Coke Card Assult Charge
Here are some emails from the mailing list Downtime@onelist.com, which include great information about this matter.
This is an email sent by Rebecca that was sent in response to an email she had sent to Art.
Subj: [Downtime] Art's words on Austin
Date: 8/12/99 12:46:21 AM Eastern Daylight Time
From: evergleam42@hotmail.com (Becca McFarland)
Reply-to: Downtime@onelist.com
To: Downtime@onelist.com
From: "Becca McFarland"
hey everybody.... i was truely upset when i read what happened in austin. i
didn't think that art and brian would really do something so severe, so i
wrote art asking him what was really happening, and this is what he wrote me
today.
hi rebecca
she was no baby doll
i didnt throw anything at her
brian did
then she grabbed his leg
and he pushed her shoulder away with his foot
assault and battery
there charging me to use my name to get press
we have the whole thing on audio tape
they will dismiss the charges against me
they have no choice
but they wanted to start a storm
to make us defensive
they smell money
art
i just thought you all might feel better in hearing that art has the whole
night on tape...and that she won't get away with it.
--rebecca
This is an article from SonicNet(soon to be moved to the Articles section on the News page)
Subj: [Downtime] Everclear Members Deny Assault Charges
Date: 8/12/99 12:57:56 PM Eastern Daylight Time
From: peace_247@hotmail.com
Reply-to: Downtime@onelist.com
To: downtime@onelist.com
From: peace_247@hotmail.com
This story from SonicNet Music News Of The World (http://www.sonicnet.com/news) has been sent to you
by peace_247@hotmail.com.
Message From peace_247@hotmail.com:
"Here's the article off of Sonicnet."
-------------------------------------------------------------
Everclear Members Deny Assault Charges
Claim teen threw liquid at stage and spit at group during Texas show but they did not strike back.
Senior Writer Gil Kaufman reports
Wed., August 11, 6:31 PM EDT
--------------------------------------------------------------
A 17-year-old girl whom Everclear singer Art Alexakis and touring guitarist Brian Lehfeldt
are accused of assaulting at a gig two weeks ago had thrown a cup of liquid at the stage
and screamed, cursed and spit at bandmembers, the group said Tuesday.
The teen's lawyer laughed Wednesday (Aug. 11) at the band's response, and said, "I
have at least a dozen witnesses who will contradict that story."
The fan, whom police and the lawyer declined to name because she is a minor, filed
assault charges Friday against Alexakis and Lehfeldt, claiming they attacked her during
an "If You Don't Know, You Don't Go" promotional concert sponsored by Coca-Cola on
July 31 in Austin, Texas. Both men were charged with misdemeanor assault, according
to Kevin Buchman, a spokesperson for the Austin Police Department.
In a statement denying the teenager's claims, Everclear said they were repeatedly hit
with objects from the crowd during the show at the Austin Music Hall, and they warned
the audience to stop or the show would be cut short.
After Alexakis was hit in the face with a cup full of liquid, the group left the stage,
according to the statement, which was attributed to the entire band. At that point, the
group claimed, the girl identified herself as the one who had thrown the cup, and was
escorted to the front of the crowd to be removed from the venue.
"As she neared the stage, she started screaming, cursing and spitting at Art and the
band," the statement said.
According to Everclear's account, a member of the band's road crew, agitated by the
girl's behavior, poured water on her. She grabbed his leg and tried to pull him off the
stage. He pulled his leg free, pushing her away. The statement said the teenager was
ejected, and that police interviewed the band and determined no injury had occurred.
The girl's lawyer, Glynn Turquand, said his client was escorted out of the venue after the
incident and was not hospitalized.
"After investigating the incident and doing interviews, we determined that charges were
warranted and those charges were made," Buchman said. Warrants were issued for both
men Friday, and the pair "would not help their case any" if they fail to turn themselves in,
Buchman said.
Alexakis, whose pop-rock band is known for such hits as "Father of Mine"
(RealAudio
excerpt) and "Santa
Monica" (RealAudio
excerpt), was charged
with simple assault by contact. Lehfeldt was charged with the more serious crime of
assault with injury.
Buchman would not elaborate on what specific acts the men are accused of, citing an
ongoing investigation.
Bond for Lehfeldt was set at $6,500 and no bond was set for Alexakis. An Aug. 24 court
date has been set for Alexakis, who faces a fine of no more than $475, according to a
representative of the Austin Municipal Court clerk. No court information was available for
Lehfeldt.
Turquand declined to say whether his client plans to pursue a civil suit against
bandmembers or the club.
In March, an Everclear fan who suffered head and neck injuries in a stagediving accident
at a Nov. 11, 1997, show in Boston settled with the group for an undisclosed amount of
money. Tameeka Messier, who was 23 at the time of the accident, was hurt when a New
England Patriots football player leaped from the stage of the Paradise nightclub. Messier
had surgery to remove two herniated disks from her neck and to fuse three vertebrae.
The Boston Globe reported shortly before the settlement that Messier's lawyers
were discussing a $1.2 million deal with the band, the club and two football players.
Use SonicNet's archives of 1000s of music news stories for more on your favorite artists.
Check out SonicNet's website for daily music news, including audio clips and other multimedia: http://www.sonicnet.com/
This is from Christy, this is important if you were at the show.
Subj: [Downtime] From the 'Page of Art' Message Board....te
Date: 8/13/99 12:00:33 PM Eastern Daylight Time
From: stch9801@StCloudState.edu (Christy Straight)
Reply-to: Downtime@onelist.com
To: Downtime@onelist.com (Downtime)
This was posted and is supposedly legit, so if you or you know someone who
was at the show...pass it on.
If you attended the 7/31/99 Everclear show in Austin and saw what happened,
please send an account of what you saw to Everclear's representative at
TexasShow@aol.com .
Everclear would appreciate that you do not send email to this address unless
you attended that show.
~back~