Charges against Rodman dropped

Greg Risling

SANTA ANA -- The former bad boy of basketball apparently wasn’t bad

enough as the Orange County district attorney’s office decided not to

file charges Wednesday against Dennis Rodman stemming from his arrest at

a Newport Beach restaurant last month.

Rodman, 38, was arrested Aug. 21 at Woody’s Wharf on the Balboa

Peninsula and ordered to appear in court Oct. 1 to answer charges of

public drunkenness.

District attorney spokeswoman Tori Richards said Rodman didn’t meet

the standard of public drunkenness.

“He wasn’t at the point where he couldn’t take care of himself,”

Richards said.

Richards’ statements are in stark contrast to witnesses reports to

Newport Beach police. Several witnesses claim they saw Rodman take a

misstep out of his boat, called “Sexual Chocolate,” and fall into the

harbor. Rodman reportedly was undeterred by his impromptu dip and headed

to Woody’s.

Patrons there claimed they saw Rodman repeatedly beating his head

against a ceiling. Police received a couple of complaints about Rodman’s

behavior and responded to the scene.

Rodman also got into a scuffle with 36-year-old Donn Emerson, who was

charged Wednesday with obstruction of justice and possessing 11 1/2 grams

of marijuana, both of which are misdemeanors.

Oddly enough, Emerson tried to prevent police from arresting Rodman.

When asked if Rodman was given preferential treatment based on his

celebrity status, Richards replied, “absolutely not.”

Richards added the case could be filed should new evidence become

available.

“We thought there was enough evidence,” said Newport Beach Police Sgt.

Mike McDermott. “There were complaints by people who noted that Mr.

Rodman was drunk and he refused to leave.”