ROCKLAND, Maine — A 47-year-old Spruce Head man is being held in jail until at least Friday after he fled the courthouse Tuesday morning before the start of his jury trial on a drunken driving charge.
John R. Whoriskey fled after he learned that Judge Jeffrey Hjelm was going to order a breathalyzer test because he suspected the defendant was under the influence at the courthouse, according to Judicial Marshal Chris Roes.
Roes ran after Whoriskey and caught him less than 200 feet from the courthouse in back of the Strout Payson law firm.
Whoriskey was then charged with the additional crime of violating a condition of release, according to court officials. He had been free on bail on the OUI charge with the condition that he not consume alcohol.
The marshal reported smelling alcohol on Whoriskey’s breath as the defendant passed through screening to enter the courthouse. Roes reported after he caught Whoriskey that the man admitted to having had something to drink before coming to court.
Whoriskey was ordered held until the trial, which was rescheduled for Friday.
Its kind of funny if you drop the hor is Whoriskey you get wiskey.
It’s funnier if you add an h to wiskey and you get whiskey.
Bwahahahaha
Lol classic
Amazing; and at the same time sad. :(
He was doomed at birth with a name like that.
He has the right to a trial by jury but this is a serious waste of time and money for taxpayers.
He probably needed something to calm his nerves (and possibly ward off DT’s) before his court hearing. This sounds like a guy with a problem. Sentence him to a minimum of 30 days in rehab along with any other sentence that might be handed down. Might be the best money ever spent on this dude.
As long as its his money and not taxpayers, sure, why not
This is second arrest and he is being held on the taxpayers dime anyway. If he could get help, then we wouldn’t be paying for a lawyer and another trial down the road (although I don’t know if he has a public defender, or not but many substance abusers do have court appointed attorneys.)
You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink……Know what I mean.
You can not sentence someone to rehab…
No, not in this state, but it is an alternative sentencing option in some states. If we could get folks to get help, our prison population would ultimately drop, probably dramatically.
Before you say that, have you ever tried to do substance abuse counseling with somebody who has been sentenced to rehab?? I have, many times.
Doesn’t work most of the time.
Ok? Since the crime happened in maine, arrested in Maine, and judicial process will be in Maine, why make a suggestion “Sentence him to a minimum of 30 days in rehab along with any other sentence that might be handed down. Might be the best money ever spent on this dude”. You cant so make a useful suggestion like fire all the judges and hire new ones that have a pair!!
winner winner chicken dinner!!!
Sounds like this guy has a serious problem. Unfortunately, the only one that can help him is himself (not jail or rehab). He has to want to get sober. Hopefully, this will be the wake up call he needs.
If rehab was an option to jail, he might want it a lot more. Sometimes the message sticks on those forced into rehab. Sometimes not, but then some of those do go back on a voluntary basis.
John , free call 1-800-73SOBER