Jim Leyritz might be the dumbest man in America

by Ed Valentine on Feb 23, 2009 4:38 PM EST in News Comment 6 comments

Jim Leyritz is an idiot. Considering this story, I can't feel sorry for the ex-Yankee at all.

Broward Circuit Judge Ilona Holmes today told former New York Yankee baseball player Jim Leyritz: no more drinking as he awaits his trial on DUI manslaughter charges.

Leyritz, 45, of Davie, is accused of running a red light and killing Fredia Veitch, 30, in December 2007.

Prosecutor Stefanie Newman had sought to revoke Leyritz's bond because a court-ordered monitoring device showed he drove four times with alcohol in his system since last September.

Leyritz's attorney, David Bogenschutz, argued that his client believed he was no longer banned from drinking.

Holmes decided not to revoke the former Major Leaguer's bond and send him to jail. But she made it clear she wants Leyritz to abstain from drinking until his trial.

"If there is any alcohol in his system, I don't care if it's Listerine, give me the [arrest] warrant," Holmes told Leyritz's pre-trial release officer. "No alcohol means no alcohol."

-- 'Kudos' to my cohort 'jrs' for both the tip on the story, and the headline suggestion. I wonder how much help 'jrs' would be if he actually liked the Yankees.

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Jim and alcohol

It’s easy to call Jim an idiot. But to me it looks like he has a serious problem he needs to address through AA. he may have all the desire in the world to stop drinking and just can’t Hopefully in jail or somewhere else he is handed a big book of AA and gets to a meeting and starts to find some recovery before something even worse happens.

Munson15

by Munson15 on Feb 23, 2009 4:47 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Probably true

But, the stupidity of getting behind the wheel w/alcohol in his system considering the charge he is facing is amazing.

by Ed Valentine on Feb 23, 2009 5:57 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Agreed

Unfortunately many people battle alcoholism, but not all of them continue to get behind the wheel. It speaks volumes that as soon as Leyritz thought he was “allowed to drink”, he went right back to it and got right back behind the wheel.

Giants fan from the womb to the tomb

by Jim Schmiedeberg on Feb 24, 2009 7:49 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Put him away already

Or he and/or another victim will end up like Steve Howe.

by BigSlim on Feb 23, 2009 7:48 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

My uncle

Had virtually the same thing said to him after his fourth arrest for DUI. “No alcohol means no alcohol,” quickly became a joke to my uncle who dutifully attended his meetings and drove only to work and back—until his probationary period ended.

A week later he killed a 19 year-old who was out on a first date. Fortunately the girl, 17 was seatbelted and survived with minor injuries. Fearing arrest because he was more than 3x the legal limit, my uncle fled the scene. Later, during his manslaughter trial, he faced the families of his victims—including his family and said he was “sorry for the pain and suffering he caused.”

Now nearly 20 years later, my uncle is sober, doesn’t drive and is haunted by nightmares that frequent his dreams. He told my dad that what turned him around was sitting in a jail cell alone with his thoughts that he said ate at him like a cancer.

I doubt Leyritz will learn until he does real time. I just hope he doesn’t kill anyone else.

"Baseball is the background music of my life." -George Will

by Ronster22 on Feb 24, 2009 2:29 PM EST reply actions 0 recs