Theft Case Dropped, She Sues Ex-Boss for Slander
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
A3 + PLUS >> Pair nabbed after high-speed chase in Gainesville, Story below NEW COACH ORANGE BOWL FAU hires Taggart An abundance to replace Kiffin of orange, blue See Page 5A See Page 5A THURSDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2019 | YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER SINCE 1874 | $1.00 Lake City Reporter LAKECITYREPORTER.COM COURTS CAN’T UPSTAGE THIS ELF Guilty verdict in DUI CARL MCKINNEY/LCR scooter The store where Clark used to work is seen. death Theft case Passenger died on Christmas in 2017. dropped, she By TONY BRITT [email protected] sues ex-boss A Columbia County jury took less than an hour to convict a Kentucky man of DUI manslaughter for his for slander role in a 2017 Christmas Eve crash By CARL MCKINNEY that result- [email protected] ed in the The arrest of a Dollar General manager death of last year on suspicion of stealing more than his girl- $2,500 from a local store — an accusation friend on the company quickly backtracked on — has Christmas resurfaced as a slander suit. Staci L. Clark, who Stanley Day that year. A former worked at the Dollar General Dollar General Gilbert Lee Stanley, 51 location on Baya Drive, filed manager at the time of the incident, a lawsuit Dec. 2 against the says she was Dollar General Corporation was found guilty by the jury Photos by TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter defamed by and the loss prevention offi- Wednesday morning of the store’s claims cer whose accusations land- death of Cynthia Knight. she stole from ed her in jail, Michael Doyle. Stanley, who is from the company. Clark was arrested on Kentucky but lives part time a grand theft charge after in Lake City, was convicted Doyle contacted law enforcement in March of DUI manslaughter, a sec- 2018 to accuse her of stealing $2,554 in cash ond-degree felony and faces by pocketing store deposits before they a maximum sentence of 15 reached the bank. years in prison. (The convic- Less than two weeks after Doyle contacted tion carries a four-year mini- the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, the arresting agency in the case, Dollar General mum mandatory sentence.) wrote a letter to the Third Circuit State The three-man, Attorney’s Office asking that the matter be three-woman jury took about dropped in light of “recently obtained infor- 51 minutes to deliberate mation.” Prosecutors declined to file crimi- before returning its guilty nal charges in response to Dollar General’s verdict to Third Circuit request, which came on the heels of a letter Judge Leandra Johnson. the company received from Clark’s then-at- Sentencing has been set for torney. 1:30 p.m. on Jan. 6. Clark was 36 at the time and a resident of According to Florida Lowndes County, according to the defamation Highway Patrol reports, lawsuit. The lawsuit alleges Doyle knowingly, reck- on Dec. 24, 2017, Stanley TOP: David Becker plays Buddy the Elf in the CHS Theater and band production of “Elf: The Musical,” lessly or negligently made false accusations was driving a 2012 Baccio against Clark. scooter with Knight, 50, of during dress rehearsal Wednesday. Show times are Thursday at 7 p.m.; Friday at 10 a.m. and 7 p.m.; and In the aftermath, Clark lost her job, while Middlesboro, Kentucky, as her mugshot and information from the arrest his passenger. at 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, at the Norman L. Choice Performing Arts Center on the Columbia High report circulated throughout the North Stanley, whose blood Florida area, according to the lawsuit. alcohol tested at 0.08, School campus. Tickets are $10 for adults and $7 for The lawsuit claims “numerous unknown lost control of the scoot- students at http://our.show/CHS/52240. ABOVE: employees” of Dollar General spread the false er around 7:35 p.m. while The cast singing their hearts out Wednesday. LEFT: Jayden Burch plays Buddy’s father, Walter Hobbs. traveling north on US 441, SUIT continued on 2A about three miles north of Interstate 75, and crashed. Sunday morning shooting leaves Pair nabbed after high-speed chase in Gainesville woman wounded By CARL MCKINNEY Gainesville around 1:20 p.m. Another vehicle, a 2014 [email protected] Tuesday, troopers say. Toyota Tundra, was also By CARL MCKINNEY The pair was traveling traveling south and slowed Two men, one from Lake [email protected] in a 2017 Lexus NX2000 for stopped traffic at City and another from reported Newberry Lehigh Acres, were arrest- Detectives are still look- stolen out of Road. ed in the aftermath of a Jacksonville, ing for leads to identify the Artis, the high-speed car chase involv- according suspect in a non-fatal shoot- driver, failed ing a stolen vehicle, accord- to an FHP to stop for ing on Northeast Joe Coney ing to Florida Highway report. the Tundra, Terrace over the weekend, Patrol. Troopers causing the according to the Lake City Terry Shernod Jonas, tried to stop front of the Jonas Artis Police Department. 34, of Lake City, and Xavier the car for stolen Lexus One woman is recovering Lavell Kevon Artis, 20, of reckless to collide with a trailer being in the hospital following the Lehigh Acres, were booked driving as it was headed towed by the Toyota pick- shooting, which took place south on Northwest 143rd COURTESY into Alachua County jail up truck, according to the A stolen Lexus in the aftermath of a high-speed around 5:30 a.m. Sunday after their attempt to flee Street in Alachua County, report. chase Tuesday afternoon. Two men, one from law enforcement ended near a ramp for Interstate Lake City, were arrested in Alachua County. SHOOTING continued on 2A with a wreck northwest of 75. CHASE continued on 2A Vol. 145, No. 195 TODAY’S WEATHER Obituaries . 3A CALL US: Opinion . 4A (386) 752-1293 Sports . 5A SUBSCRIBE TO Advice & Comics. 7A THE REPORTER: 63 56 Voice: 755-5445 Mostly cloudy, 2A Classifieds . 8A-9A Fax: 752-9400 2A THURSDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2019 LOCAL LAKE CITY REPORTER SATURDAY QUICK HITS Scripture of the Day “Hear my prayer, O God; give ear to the words of my mouth.” Breakfast with Santa — Psalm 54:2 (KJV) When the tempera- “I feel it is important to tures drop, you know that contribute back to the com- Thought for Today Holiday Inn’s Breakfast munity in which I reside,” with Santa event must be she said. “I want to set an There is a point at which even justice does injury. around the corner. example of giving that will For the 11th straight inspire others to follow.” — Sophocles, 496 BC-406 BC, Greek playwright year, Lake City’s Holiday Esha and Ria have (Oedipus Rex, Electra) Inn Hotel & Suites has attended Oak Hall School planned the perfect begin- since they were in kinder- ning to the holiday season. garten and pre-K, respec- This Saturday from 8 a.m. tively. Through their years Winning Lottery Numbers until 11 a.m., guests will at Oak Hall, what the girls Pick 3: (Tuesday p.m.) 5-7-8 enjoy a breakfast buffet have learned about giving Pick 4: (Tuesday p.m.) 3-8-5-9 featuring scrambled eggs, back to the community Fantasy 5: (Tuesday) 9-19-21-25-35 pancakes, bacon, sausage, through service and lead- biscuits and gravy, juice, ership is a valuable lesson coffee and hot choco- they will carry with them See an error? late. Children will get to for the rest of their lives. The Lake City Reporter corrects errors of fact in news visit with Santa Claus, Both girls have shown items. If you have a concern, question, or suggestion, while families have an great passion in their please call the editor. Corrections and clarifications will opportunity to take photos. Latin studies, Youth in The cost of the event is Government, STEM cours- run in this space. Thanks for reading. $5.95 plus tax for children es and debate. In the future, age three to 12 and $10.95 Esha hopes to pursue a plus tax for adults, with the career in international law, Submissions proceeds benefiting United while Ria intends to study The Lake City Reporter accepts photographs and caption Way of Suwannee Valley. biomedical engineering. In information to run at the discretion of the editor. If you would An opportunity to support the past two years, Esha like to see your organization in the newspaper, send the picture other local community has been developing a pat- and information to Robert Bridges: rbridges@lakecityreporter. agencies with be available ent-pending Piezoelectric com. too, with a collection box board, which should even- for toy donations. tually create enough energy FILE Lake City Reporter Holiday Inn & Suites’ Santa is pictured with Ria and Esha Patel during the to power an electronic Breakfast with Santa is 2017 Breakfast with Santa event. device or provide light in HOW TO REACH US BUSINESS ........... 754-0419 Main number ....... (386) 752-1293 again sponsored by Esha an area that lacks adequate CIRCULATION Patel, 17, and Ria Patel, 15, electricity. She hopes to Fax number ............ 752-9400 Holiday Inn & Suites. children and families with- Circulation............. 755-5445 Home delivery of the Lake City Reporter the daughters of Holiday Sponsoring Breakfast in our community. No child soon finish the project and Online .... www.lakecityreporter.com should be completed by 6:30 a.m. Inn & Suites owners donate it to a non-govern- with Santa is a big contribu- should ever go to bed hun- The Lake City Reporter, an affiliate Tuesday through Friday, and by 7:30 Minesh and Ketna Patel.