Intoxicated Ref!
Hey Ref! What’s the matter with you? Are you drunk? How many times have you heard this at a ball game? Well there is one state certified referee, William DeLaney, that was drunk while he was a officiating a game. What first tipped off spectators, players, parents and staff was that the Referee was cursing at the 14 year old boys. One boy was particularly targeted and when his parents went to intercede, he started cursing at them.
This is one for the records for Sprinton Lake Middle School in Upper Providence, PA. The intention for the game was a fund raiser to help with escalating maintenance costs and ended up being a three ring circus. This the only problem like this they have had in the nine years they have been fundraising this way.
Andrew Brenner, coach and parent, stated that they always teach the children to respect the referees. Officer Greg Woodrow was one of the responding police officers. He recounts what happened: they approach the suspect and inform him that it is the management’s request that he remove himself from the field, DeLaney refused.
Woodrow smelled the alcohol on DeLaney’s breath. When asked about his alcohol consumption, DeLaney admitted drinking the night before. This was 3pm! After he couldn’t verbally convince the police that he was sober, he was waving them away. Apparently, he still thought he was officiating.
Citied for disorderly conduct and public drunkenness, DeLaney did not have to serve any jail time yet. A “female friend” took responsibility for his at the scene. Wow! It sounds like he needs to go to jail for a long time to think about this. If a family member or friend acts in such a manner, by helping them with an easy out you are an enabler.
For the public drunkenness, he will have an up to $300 fine and up to 90 days of jail time. The disorderly conduct penalty is up to a year in jail. DeLaney could be facing 15 months in jail. Since he was acting like this in front of children, I think he should have a couple other charges lobbed against him (child abuse, child endangerment).
DeLaney has already expressed his remorse in writing for poor decision. Brenner has stated that this will not be tolerated, so on top of state penalties he may have a couple more. I don’t think that he will be wearing a black and white striped shirt anytime soon.
On a Pennsylvania Criminal Defense Lawyer’s site, David Shrager, the first thing he will attempt to do is get an immediate dismissal. What kind of justice is that? With all of the witnesses the prosecution has, a dismissal should not be an option. The next thing he states on his site is to get the charges reduced because this covers a couple levels of misdemeanors. That wouldn’t be as bad as a dismissal, but any leniency on the part of the judge will only say “It’s ok.”But it’s not!
