THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, February 19, 1997 TAG: 9702190385
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JON GLASS, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: 61 lines
A hefty fine was thrown at City Councilman Paul R. Riddick Tuesday after he was found guilty of tossing a pound of ham at a store clerk in November.
At a General District Court trial, visiting Judge Robert Jacobi of Hampton found Riddick guilty of misdemeanor assault. Jacobi fined Riddick $500, but suspended half the fine and also suspended a 30-day jail sentence.
Riddick immediately appealed the ruling, and the case will move to Circuit Court March 5.
The misdemeanor conviction does not legally prevent Riddick from continuing to sit on the City Council, City Attorney Philip R. Trapani said.
Riddick, who represents Ward 4, said that he does not intend to resign, even if he loses the appeal.
``Oh, heck no,'' Riddick said. He declined further comment.
The charges stemmed from a Nov. 16 encounter between Riddick and Lynda Doss, a four-year employee of the Virginia Ham Shop in the 200 block of East Little Creek Road.
Doss, who represented herself in court, testified that Riddick threw a ham at her, hitting her in the head and knocking off her glasses. A fellow employee testified that she witnessed Riddick throwing the ham.
After the verdict, Doss said: ``I'm just glad something is being done. Nobody should be able to do this and get away with it. I don't care who they are.''
During testimony in the brief trial, both Riddick and Doss agreed that Riddick had entered the shop to return a pound of smoked sliced ham that he claimed was bad.
What happened next, however, was in dispute. Riddick said he has bought hams at the retail-meat shop for 20 years. He testified that he bought the ham to eat at a tailgate party with his daughter at a football game between Hampton and Norfolk State universities. He said he returned the ham because it didn't look or taste good.
Riddick testified that Doss argued with him over the quality of the ham but agreed to replace it. When Doss returned with a replacement, ``she slung the ham at me, and said, `Take the damn ham,' '' Riddick said, adding that Doss called him ``an SOB.''
Riddick said he reflexively put out his hands to push the ham away as it hit the counter. He denied throwing it.
Doss testified that Riddick came in upset and hostile and demanded another ham. Doss said about one-quarter pound of the ham was missing and that she replaced it with a three-quarter pound ham. She said Riddick wanted a 1-pound replacement. Doss testified that she got a one-pound ham and placed it on the counter but that Riddick threw the ham at her in anger.
Fellow ham shop employee Brenda Copeland testified that Riddick ``was yelling at her. He was being pretty hard on her.'' She said she saw Riddick throw the ham.
Norfolk attorney Lyn M. Simmons, who represented Riddick, said the women's testimony was ``not worthy of belief.'' Simmons argued that Doss pressed charges after learning that Riddick was a city councilman to ``embarrass him.''
Doss filed charges Nov. 27, 11 days after the Saturday incident. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
City Councilman Paul R. Riddick immediately appealed the ruling, and
the case will move to Circuit Court March 5.