Rodman pleads guilty to 3 noise charges

Deepa Bharath

NEWPORT BEACH -- After five months of postponed arraignments and other

court dates, Dennis Rodman pleaded guilty Thursday to three criminal

misdemeanor charges relating to noise violations at his 40th birthday in

May.

The former NBA star also paid off a ticket he received for speeding

his boat through Newport Harbor in August.

Superior Court Judge Margaret Anderson ruled Thursday that Rodman must

pay $1,000 to the Newport Beach Police Department as reimbursement for

law enforcement expenses and $500 to pay court costs. The judge also

ordered West Newport’s notorious party host to pay $1,080 to settle the

speeding ticket.

Rodman was not present at Harbor Justice Center and entered the plea

through his attorney, Paul Meyer. Rodman was not available for comment

Thursday.

Meyer called the judge’s decision “reasonable and appropriate.”

“All this case deserved was a simple fine,” he said. “That’s why we

settled.”

Meyer has consistently maintained that police and the district

attorney targeted his client because of his celebrity status.

“He deserved to be treated like anyone else,” Meyer said. “The judge

made the right call.”

The prosecution “is satisfied” with the outcome of the case, said

Deputy Dist. Atty. Mike Fell, who prosecuted the case.

“I’m pleased with the fact that he has plead guilty to every criminal

count in which he was charged,” he said.

Fell said it is common for criminal cases to be drawn out.

“There were several pieces of discovery requested by the defense,” he

explained. “There were motions, which included written responses and

hearing dates. It’s common for such cases to take awhile before a

disposition is reached.”

Thursday’s ruling, though encouraging, was not completely

satisfactory, said Tori Richards, spokeswoman for the district attorney’s

office.

“We’re happy he admitted guilt, but we would have liked him to have

got probation,” she said. “The judge, however, did not think that was

appropriate in this case.”

The Orange County district attorney in June filed three criminal

misdemeanor charges stating that Rodman violated the Newport Beach

Municipal Code by disturbing the peace and causing a “loud, raucous

noise” in a public place by possessing and operating sound amplifying

equipment without a permit.

More than 300 people reportedly attended the May 12 birthday bash on

the eve of Rodman’s 40th birthday at his Seashore Drive home. Bands,

including LIVE, played on the public beach until police officers wearing

riot gear broke up the gathering. Rodman also jumped out of a helicopter

to make a grand entrance to the party.

If convicted on those charges, Rodman could have faced 18 months in

jail and a $3,000 fine. He may have also gotten an additional year and a

$2,000 fine for violating probation. Rodman was arrested last year for

driving under the influence of alcohol and driving without a valid

license.

Newport Beach police officials, whose investigation into the birthday

incident prompted the charges, said they hope this case will set a

precedent for future violators.

“Hopefully, the community will remain quieter as a result of this,”

Sgt. Steve Shulman said.

He said the city’s noise ordinance, amended by council members in

June, will give police more authority to enforce the municipal code.

“So if there were a noise complaint in the city, we’d warn the

individual, and if he continues, he could be subject to arrest or

citation,” Shulman said.

Newport Beach police wrote Rodman 14 citations between 1999 and 2000.

Officers went to his home on more than 50 occasions and, during that

period, Rodman paid about $8,500 in fines for noise code violations.

Several of Rodman’s neighbors declined to comment when approached

Thursday.

One of them said he is pleased with the outcome of the case.

“I think Rodman was being singled out,” neighbor Rich Laporte said.

“He had parties, but they seemed to be under control. He has quieted down

a lot these days, though.”

Meyer also said as a result of an earlier defense motion, the district

attorney had produced a list of cases filed against others for similar

noise violations.

“The settlement in Dennis’ case was within the range of other

settlements,” he said. “We consider this case closed.”

* Deepa Bharath covers public safety and courts. She may be reached at

(949) 574-4226 or by e-mail at o7 deepa.bharath@latimes.comf7 .

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