toad.