You are hereAlleged bike thief just arrested!
Alleged bike thief just arrested!
Oh sweet, sweet vindication. I've been having to sit on a lot of information regarding this case for quite some time, but it looks like there IS some justice out there amongst the Austin Police Department as it pertains to bicycle crime. A certain Mr. James Clayton has just had his house raided by the police, according to an email I received (names/locations changed to protect whomever):
...I just got a call from my friend XXXXXX, who lives on Woodrow. Apparently, the guy who lives (several) doors down from (them) is a bike thief, and he was just busted. The cops have several vans parked out front of his house, and are loading up all the stolen parts. According to XXXXXX, most of the stuff is frames and components, not complete bikes. (They) called it a chop shop.
Anyway, XXXX (or anybody else who has been ripped), you may want to contact APD and see if any of your stolen parts are included in this batch of goods....
Though they didn't mention him by name in the email, they happened to attach this picture to see if anyone recognized him:
Sure enough, it was the SAME picture at the one included in the original theft post on Craigslist! There you have it folks, looks like another (alleged) bike thief has been arrested. I'll continue following this story and will let y'all know what becomes of Mr. Clayton. I know a good deal more about this story including Mr. Clayton's (alleged) super-villain origin tale, but that re-telling will have to come at a later time.
If you'd like to follow the back story to-date, here you go:
My first learning about Mr. Clayton, (alleged) bicycle super-villain:
http://www.atxbs.com/?q=node/655
Shit gets dramatical, and both Mr. Clayton and a lawyer contact me:
http://www.atxbs.com/?q=node/657
A little later the cops contacted me and filled me in on James' (alleged) thieving history, then I teased all of y'all about knowing something you didn't:
http://www.atxbs.com/?q=node/699
Well, now you know. This shit's just too much, I love it!
Apparently this guy was interviewed by a KOOP show a couple of times, because as a professional mountain bike racer he had a heart attack in 2002, was essentially dead for 17 minutes, then was hospitalized in a medical-induced coma for a month.
See: http://www.innerviewslive.com/2008_shows/IV_James_Clayton_022008.mp3 for the pertinent interview. There's also a follow up interview at:
http://www.innerviewslive.com/2008_shows/IV_James_Clayton_030508.mp3
He started a race coaching business and became active in cycling again, including the dirt derby stuff. Since I've posted this, I hope it's the same person! But since the James Clayton on the show is 41, and so is the guy arrested, I'm assuming it's him.
Yeah, it's me again !! Striking a blow on behalf of the American Jurisprudence system: fellas, he ain't guilty (and no justice served just yet) till he's CONVICTED by 12 of his peers -aka a jury-. That's right! Despite all the hooplah and victory dancing... there has to be proof sufficient for a jury to convict (yes, this seems like an unduly onerous requirement - but hey, just one of the few niceties that keeps us from being a 3d World F'ing County!) I DO appreciate the "alleged" bit though! : )
Ok, now that I've gotten that out of the way. The stories do SOUND damning and bizarre. If he's guilty, I hope he gets smacked as best the law can. I'm actually draconian when it comes to punishment - and feel caning might be a nice addition.. did I say 3d World? I hope the cops have it wrong.
I'm not really sticking up for the dude and don't even know 'em (in case the lynch-mob is headed my way ; ) but really for the long-since faded ideal of fairness... but what the hell, gimme a pitch-fork bitches!!!
... the Constitution hasn't really been the law of the land for at least 8 years (and really, longer than that.) Even GWB said `it's just a piece of paper!' :)
The `War' on Drugs and more recently the `War' on Terrorism has largely done away with nice things like `innocent until proven guilty'. Oh, we think you sell drugs but can't prove it? We'll seize your assets instead! Legally, we'll be charging the assets rather than you, and items don't have rights, so now it's up to you prove that the assets didn't come from/weren't pay for from anything illegal. And if you can't prove it, we'll keep them -- even if you're never charged with a crime.
(Perhaps this stuff will change to some degree with the current administration, but it's not just happening at the top, so I seriously doubt it'll change much.)
I doubt that such measures will be applied to bike thieves, but really, `innocent until proven guilty' only exists nowadays on Perry Mason (and my Tivo doesn't seem to know about any upcoming episodes!) Now, it's more about `how much justice can you afford?'
Even if James is 100% innocent, he's in jail (or out on bail), his house was torn up, his car taken, his business dismantled, his reputation trashed and he'll have thousands of dollars in legal fees. Even if innocent, he's already being punished. (Though it doesn't sound like this is one of those cases where the legal system is being (ab)used to punish the innocent. This sounds like APD is doing what's right!)
(Not that I know anything about the case more than I've read on the Internets.)
You are right.
Hell yeah....fuck bike thieves....they shall be shot on site
~oneLescar
~ people always talk about my drinking, but never my thirst