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Edwards brother raises DWI hell
New York Daily News ^ | 7/15/04 | ADAM LISBERG

Posted on 07/15/2004 2:43:15 AM PDT by kattracks

Sen. John Edwards' little brother has an outstanding warrant for his arrest in Colorado and has thumbed his nose at more than $800 in fines for driving infractions.

Wesley Blake Edwards, 39, has been a terror on the road for more than two decades. He has been arrested four times for drunken driving, twice been sentenced to a week in jail for DWI and lost his right to drive in four states.

But even after his license was suspended and revoked, he repeatedly got back behind the wheel - only to be stopped by police again.

He is currently a wanted man in Colorado, which issued a warrant for his arrest in 1994 after he skipped a court date on a DWI case.

He also was wanted in Michigan for a time but authorities later canceled their arrest warrant. He still owes Michigan more than $800 in fines for a series of infractions that included running a red light and driving with a suspended license.

By searching state criminal and motor vehicle records, as well as county court files, the Daily News determined that Edwards was ticketed or arrested ateast 14 times between 1983 and 2003 and was involved in at least two accidents.

He has been repeatedly cited for speeding, driving without a license, driving with a suspended or revoked license, driving without insurance and driving without his seat belt. Once, in 1990, he was arrested for drunken driving just a day after a 60-day suspension had expired.

With his long record of breaking the law, Edwards stands in stark contrast to his 51-year-old brother, who last week was picked to be the Democrats' candidate for vice president.

As one of North Carolina's most successful attorneys, John Edwards won a $950,000 settlement for the family of a woman killed by a drunken driver, according to North Carolina Lawyers Weekly.

John Edwards released a statement yesterday implying he did not know about his brother's legal troubles.

A source close to the family said the senator knew vaguely that his brother had some troubles but did not know how serious they were until The News disclosed them.

"I love my brother very much," the senator said in a statement. "I am, of course, troubled by this news. He shouldn't have done what he did, and he knows that and is dealing with it."

The source said Blake Edwards hired a lawyer this year to get his license back. North Carolina records show Edwards asked the state to reissue his license in May but was turned down.

Edwards, a union electrician, lives with his wife and their daughter outside Raleigh, N.C., in a house that his brother bought for them five years ago. He has declined to comment.

With Nicole Bode in Carthage, N.C.

Originally published on July 15, 2004



TOPICS: Extended News; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: blakeedwards; blakethedrunk; brotherblake; edwards; edwardsbrother; madd; northcarolina; oldnorthstate
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1 posted on 07/15/2004 2:43:15 AM PDT by kattracks
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To: kattracks

He didn't know about his Bro's activities? One could safely surmise that is a BOLD FACED LIE.


2 posted on 07/15/2004 3:00:19 AM PDT by RVN Airplane Driver (War Veterans Speak out at www.RealHeroesVoices.com)
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To: RVN Airplane Driver
Edwards is going after the sympathy vote, his brother is just misunderstood ya know
3 posted on 07/15/2004 3:04:48 AM PDT by boxerblues
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To: RVN Airplane Driver

Maybe that depends on what the meaning of 'know' is.


4 posted on 07/15/2004 3:05:36 AM PDT by The_Media_never_lie
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To: kattracks
Edwards, a union electrician, lives with his wife and their daughter outside Raleigh, N.C., in a house that his brother bought for them five years ago.
5 posted on 07/15/2004 3:09:17 AM PDT by texasflower (in the event of the rapture.......the Bush White House will be unmanned)
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To: The_Media_never_lie

While I can't blame Edwards for what his brother does, I do find it a bit strange that he didn't "know" about any of this. They're apparently not estranged; if they were, is it likely Edwards would have bought a HOUSE for his brother?


6 posted on 07/15/2004 3:09:29 AM PDT by laconic
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To: kattracks

What is DWI????


7 posted on 07/15/2004 3:09:43 AM PDT by danamco
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To: danamco

Driving While Intoxicated.


8 posted on 07/15/2004 3:12:51 AM PDT by KillTime
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To: laconic

This could be the worst kind of estrangement, relations between brothers can be very complicated and it is possible that buying the kid brother a house was anything but a kindness.


9 posted on 07/15/2004 3:13:30 AM PDT by RipSawyer ("Embed" Michael Moore with the 82nd airborne.)
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To: RVN Airplane Driver
One could safely surmise that is a BOLD FACED LIE.

AND one would not be outside the lines if one suspected that John Edwards's connections keep his bro our of jail and on the roads to drink and eventually kill.

10 posted on 07/15/2004 3:19:09 AM PDT by eno_ (Freedom Lite, it's almost worth defending.)
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To: RipSawyer

I wonder in which of Edwards' TWO AMERICAS his brother lives.


11 posted on 07/15/2004 3:23:44 AM PDT by laconic
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To: kattracks; martin_fierro

I am so fed up with these elites and siblings, etc., using and abusing their ability to put the public at risk or worse through political or even perceived political immunity.

Convicted Vehicular homicide murderer & 4 term & currently resigned representative Janklow kills a biker while running a stop sign and gets a 100 days in county jail, no CS, and who carea about probation after 16 years of terrorising S.D., intimidating his own State Troopers that inadvertently stop his eliteness for flying low everywhere he ever drove.

The swimmer fatso kennedy and the Chappaquidic escapade.

Hildibeast ordering a driver to run over a security guard a few years back at Kennedy Airport(?).

Etc., etc., ad naseum!

Please feel free to add to this list.


12 posted on 07/15/2004 3:30:06 AM PDT by JoeSixPack1 (Freedom Stands Because Heroes Serve.)
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To: RipSawyer

Pure speculation, but buying him a house might have been the price of his brother keeping his mouth shut and himself out of sight during the campaigns.


13 posted on 07/15/2004 3:39:06 AM PDT by laconic
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To: JoeSixPack1
Al Gore's son speeding through NC to get somewhere before the 2000 election. Then driving too slow through downtown Bethesda, MD, in the middle of the night during winter, with the windows open, with a few friends, and a few joints in hand.

Then there's that former governor/congressman from S. D.(?) who ran a stop light and killed a motorcyclist.

14 posted on 07/15/2004 3:44:26 AM PDT by rabidralph (My pit bull drives an SUV.)
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To: kattracks

Must be a slow news day.................


15 posted on 07/15/2004 3:45:50 AM PDT by WhiteGuy (Congress shall make no law... abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press...)
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To: rabidralph

Yeah I forgot about algore's kid, but that gov/congcritter was Janklow.


16 posted on 07/15/2004 3:47:08 AM PDT by JoeSixPack1 (Freedom Stands Because Heroes Serve.)
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To: kattracks

I suspect all the infractions are related to drunk driving, but you know how it is when you play the "My brother is a rich lawyer" card. Edwards probably made a few calls to get the charges dropped to reckless operation.


17 posted on 07/15/2004 3:48:09 AM PDT by mabelkitty
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To: WhiteGuy

Yep, as slow as the day(s) the media tried to make the divorce of President Bush's brother an important news item.


18 posted on 07/15/2004 3:50:28 AM PDT by kattracks
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To: kattracks

Right.

I didn't care about that either.


19 posted on 07/15/2004 3:52:35 AM PDT by WhiteGuy (Congress shall make no law... abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press...)
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To: JoeSixPack1

Unfortunately we are must choose among people not gods for our elected representatives....The most egregious escape and indeed reward of bad behavior/drunken driving(I am sure), 2nd degree murder... is Edward Kennedy's Chappaquidick drive..

The fact that Janklow drove like a madman and was not punished for years, but he has killed a man and is going to jail,disgraced, is some comfort...He may learn, he may not.If he doesn't , he will spend more time in jail.

I blame the ones who wink at the behavior or the enablers...I do not think I should blame people for their kin's problems ....only if they constantly enable.

Good old boys I know, have been coddled for years here (Texas)and and elsewhere for drunk driving in smaller communities where someone knows their mamma,etc. Rich had nothing to do with it...For years speeding and drunk driving were not really condemned until someone died and then it generally was treated more like an "accident".


20 posted on 07/15/2004 4:09:32 AM PDT by MEG33 (John Kerry has been AWOL for two decades on issues of National Security)
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