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Bail cut in case involving Rep. [Katherine] Harris
Sarasota Herald Tribune ^ | 1/5/04

Posted on 01/05/2005 2:12:12 PM PST by dukeman

SARASOTA -- A circuit judge on Tuesday lowered the bail for a man accused of swerving his car toward U.S. Rep. Katherine Harris as she campaigned on a sidewalk a few days before her re-election in November.

Circuit Judge Andrew Owens lowered the bail for 46-year-old Sarasota resident Barry Seltzer from $500,000 to $25,000.

Seltzer's father had paid the bail with a $500,000 cashier's check, allowing Seltzer to stay out of jail while awaiting trial. His father will get his money back, minus the $25,000, attorneys said Tuesday.

Seltzer, a Democrat, is accused of swerving his Cadillac at Harris, a Republican from Longboat Key, and her supporters as they waved to passing motorists Oct. 26 at the corner of Fruitville Road and North Washington Boulevard.

Seltzer told police he tried to intimidate Harris and her supporters, an arrest report said. He was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, a charge that usually carries a bail of about $20,000.

In their arguments, Seltzer's attorneys, Darren Finebloom and David Haenel, said that Seltzer had been out of jail 60 days without problems. Paying the bail was a significant drain on Seltzer's parents' savings, the attorneys argued. In addition to lowering the bail, Owens dropped a restriction that prevented Seltzer, a real estate investor, from driving while out on bail.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: 2004electionviolence; aggrivatedassault; attemptedmurder; barryseltzer; brownshirtsforkerry; cargrabbers; circusjudge; civilwar2; civilwarii; crime; democrat; democratnazis; electionviolence; florida; floriduh; gorevoter; harris; howtostealanelection; intimidation; katherineharris; outlawcars; voterintimidation
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Just a little update. Thought y'all might care to know what's going on with 'ol Barry.
1 posted on 01/05/2005 2:12:12 PM PST by dukeman
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To: dukeman

Sounds like the judge is a democrat too.


2 posted on 01/05/2005 2:20:22 PM PST by passionfruit (passionate about my politics, and from the land of fruits and nuts)
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To: dukeman

Pretty pathetic a 46 year old has to get his dad to bail him out


3 posted on 01/05/2005 2:20:53 PM PST by free_european
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To: dukeman

"Seltzer's father had paid the bail with a $500,000 cashier's check,"

Sounds like a rich 'liberal' kid akin to Ted Kennedy's nephew!

Hypocrits!


4 posted on 01/05/2005 2:21:06 PM PST by Bigh4u2
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To: free_european
was gonna mention that lil fact.

Can they get him on voter intimidation as well?

I guess i don't see a problem in cutting the bail if the typical bail for assault with a deadly weapon is about 20 grand.

Was the Rep an incumbent or running for the first time? It would seem to me that trying to kill a senator carriers some sort steeper charge then regular ol assault with a deadly weapon. Treason maybe?

I think they should have lumped more charges on him, but thats CA for ya
5 posted on 01/05/2005 2:32:35 PM PST by tfecw (dolphins are the spawn of evil)
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To: dukeman
Seltzer's father had paid the bail with a $500,000 cashier's check, allowing Seltzer to stay out of jail while awaiting trial. His father will get his money back, minus the $25,000, attorneys said Tuesday.

If it'd been a Republican at the wheel and a Democrat as the target, this case would have been reclassified as a "hate crime" and the bail would have either been raised to $2 million or (more likely) revoked.

Once again, breaking the law is no big deal if you're a filthy Leftist!

6 posted on 01/05/2005 2:33:48 PM PST by Prime Choice (The DNC! Where boys and girls look the same! That's a little strange isn't it?)
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To: dukeman
Aggravated assault with a deadly weapon toward a US Congresswoman and her supporters, in an admitted effort to intimidate them from exercising their right to freedom of political speech -- and what does this judge do? Why, he leaves the maniac at large with easy bail and with his driving privilege intact. I predict that if Owens is the trial judge, he will let Seltzer off with a 1K fine and 60 days suspended, pending completion of 1 year probation.

The right thing for Harris and her supporters to do is bring federal civil rights action against Seltzer, but we all know that isn't going to happen.

7 posted on 01/05/2005 2:34:19 PM PST by Bonaparte (Of course, it must look like an accident...)
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To: dukeman
Aggravated assault with a deadly weapon toward a US Congresswoman and her supporters, in an admitted effort to intimidate them from exercising their right to freedom of political speech -- and what does this judge do? Why, he leaves the maniac at large with easy bail and with his driving privilege intact. I predict that if Owens is the trial judge, he will let Seltzer off with a 1K fine and 60 days suspended, pending completion of 1 year probation.

The right thing for Harris and her supporters to do is bring federal civil rights action against Seltzer, but we all know that isn't going to happen.

8 posted on 01/05/2005 2:34:39 PM PST by Bonaparte (Of course, it must look like an accident...)
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To: tfecw

Explain to me how the bail is a problem for the parents if the man has a quick trial and doesn't run. Fortunately, I have no experience with this.


9 posted on 01/05/2005 2:36:16 PM PST by HonestConservative (Bless our Servicemen!)
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To: Prime Choice
Brandish a firearm at people and you'll go straight to jail.

"Brandish" 2 tons of speeding metal at people and you'll get off with a fine and slap on the wrist.

Dontcha love liberal justice?

10 posted on 01/05/2005 2:39:57 PM PST by Bonaparte (Of course, it must look like an accident...)
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To: dukeman

Duly try, convict, sentence and execute the subhuman-liberal-demokkkRAT-progressive-murderous-socialist-commie-nazi-fascist-muslim-islamic-hate-America-dirtbag-deviant-moron-scumbag-killer, Seltzer.

Oh, that felt good.


11 posted on 01/05/2005 2:40:10 PM PST by 7.62 x 51mm (• veni • vidi • vino • visa • "I came, I saw, I drank wine, I shopped")
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To: Prime Choice
Brandish a firearm at people and you'll go straight to jail.

"Brandish" 2 tons of speeding metal at people and you'll get off with a fine and slap on the wrist.

Dontcha love liberal justice?

12 posted on 01/05/2005 2:40:16 PM PST by Bonaparte (Of course, it must look like an accident...)
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To: Bonaparte

Let me get this straight, a guy tries to run down a U.S. Congresswoman with his cadillac, and he's NOT in jail? Disgraceful, I guess common sense isn't a prerequisite to becoming a judge.


13 posted on 01/05/2005 2:42:01 PM PST by grizzly84
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To: HonestConservative

I don't understand what your asking


14 posted on 01/05/2005 2:42:47 PM PST by tfecw (dolphins are the spawn of evil)
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To: free_european

"Pretty pathetic a 46 year old has to get his dad to bail him out."

Well, he IS a 46 year old DemonRat; those types always rely on Daddy to bail them out. I have a 50+ year old liberal co-worker who constantly milks her parents for money. So did my liberal sister (also into her 40's) but Dad has finally cut her off. *Rolleyes*


15 posted on 01/05/2005 2:45:38 PM PST by Diana in Wisconsin (Save The Earth. It's The Only Planet With Chocolate.)
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To: grizzly84
eh...Don't get me wrong cause i'm not defending this a$$ clown.

But the judge doesn't bring up the charges does he? When the case comes to him, he looks at the file and sees assault with a deadly weapon. Sets a high bail because he assaulted a congress women. They get most of the bail back cause the guy was "good"

I don't see how thats his fault.

I'd rather blame the state (or who ever presses charges for stuff like this) for not pressing charges of voter intimidation, and assaulting a congress person (if there is such a thing). Also I'd like to blame the parents :) if they are still bailing him out (pun intended) when he's 46 years old, they need to be blamed for his actions as well.
16 posted on 01/05/2005 2:46:41 PM PST by tfecw (dolphins are the spawn of evil)
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To: dukeman
Isn't this the same judge who just overruled a law allowing the Sarasota police to arrest bums for "camping" on the city streets and elsewhere? Now the city has to find them a suitable shelter instead. The bum problem here just gets worse and its bleeding heart liberals like this guy that make it so.

Sheesh! We finally get rid of Rapkin and now have to deal with this numb-skull who soft pedals the attempted murder of a congresswoman. No way this guy should be out of jail.
17 posted on 01/05/2005 2:52:35 PM PST by Mase
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To: tfecw
When someone posts bail. The bail is returned when the person shows up for trial. The defendant's lawyers argued that the "high" bail was a burden on the parents of the defendant that supplied the bail.

If he returns for trial on time, then where is the problem. I am asking if there is something in the procedure of bailing someone out that makes it difficult for the giver, even if the defendant shows up when he should and there is no problem.
18 posted on 01/05/2005 2:52:42 PM PST by HonestConservative (Bless our Servicemen!)
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To: grizzly84
He drove his car at speed, right up onto the sidewalk pointed straight at Harris and her people, swerving at the last moment. Among other ludicrous lies and utterances, he falsely claimed they were "standing in the street."

Said Seltzer: "I was only exercising my political expression."

Fine, Barry -- from now on, whenever I see you on the sidewalk, I'm going to drive my car at you. Same goes for your parents, your wife and your kids. That ok with you? Barry? Barry?? Hey, where'd you go? You got something aginst political expression?

19 posted on 01/05/2005 2:55:01 PM PST by Bonaparte (Of course, it must look like an accident...)
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To: HonestConservative

Read post 19. Do you believe this guy is a danger to others? I do. Would you want him to be at-large pending trial, behind the wheel of a Cadillac, with your kids walking on the sidewalk? I wouldn't.


20 posted on 01/05/2005 3:09:48 PM PST by Bonaparte (Of course, it must look like an accident...)
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