Chopper gets prime parking location - Motorcycle at center of jury trial - literally
The motorcycle has a 124-cubic-inch, V-Twin S&S polished chrome engine, a fat 280 mm rear tire and a custom tangelo-over-tangelo paint job with matching alligator-inlaid seat.
But the first thing everyone noticed this week about the motorcycle was where it was parked: inside an Annapolis courtroom.
"It was unusual enough that I had to see it," said Circuit Court Judge Nancy Davis-Loomis, one of many onlookers to pop into Courtroom 3A and take a peek at the spectacle.
"It's not something you see every day," said Sgt. Dave Martin of the county Sheriff's Office.
The bright orange motorcycle, which was drained of gasoline Tuesday at 7:15 a.m. and pushed through the front door of the county courthouse on Church Circle, is a key piece of evidence in a rather basic contract dispute between Roy Chamberlin of C&C Cycle in Severn and one of his customers, Guy Gabriele of Baltimore.
Gabriele hired Chamberlin in 2003 to build him a custom motorcycle under a "pay as you go" plan. According to court testimony and records, Gabriele thought the original price quote was $30,000 to $35,000, while Chamberlin claims it was $40,000 to $45,000.
Over the subsequent five years, Gabriele requested several upgrades to the bike. And in January 2008 - after Gabriele had paid $29,900 - Chamberlin said he would need another $15,000 to $18,000 to finish it.
By the time the bike was completed two months later, though, the final price tag had ballooned another $33,547 - to $63,447.
"That's what it cost to build," Chamberlin testified.
A jury is expected to decide today what happens to the bike and who owes what to whom.
Chamberlin claims Gabriele still owes him the $33,547. Gabriele, on the other hand, claims Chamberlin owes him the $29,900 he already paid since the bike costs more money than they agreed.
To help the jury best understand the case, Michael Darrow, Chamberlin's attorney, said he pushed Judge Pamela L. North to let him bring the motorcycle into the courtroom.
"It took two days to do it," said Darrow, explaining he had to file a motion and then get clearance from the city fire marshal and the county Sheriff's Office. "It was hard. I can't believe how hard it was."
Darrow said while attorneys usually rely on pictures to show jurors what they are talking about, "a picture doesn't do this justice."
Plus, he said: "A jury would be bored with a picture."
"It's certainly helping to keep everyone awake," said Judy Santoni, Gabriele's attorney.
Onlookers this week seemed to agree a bright orange, custom motorcycle sitting in the middle of a courtroom was anything but boring. Sheriff deputies, lawyers, court clerks, and even a delegation of visiting judges from China have been spotted walking into the courtroom to take a quick look.
"Everyone has been in there to marvel at it," Darrow said.
Source: Chopper gets prime parking location - Motorcycle at center of jury trial - literally
But the first thing everyone noticed this week about the motorcycle was where it was parked: inside an Annapolis courtroom.
"It was unusual enough that I had to see it," said Circuit Court Judge Nancy Davis-Loomis, one of many onlookers to pop into Courtroom 3A and take a peek at the spectacle.
"It's not something you see every day," said Sgt. Dave Martin of the county Sheriff's Office.
The bright orange motorcycle, which was drained of gasoline Tuesday at 7:15 a.m. and pushed through the front door of the county courthouse on Church Circle, is a key piece of evidence in a rather basic contract dispute between Roy Chamberlin of C&C Cycle in Severn and one of his customers, Guy Gabriele of Baltimore.
Gabriele hired Chamberlin in 2003 to build him a custom motorcycle under a "pay as you go" plan. According to court testimony and records, Gabriele thought the original price quote was $30,000 to $35,000, while Chamberlin claims it was $40,000 to $45,000.
Over the subsequent five years, Gabriele requested several upgrades to the bike. And in January 2008 - after Gabriele had paid $29,900 - Chamberlin said he would need another $15,000 to $18,000 to finish it.
By the time the bike was completed two months later, though, the final price tag had ballooned another $33,547 - to $63,447.
"That's what it cost to build," Chamberlin testified.
A jury is expected to decide today what happens to the bike and who owes what to whom.
Chamberlin claims Gabriele still owes him the $33,547. Gabriele, on the other hand, claims Chamberlin owes him the $29,900 he already paid since the bike costs more money than they agreed.
To help the jury best understand the case, Michael Darrow, Chamberlin's attorney, said he pushed Judge Pamela L. North to let him bring the motorcycle into the courtroom.
"It took two days to do it," said Darrow, explaining he had to file a motion and then get clearance from the city fire marshal and the county Sheriff's Office. "It was hard. I can't believe how hard it was."
Darrow said while attorneys usually rely on pictures to show jurors what they are talking about, "a picture doesn't do this justice."
Plus, he said: "A jury would be bored with a picture."
"It's certainly helping to keep everyone awake," said Judy Santoni, Gabriele's attorney.
Onlookers this week seemed to agree a bright orange, custom motorcycle sitting in the middle of a courtroom was anything but boring. Sheriff deputies, lawyers, court clerks, and even a delegation of visiting judges from China have been spotted walking into the courtroom to take a quick look.
"Everyone has been in there to marvel at it," Darrow said.
Source: Chopper gets prime parking location - Motorcycle at center of jury trial - literally
