Robert J. Matter
June 9th 05, 01:45 PM
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/060905dnmetsmuprof.12bebec93.html
Officer: SMU prof admitted 'tap'
Dallas: He says she denied trying to run down bicyclist
10:16 PM CDT on Wednesday, June 8, 2005
By DAKARAI I. AARONS / The Dallas Morning News
A police officer testified Wednesday that Southern Methodist University
law professor Jane Dolkart told him she only intended to tap a bicyclist
with her car the day she allegedly ran him down.
Officer Craig Bennight's testimony came on the first day of Ms.
Dolkart's trial. She is charged with aggravated assault with a deadly
weapon.
Ms. Dolkart is accused of using her car to hit lawyer Tommy Thomas last
May while he was biking with a friend at White Rock Lake on West Lawther
Drive south of Mockingbird Lane. Mr. Thomas suffered minor injuries as
he was dragged under the car.
Officer Bennight testified that Ms. Dolkart said Mr. Thomas had
intentionally blocked her efforts to get around him.
He also testified that when he told Ms. Dolkart that Mr. Thomas was
claiming she had intentionally hit him, "that kind of unleashed a
torrent of anger" from her.
Officer Bennight said Ms. Dolkart told him that claim was absurd and
that, "I only meant to tap him."
She was arrested shortly thereafter.
During cross-examination, defense attorney Mike Gibson questioned the
thoroughness of the police investigation, noting that officers never
went back to the scene with Ms. Dolkart.
They also did not hold her car as evidence, even though Officer Bennight
said it was used as a deadly weapon.During opening arguments, Mr. Gibson
said evidence would show that Ms. Dolkart accidentally hit Mr. Thomas
and that the proper place for this matter is a civil court.
"Just because a car and bicycle collided on a road, it doesn't make it a
crime," Mr. Gibson said.
Officer Bennight later testified that he and his partner spent time
discussing the incident with both parties to determine whether the
collision had been an accident or intentional.
"We both concurred there was no evidence it was an accident," he said.
"Ms. Dolkart never said it was an accident."
Mr. Thomas is expected to testify Thursday.
If convicted, Ms. Dolkart could face two to 20 years in prison and a
fine of up to $10,000.
E-mail
Officer: SMU prof admitted 'tap'
Dallas: He says she denied trying to run down bicyclist
10:16 PM CDT on Wednesday, June 8, 2005
By DAKARAI I. AARONS / The Dallas Morning News
A police officer testified Wednesday that Southern Methodist University
law professor Jane Dolkart told him she only intended to tap a bicyclist
with her car the day she allegedly ran him down.
Officer Craig Bennight's testimony came on the first day of Ms.
Dolkart's trial. She is charged with aggravated assault with a deadly
weapon.
Ms. Dolkart is accused of using her car to hit lawyer Tommy Thomas last
May while he was biking with a friend at White Rock Lake on West Lawther
Drive south of Mockingbird Lane. Mr. Thomas suffered minor injuries as
he was dragged under the car.
Officer Bennight testified that Ms. Dolkart said Mr. Thomas had
intentionally blocked her efforts to get around him.
He also testified that when he told Ms. Dolkart that Mr. Thomas was
claiming she had intentionally hit him, "that kind of unleashed a
torrent of anger" from her.
Officer Bennight said Ms. Dolkart told him that claim was absurd and
that, "I only meant to tap him."
She was arrested shortly thereafter.
During cross-examination, defense attorney Mike Gibson questioned the
thoroughness of the police investigation, noting that officers never
went back to the scene with Ms. Dolkart.
They also did not hold her car as evidence, even though Officer Bennight
said it was used as a deadly weapon.During opening arguments, Mr. Gibson
said evidence would show that Ms. Dolkart accidentally hit Mr. Thomas
and that the proper place for this matter is a civil court.
"Just because a car and bicycle collided on a road, it doesn't make it a
crime," Mr. Gibson said.
Officer Bennight later testified that he and his partner spent time
discussing the incident with both parties to determine whether the
collision had been an accident or intentional.
"We both concurred there was no evidence it was an accident," he said.
"Ms. Dolkart never said it was an accident."
Mr. Thomas is expected to testify Thursday.
If convicted, Ms. Dolkart could face two to 20 years in prison and a
fine of up to $10,000.