Davenport (FL.) Mayor Darlene Bradley, 60, faces an allegation this week that is politically and legally devastating. Police allege that she has been using the placards of dead people to park in handicapped spots at city hall. This is the type of allegation that would be radioactive before either jurors or voters. Unless there is a serious misunderstanding (and police have videotapes), a plea would seem a wise move.
When police searched her home, deputies found a handicapped placard issued to Evelyn Klinger Letterman, who died in August 2012. To make matter worse, it expired in October 2013, but was altered to reflect a 2018 expiration date. A second placard was issued to someone who died in 2015.
Bradley is looking at felony charges of using a deceased person’s identification and possessing an altered or counterfeit decal on a handicapped placard. Each come with a five year potential sentence. She is also charged with a misdemeanor for unlawful use of a handicapped placard, which is a misdemeanor.
In many cities it’s illegal to drive with the Handicapped sign hanging from the mirror, but a lot of people – especially minorities do so. It’s easy for them to get one, too. “I have to take my auntie to the doctor”. Never mind that they could simply drive they auntie/granny/momma to the front door, let her out, then go park with everyone else.
(music-)
Boy she’s ugly..
I wanna know..
How could you vote for a monkey named Roe?
Davenport, Florida isn’t Manhattan. There is not a shortage of parking in the parking lot at City Hall. I believe Mayor Bradley was simply too lazy to walk a few extra feet.
Make her walk. The exercise will be good for her.
There are way too many handicapped parking spaces required by zoning laws and abuse of the placard is rampant. Who hasn’t seen rows of empty spaces punctuated by a minivan whose 30something driver hops out to run in to the local Target. Like so many government feel good programs it’s a scam as evidenced by our grave robbing mayor here.
Wait till you get older, Sonny Boy. You’re going to need that handicapped parking space something fierce-like.
I doubt it but what does a soccer mom in a tennis skirt need with one?
I see your point, however, Bradley’s not a soccer mom.
Have you seen that too?
A well meaning Bush signed ADA into law. We all know w/ what the road to hell is paved.
Unbelievably stupid.
I think the charges are excessive. Using someone else’s parking placard is not the equivalent of identity theft. And doctors seem to issue authorization for “handicapped” parking to just about anyone, including people who are simply too fat to walk across the parking lot to the Cinnabon Shop. Handicapped spaces used to be few in number; now they’re taking up a much larger % of parking spaces and most people using them don’t appear to have any serious physical limitations.
There are a lot of physical limitations which are not apparent to the onlooker.
Lots of integrity limitations that aren’t apparent, either.
How did she get the dead person’s credentials? And I think that is iffy. The parking is a no-brainer. And the stealing the decals or whatever and using them is a no-brainer, so I would plead to those and go to trial on the credentials.
Though I have reservations of the charge having an element of a deceased person’s identification equating that of an identification document or representation,
In the linked news article:
It seems that city has some serious problems among at least its politicians. Not only do they allegedly commit felonies, but they work well to protect their own.
She’s the mayor. How difficult would it have been to just get a parking space, near the city hall, reserved for her?