Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, June 3, 1995 TAG: 9506060007
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A-9 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Short
In Detroit, the lawyer for an accused murderer delivered part of his closing argument to the jury in rap: ``Went to a party, sweet 16, Decided to stay on the scene ... ''
And in Las Vegas, Nev., a defendant rapped his plea to a judge for a light sentence: ``I'm sellin' dope, and I was gettin' paid, Too blind to see how I was gettin' played ... ''
Maybe rap doesn't play as well in Vegas as in Detroit. Or maybe it plays better with a jury than with a judge.
In any event, and just for the record, while the accused murderer was acquitted, the dope-dealer got 23 years. A bum rap, it wasn't.
IF YOU'RE headed for Virginia Beach this summer, you'll find the trip two bits cheaper than before. Finally, finally, they've lifted the 25-cent toll on the Norfolk-Virginia Beach Expressway, also known as Virginia 44.
The toll was established in 1967 to pay for the $34 million cost of building the expressway, and politicians said at the time the toll would be removed when it had generated that amount. The figure was reached in 1978, but they kept collecting those quarters.
On Thursday, the pols' promise finally came true - 28 years and $200 million in collected quarters later.
by CNB