-Caveat Lector- >From http://www.oologah.net/political.htm
Largent family values? By JOHN M. WYLIE II, Publisher Copyright 2002, Oologah Lake Leader LLC Steve Largent has long touted being a great father to four kids as one of his big accomplishments. But some public records suggest the results may not completely match the image. They indicate that two young Largents have been in nasty scrapes with the law and might have gotten special treatment. The Largent campaign has ignored questions about the matter. Allegations range from underage alcohol possession to a group assault so severe that the victim was knocked unconscious. One young Largent, then a minor, was nailed last Dec. 4 by Norman police for driving 52 in a 35 mph zone. That was just the start, according to the arresting officer's sworn statement. "A record check showed defendant's driver's license was under suspension and the computer showed a different birth year. I observed a case pack of beer in the back seat floorboard and numerous bottles and cans in the seats, floorboard and center console area," the statement said. "Defendant also had 2 altered driver's licenses." Staying out of jail cost the defendant $1,932 in bail and the services of a top-flight lawyer. The final deal included a conviction for speeding and a six-month deferred sentence on the charges of driving under suspension, having an altered license and being a minor in possession of beer. The deal included $684.50 in fines and court costs and 40 hours of community service. On Aug. 12, prosecutors filed a motion to revoke the deferred sentence because the community service had not been completed as ordered. A bench warrant was issued, but was withdrawn and recalled--with costs to the state--on Sept. 6. There's no explanation in Cleveland County court records about why the warrant was withdrawn, other than "for good cause shown." No explanation is provided for why a bench warrant issued to the Sheriff Aug. 14 still had not been served. This same young Largent, while working at a yogurt parlor in Tulsa, got nailed Dec. 7, 1998 in a 1997 Lexus that didn't have a safety inspection sticker. The case was dismissed with costs of $73, which were paid Dec. 29. No explanation is provided in the court abstract of the case about why someone who could afford a Lexus couldn't pay $5 to comply with the state inspection law then in effect. Another young Largent was allegedly involved in a party gone bad in Norman in the wee hours of Nov. 14, 1998. According to the official records, the party included several members of OU men's and women's athletic teams. Some of the men were asked to leave after breaking a window, went outside, but raised Cain on the lawn. Another partygoer stood in the door to keep the men from coming back inside, until he was pulled outside and "repeatedly stomped and kicked." He was treated for bruises, cuts on his chin and lips that required stitches and vomiting, according to a police report. In the civil suit he later filed against four alleged assailants--one of them the young Largent--the victim said the beating continued even after he was unconscious. The victim's lawyer described the Largent youth's actions as "beyond all bounds of decency in a civilized society." The young Largent denied the allegations and said in court papers that the plaintiff's injuries "are the result of the actions of third parties over whom this defendant has no control or direction." Court records show that the case was dismissed May 18, 2000 by the plaintiff with prejudice, meaning it cannot be reinstated. There was no admission of wrongdoing by the young Largent, who earlier had offered to settle for $1,000 as long as that would "in no way be construed as an admission of liability. This offer is being made for the sole purpose to avoid unnecessary litigation expense and for the Defendant...to buy his peace." Although police classified the incident as aggravated assault, there is no record of any criminal charges ever being filed against young Largent or the three codefendants in the civil trial. The same young Largent got picked up in Tulsa April 24, 2001 for not having required proof of insurance. The charge (including the court costs) vanished two days later--about a week before the ticket could officially be entered into the system, according to court records. The formal phrase was "dismissed by court...cost to state." Dismissal of charges when proof of insurance is produced is not unusual. Avoiding court costs, however, is far less common. We received an unsolicited copy of one court docket Friday, and used computer searches and a reporter/investigator in Oklahoma City to ferret out more details. Sunday, we sent a detailed request for comment to the Largent campaign by both fax and e-mail, to the attention of the designated media contact. We wanted the campaign to have ample time to reply. We asked if Mr. Largent disputed any of the information we had gathered by that time. We wanted to make certain, for example, that there aren't two young people with precisely the same names and ages as two of his offspring, unlikely as that sounds. Assuming he didn't dispute the basic facts, we then asked about whether Mr. Largent sought any special treatment for the two young people. We asked who paid the bills for lawyers, court costs, fines and the like. We asked what steps he had taken to teach his children not to thumb their noses at the laws the rest of us must obey. We also asked, "Does Mr. Largent believe that a person seeking to be the governor of the state, with the ultimate power to commute, modify, reaffirm sentences or issue pardons for criminal offenses should ensure that the laws of Oklahoma are obeyed by the members of his own family? If yes, what steps has he taken to ensure that this occurs?" We think the voters are entitled to answers. Apparently the Largent campaign does not. As of our deadline Tuesday, we had received no reply to our multiple inquiries. (If the campaign responds in time, we will provide space next week for its answers.) We have tried to conduct our inquiry in a way that will spare the Largent children from unwarranted publicity. The issue is not what they may have done. Rather it is the level, if any, of their father's responsibility for and response to some difficult events. Children are normally not fair game in politics. However, when their father trots them out on platforms and in print repeatedly for political or publicity purposes as proof of his family values and quality parenting, that changes to some degree. Largent has used his kids in campaigns since at least 1994, when his youngest was nine. That makes a campaign or promotional claim of outstanding parenting one that, like any other campaign claim, deserves scrutiny. In this case, from what we've seen so far, the results aren't pretty. Please, Mr. Largennt--show us where we're wrong. 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