Posted on 04/16/2009 8:54:59 PM PDT by South40
Former Orange Unified School District trustee convicted of stealing bottle from Chapman University.
SANTA ANA – A jury has convicted Steve Rocco, the former Orange School District trustee, of stealing a half-full bottle of ketchup from a Chapman University cafeteria.
Rocco's expression did not change when the verdict was read Thursday afternoon. He would not discuss the case as he left the courtroom, except to state firmly: "This is not over."
He said he would hold a press conference on Friday to answer questions. Rocco's attorney, Erica Gambale, similarly declined comment.
Rocco has said he didn't steal the ketchup; instead, he wanted to recycle the bottle.
(Excerpt) Read more at ocregister.com ...
That must have been one he# of a big bottle of ketchup to make it worth prosecuting.
Well, basically this was the largest problem on the court’s plate - I’m glad they have all the other issues so well under control.
Sounds to me like they’re out to get him. Something’s not jiving here.
He must have pi$$ed somebody off rather badly....
Susan Kang Schroeder, spokeswoman for the Orange County District Attorney's Office, said ... "Rocco could have avoided a conviction altogether, if he had simply made an agreement with authorities to keep away from the university." ... The District Attorney's Office has said the four-day trial will cost taxpayers thousands of dollars. "Our goal all along," Schoeder said, "was to protect Chapman and their property rights."
And Rocco says he was only trying to recycle the bottle.
Weird case. Anyone know what is really going on?
What a waste of money. Usually when someone gets tried and convicted of a very petty offense, the convict is a person that really p*ssed someone off high up in the food chain. But in this day and age of political correctness and zero tolerance, anyone doing something wrong is made an example of for everyone else.
I'm not familiar with the case, but I'm guessing he was ordered not to go on the campus at all, and violated the order?
Yeah, it just doesn't cut the mustard.
“Hey, Rocco! Leave the gun! Take the ketchup!”
Les Miserables
And theft.
Pretty stupid of the reporter to not include the actual reasons for this prosecution.
Don't tell us what to think, lettuce decide for ourselves.
You said stupid and reporter ... isn’t that a redundancy in most cases?
I was interviewed by a reporter for the Orange County Register and was extremely careful in my responses so as to not let them get misinterpreted. Also, I spoke slowly and used small words. The journalism profession ain’t what it used to be.
Did they ask you to spell a word or two?
Yes, it’s redundant; I meant more than ordinarily stupid. Wouldn’t this idiot reporter (another redundancy) think people would want to know why the big hoo-hah over half a bottle of ketchup?
No, but the guy kept trying to corner me into saying I supported Rudy Giuliani for president (last year, obviously). I couldn’t quite determine if he was a legit pro-Rudy guy or if he was baiting me to say something bad about Rudy that he could print out of context. I re-explained to him about 6 times that I liked certain things about Giuliani, but was uncommitted at that point about who I would support.
Your answer was direct - so I say the guy was baiting.
Rudy caused quite a stir in the media - they were afraid of him. But, also, here - if you participated on those threads, you’ll remember.
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