Rodman’s case for noise falls on deaf ears in Newport

Mathis Winkler

NEWPORT BEACH -- Cracking down on the city’s repeat noise offenders,

City Council members agreed Tuesday to move ahead with an amendment to

the city’s noise ordinance. Making a personal appearance at City Hall,

Dennis Rodman, who has been a frequent noise offender in the city, tried

to convince them otherwise.

Rodman said he felt unfairly singled out.

“I did nothing wrong,” he said, wearing a baseball cap and sunglasses.

“My whole point is I get harassed every day.”

City officials hope the revised law will make it easier to file

criminal charges. So far, the district attorney’s office has hesitated to

prosecute noisemakers because the existing ordinance makes it difficult

to prove a person’s willfulness in creating noise.

The new ordinance will help to deal with a problem that exists

throughout the city’s beach neighborhoods. But Councilman Gary Proctor

requested a speedy decision after 20 police officers broke up a 40th

birthday bash for Rodman on May 12.

Loud parties at the ex-basketball star’s West Newport Beach oceanfront

home have long been a concern for city officials. Until now, Rodman has

shrugged off about $8,500 in fines and repeated warnings.

With the threat of a six-month prison sentence now more likely as a

result of the changes, city officials hope Rodman will take the rules

more seriously in the future.

But during an impromptu press conference, while council members still

debated the issue, Rodman said he will not give in.

“I’m not going to change my lifestyle for anybody,” he said. “What’s

unreasonable about noise.”

The new ordinance makes it clear that property owners may be

accountable for noise that occurs at their homes. In Rodman’s case,

police officers haven’t always been able to tell whether he was at his

home when the noise occurred, said Assistant City Atty. Dan Ohl, who

drafted the changes.

The revised law also states that noisy residents can face criminal

charges after a police officer has issued a warning -- an addition city

officials hope will help to prove willful noisemaking in court.

Council members will again vote on the revised ordinance at their June

12 meeting. If approved, the changes will go into effect 30 days later.