Court Rejects Visitors Plea For Lower Fine
Appearing in Magistrates Court yesterday [Nov 14], Argentinian Juan Angelilla’s request to have his $1500 fine lowered as he did not have that amount of money with him was rejected by Senior Magistrate Archie Warner.
Visiting the island for the Rugby Classic, Mr Angelillo was given a $1,500 fine after pleading guilty to riding his rental cycle whilst impaired in the early hours of 14th November 2013.
Telling Senior Magistrate Archie Warner that he was due to leave Bermuda on 17th November and did not have that amount of money with him, Mr Angelillo asked the Senior Magistrate to reduce the fine.
The Senior Magistrate said that he had to be seen to be treating everyone equally, and pointed out that Mr Angelillo could serve 30 days in default. Mr Angelillo vigorously rejected this option.
The Magistrate then suggested that locals connected with the Rugby Classic might be able to help. Persons present in Court offered to assist Mr Angelillo and he appeared to accept their help.
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$1500 = 3 months salary in ARG
Drunk driving is a serious offense and should not be overlooked and at least he can drive when he gets home .
Who are you to criticize, Rick?
How many people leave your venues and drive drunk?
Secondly; how is Warner talking about equality? He picks and chooses fines based on what mood he’s in…must be that time of the month.
So… Now Rick shouldn’t get a say because he serves alcohol? Like he’s somehow responsible for the choices made by grown adults?
Come on.
Uh, yes! I bet you wouldn’t feel the same way about drug dealers and users.
So now owning a legal establishment is the same as being a criminal?
But, if you want to make that bet, please do. What are the stakes?
‘Cuz I hold people responsible for their own actions. Nobody else.
you again?? Why are you always arguing…nothing better to do??????????
You again? Not smart enough to add to the conversation, so you say nothing of value?
John. Take a long walk off a short pier in Russia. Didn’t know you were so squeaky clean a**
Good old Archie….
This is insane, fining him $1500.00 is to teach him that he was wrong and that we don’t want that behavour here. HE IS LEAVING ON THE 17th of November, in 2 days time. Archie the world is watching us, ease up and lower the fine a bit.
Another nail in the tourism coffin……………yes drunk driving is a serious offence but he’s not likely to repeat the offence given he’s leaving the island in two days time, so what does the fine represent?
The fine represents that standard penalty for breaking the said law. So you are saying that tourists can come here break the law, leave and its ok?
Archie should have taken his passport util he could pay. send the right message…all are welcome to enjoy our island, not break our laws.
Extortion of visitor’s money is what it represents.
This magistrate had total discretion to lower the fine. Under the circumstances, what did he expect this poor man to do? Far away from home, with little resources and time to come up with the money. I guess Mr. Warner’s eyes swept the courtroom, spotted people from the classic and figured here was a chance to make some money.
This magistrate is an absolute disgrace to the profession.
He’s a disgrace because he imposed the normal fine to case of drinking and driving? He should just have let him off because he and all of the other people involved in the Rugby Classic are good ole boys.
If this poor man was far away from home, with little resources and time to come up with the money then simple, don’t drink and drive. Is it legal in his country?
People like you are pathetic with all your excuses. If a local got caught you would probably be one of those calling for his head. Double standards I guess.
But it isn’t the normal fine. Plenty of Bermudians have been getting $800 fines for exactly the same offense. Exactly the same.
You’re right tourists should be allowed to do whatever they want including drive drunk. Maybe one of them should run you over while they do it. See how you feel then.
@ NEXT!! No they shld NOT be allowed to drink and drive! Maybe one shld run your a** over NEXT and see how you wld feel! Maybe you drink and drive too and feel it’s OK.
If he wouldve reduced the sentence you all would have said. “why do visitors get special treatment??”
I can’t believe people are actually mad about this. Suppose he would’ve knocked down and killed a Bermudian?
Our visitors need to respect our laws just as we are expected to respect theirs.
That’s the way Archie, let’s destroy tourism altogether, in fact the cops should nail a few more rugby players so none of them ever want to come back. In fact, let’s ban fun altogether just in case somebody is actually enjoying themselves, especially a foreigner. Albeit drunk driving being a serious matter,do we really need to carry on like a bunch of Ayatollahs when right now we need all the moolah we can get our hands on just to make ends meet?
So because they are having fun, the rugby players should be allowed to carry on anyway they want? We should overlook them because they’re just good ole boys out enjoying themselves, getting drunk and riding around on our roads. But let’s give out our harshest fines to those pesky, trouble making locals. Get your head out of your tale. Just because you’re willing to sell it all for a buck doesn’t mean the whole country is.
Well he sure wasn’t worrying about holding onto his moolah when he was downing alcohol, was he? Stop making excuses. People like you make me sick. If he had ran over and killed a relative of yours you’d be begging for things to change. Why can’t you rugby idiots find a way to drink and not endanger other people’s lives? Is that so hard to grasp? Good don’t come back!
At Archie….I guess you’re one of the ppl that join in at the rugby classic drinking and carrying on in a drunken manner!
Shouldn’t it be “Court Rejects Visitor’s Plea For Lower Fine”?
When in Rome,do as the Romans do!
if a Bermudian breaks the Law in another Country,do you think they should be allowed to escape with a lower fine or jail time…
it will NEVER happen!
I suppose visitors who come in on cruse ships with an amount of marijuana that can be deemed for personal use should have reduced fines?
How about a visitor that is here and gets a speeding ticket? Let’s reduce their fine as well.
The motive of this magistrate can be whatever he wants it to be, in the end, the law is the law. Sure he can use his discretion, but individuals who put themselves in these situations, also make choices, and should use their discretion to make the right choice.
The people on here complaining about this fine are insane. He was riding drunk. Suppose he injured or killed some one while he was riding drunk? Do you think that you could go to Argentina and get caught drunk driving and be let off because you are a tourist?
Sure, this will be the end of tourism. Tourist will say “Damn, I can’t drink and drive in Bermuda so I won’t go?
Go to a country like the US or Canada and get caught driniking and driving. They put their offenders in jail so to complain about a fine is insane. And for the people complaining about the amount, he has the funds to travel to Bermuda and stay in one of our pricy hotels then he has the funds to pay this fine.
He is old eough to know waht is right and what is wrong should have caught a ride would have cost less.
For reasons I cannot get into, I am in the courtroom on a regular basis (and no, I didn’t commit any crime!) I think what stuns me the most about this judge is his unlevel playing field. I have seen people with serious crimes, by which I mean hurting another person or causing them great financial harm, get slaps on the wrists. Crimes where there is no victim, i.e. driving whilst disqualified, no license, etc. get the book thrown at them. Yes, this man broke the law but where is the victim? For all the people that say, “He was drunk. Lock him up!” need to remember that after 2 drinks (depending on certain factors) you could register as legally drunk. So technically, if you go out and have two or three drinks with dinner tonight, and the police stop you then YOU could blow and be over the limit! If you went to court and pleaded your case, wouldn’t you want the judge to have some mercy?
BTW, I have no sympathy for people that get totally blasted and deliberately get behind the wheel knowing they could hurt or kill somebody. However, in this case it sounds like he had a bit too much fun at the classic and should have stayed off his bike. Archie Warner, of ALL people, should understand what I mean…and anybody that knows him and his buddies will know EXACTLY what I mean!!!
Noooooo!!! The fine shld NOT be lowered! Let him pay it or do time to teach his A** a lesson. I agree with the other REALLY??
Suppose he killed or injured someone!
I’ve seen the way they are riding on the roads on their BLUE RENTALS. Totally ridiculous! Ppl hv to pull over because you see a PACK of BLUE bikes coming, speeding dwn the road, swerving all over the place, playing all over the roads, constantly tooting their horns like they’re having a party on the roads. I saw them again today on Middle Rd., Warwick by the Post Office. They need to conduct themselves in an orderly manner! The roads are NO plce to be playing around on and then if he gets he an accident and injures HIMSELF, then what…??
Most of them are young immature KIDS and all they do every year is see this as an opportunity to come here and think that it’s a big ‘ol party to get drunk and misbehave! There are laws of the road that ppl must obey and follow and drinking and putting others ppl’s lives in danger isn’t one of them! I don’t feel sorry for him at all!! It’s a wonder some of them haven’t ended up in the Emergency Room yet at the hospital by the way they’re behaving on the road. *eyes rollin*
So your problem is that there are roads full of rental bikes with tourists, companies coming down to Bermuda for the rugby, the hotels are full from it and you believe the rugby players do not conduct themselves in an orderly manner as well? Get a grip and stop your moaning, if it wasnt for the rugby the island would have no tourists down here in November. You want to compare this to Cup Match with regards to incidents and drunken behavior?? The rugby event is extremely well run and yes everyone has a good time from it but you seem to have resentment towards them by referring to them as ‘good ole boys’…… I see more idiots driving on the roads at 5pm coming out of town than I have from the rugby, these guys are more likely to kill someone than anything else. If over 33 years old is considered as kids in your eyes then obviously you are the miserable old git you appear to be from your comments.
You think if I got tapped in Argentina and drove drunk de magistrate would lower my fine……HELL NAH~! Prolly go jail too down der…
The police exercise restraint during the Rugby Classic. If this guy got dragged to court, he was probably well over the limit and being an idiot.
Can anyone tell me “Why” we have magistrates? If the law, was the law, and is the law…why do we need a Presider..? Just have a list of crimes and sentences with fines then see where your crime fits in…yes?? NO…the magistrate has the DISCRETION to deviate off of that razors edge either way.
If Damages or Injury has occurred then yes jack the MoFo up!
If you got caught being over the limit but merrily on your way home and no trauma has happened…then why not lowering the sentence or fine whether you be Bermudian or Foreign…and im not hearing about what “could of happened”…well it didn’t happen…”Discretion” the word of the day.
i am totally against drunk driving or riding but the fact that no license is required for such bikes should exclude tourist from our law as the point system was made only for visitor and locals with a license ! Clowns at the past made these laws and clowns continue i
nstead of building a challenge to this law ! A different deterrent to drink riding should be made for people allowed to ride with out a license ! Bermuda is a country want to be at the mercy of idiots!
Our gov’t just donated $50,000 as a good gesture to victims that needed it, but we can’t ease up 1 guy in our own backyard? It’s probably gonna cost more than that processing the man’s case. The police officers could have probably took his keys and helped him get to his hotel (or wherever he was residing), being there wasn’t any accident or harm to anyone. There was a time when our police officers were kind to people…..and our tourism was booming!!!!Let’s continue to be our brother’s keeper and look out for one another- peace
The courtesy of which you speak is only reserved for certain people.
Ref: My remarks several comments above.
Or he could have just fined the man $1,000, which is still a big dent in his pockets…I’m sure the man would have been grateful to be given “some sort of break”…common sense is not so common these days…
I believe you VJ
Not going toile usually I am against Warner’s ruling as like someone else said they are all over the place but this guy did the crime and caught the judge in a bad day like many others have and had to pay the price! If this fella has the funds to come to Bermuda and party for a week, he is not the average Argentinian on the breadline. If head been givin a warning, then possibly killed himself after finals night or another guest/local would $1500 been too much then? No I am sureit wouldn’t have been nearly enough. Do the crime, pay the fine or do the time. Not right or fair but suck it up and live another day!
Warner good job keep our people safe.Go and get caught in any other country and think they will give you a break never going to happen. Good job Warner.
its a no brainer—- drink and drive you must pay!!!! its a worldwide law !!!!