The coastland times with which is combined the pilot and herald of Belhaven and Swan Quarter., 1962-05-11
FIFTH OFFENDER
GETS II MQNTHS
OR 81. 900 FINE

driving under the influence il
Recorders Court on Tuesday. il
a session which was marked BY
several cases of alcoholic motor
ing. The Judgment was suspend
ed upon the condition that q
payment of $1,000 is submitted
by Latham Rudolph Mann, the
defendant. Mann has appealed
the decision and was placed un-
der a $1,000 bond.
Mann pleaded not guilty to
the charges of operating under
the influence and driving after
his license had been revoked, and
heard Judge Baum convict him
of the offense, despite protesta-
tions by the defense attorney
that the only evidence before
the court of any consequence
was that of "a drunken man"
the defendant. Mann received a
fine of $500 each for the two
violations, and two IL months
sentences which will run con-
currently, if the defendant does
not pay.
The evidence used to convict
the defendant hinged, primarily,
upon Mann's own copservation
on April 26 with Cpl. L. S.
Meggs, the arresting officer
who discovered Mann near a
vehicle which had been driven
into the sand near an intersec-
ton of Soundside Road with
158 Bypass.
Meggs stated on the stand
that the alcohol materially af-
fected his physical and mental
facilities Meggs continued by
saying that Mann "said he
knew he had had too much to
drink, but asked if I'd get him
for careless or reckless driving"
rather than the offense with
which he was charged.
The attorney for the defen-
dant asked the court to consider
the. accused as though it were
his first offense and urged the
judge to note that "all you have
is the word of a drunken man."
"Mr. Meggs didn't see the car
get stuck or propelled at any
time," he said. The defense also
noted that Officer Pridgen, who
later saw the defendant sun
der the influence" had failed to
observe the defendant driving
the vehicle. The counsel for the
defense insisted that nobody
knows when the car was stuck,
when the defendant started
drinking or whether the vehicle
was there an hour or a day."
Two cases of driving under
the influence were heard by the
court, both involving defendants
under 21 years of age. George
Blair Cahoon of Portsmouth,
Virginia pleaded guilty to driv-
ing under the influence, but de-
MED the charge of driving with
out. lights after dark on the
evening of April q. Cahoon
took the stand to state that Il
turned off my lights and pulled
into the station when l saw the
officer turn around"
Cahoon was referring to his
conduct on the night in question
when he merely turned off his
lights to wait for the arresting
officer. Officer H. w. Pridgen
told the court that the youth
had driven some 50-75 yards
with his lights off, after being
followed by the highway patrol
car. Pridgen stated that he ar
rested the defendant after he
skidded into the sand at a serv-
ice station on 158 Bypass.
Judge Baum found the youth
guilty of both offenses and or
dered a Judgment of 500 and
costs.
Robert Stanley Wahab III, 20
year old resident of Virginia,
also faced a charge of driving
under the influence. Wahab was
found guilty after testimony by
Officers Pridgen, Fields and
Donnie Twyne who all stated
that the defendant was "intoxi-
cated' on the night Of April %.
Twyne, the arresting officer
stated that Wahab's vehicle was
observed to have skidded off the
road near the Nags Head Casino
when first observed. Twyne stat
ed that the defendant admitted
having had IS beers" Cpl
Fields stated on the stand that
the young Wahab was courteous,
.ebut obviously intoxicated" when
he observed him after the ar
rest. Wahab was represented by
his father at the trial; the
states evidence was not contest
ed. The defendant was fined
S1O0 and costs.
Dorothy Mann, a Nags Head
resident, was found guilty Of
appearing on the highway while
in a drunken condition. Mrs
Mann's attorney had contended
that the defendant had not beer