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Don't Get Mad, Get Elected
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Nov
21
I ask again, Does no one love Zach Reed? Take a look again at the comments there, from May 2006. More on the Judge’s sentence and release of Reed from probation in 9/06 in a minute.
First, the new news, so so damn sad:
Cleveland City Councilman Zach Reed was arrested early this morning on a DUI charge after police found him semiconscious in his car, Cleveland police said.
Officers said they found his BMW on Kinsman Ave. near East 139th St. shortly after 3 a.m. after a passer-by told them about a man evidently passed out in the driver’s seat of a car. They said Reed refused breath and sobriety tests at the Brahtenal police headquarters and had his license suspended on the spot; he was taken to City Jail to await formal charges this morning.
No doubt there will be more written about this - here’s a link to the Google search.
Channel 19 has the police statement:
On Wednesday, November 21, 2007, Cleveland City Councilman Zachary Reed, 45, was arrested for Operating a Vehicle Intoxicated after he was found semi-conscious in his vehicle, a 2002 BMW 525i on Kinsman Ave. near E. 139 St.
Cleveland Police were flagged down by a citizen at 3:09 a.m. Wednesday morning directing them to the area of E. 139 St. and Kinsman Ave. where it was reported that there was a male “passed out in the drivers seat of a car.”
The officers approached the vehicle unaware of the owner or occupant of the vehicle. They made contact with the driver and identified him as City Councilman Zach Reed after he produced a driver’s license. Mr. Reed exhibited numerous signs of intoxication and was asked to submit to a field sobriety test. Mr. Reed refused and was placed under arrest. He was taken to the Bratenahl Police Department where he was asked to submit to a breath analysis to determine his blood alcohol content. Mr. Reed refused this test as well.
Mr. Reed was issued an Administration Lisence Suspension in accordance with the provisions of the Ohio Revised Code. He is being held in the Cleveland City Jail pending the filing of formal charges.
As for his original sentencing in May 2006, here’s what the Plain Dealer wrote when Judge Joan Synenberg handed it down:
A judge sentenced Cleveland Councilman Zack Reed to 10 days in jail Tuesday for violating the terms of his probation by drinking alcohol.
Cleveland police pulled over the councilman in April 2005 and Reed flunked two sobriety tests, including failing to recite the alphabet. In June, Municipal Judge Joan Synenberg sentenced Reed to 180 days in jail — suspending 176 — and fined him $1,150 for drunken driving. She also put him on probation.
Reed recently violated the terms of the probation, which was due to expire this month. Synenberg extended his probation for 90 days and sentenced him to 10 days in jail.
Upon his release, Reed will have to wear a device that detects alcohol consumption and have his car outfitted with a machine that will prevent him from driving it if alcohol is detected on his breath.
Then, in September 2006, Reed was on the verge of being told he’d violated probation a second time, but Judge Synenberg said no, he hadn’t violated it (from my post because PD article is no longer available):
Today, Synenberg decided that although Cleveland City Councilman Zach Reed, “is guilty of ‘terrible, unforgivable judgment,’…[he is] not guilty of a second probation violation…there was insufficient evidence that Reed drank alcohol in the last few months,” according to a Plain Dealer article. Synenberg then “released him from probation after giving him a tongue-lashing for continuing to frequent bars while prohibited from drinking alcohol during his probation for a drunken-driving conviction.”
Hmm, when’s the last time a tongue-lashing of an adult who has already broken the law related to drunk driving and violated probation kept that adult on the straight and narrow for the rest of his life?
I’d urge you to read the rest of the post, which details just how crazy that decision by Synenberg seemed to me.
Not to mention that Synenberg was less than two months away from an election that involved her coming late into the race against Christine Russo, whom the PD tongue-lashed regularly (which was fine with me but I also felt/feel that the PD was way too enamored with Synenberg).
Anyway - the whole thing makes my heart sink. It was absolutely positively foreseeable, if not preventable. Many, many, many people had the place to know and say something. Yes, Reed had to want to do it - no one can change him but himself.
But look at all the places along the way where the system didn’t do what it could have. If other choices had been made, would they have made the difference? We’ll never know.
Now what will and should happen to Reed?
Update: This Fox post includes video of the arrest made by someone with a cellphone. How do you feel about it being available this way? About someone taking the video in the first place? Fox has a number of other interactive features asking readers their opinion on the situation.
Sphere: Related ContentBy Jill Miller Zimon at 10:52 am November 21st, 2007 in Courts, Social Issues, Mental health, Ohio, Cleveland+, Culture, Politics
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13 Responses to “Updated: Zach Reed cries out again, how’s Judge Joan Synenberg feel?”
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It’s a sad situation, and he’s gotten the benefit of the doubt way more often than most others would, for reasons of race and power politics. The real reason underlying his getting off the hook: his attorney is George Forbes, still among the most powerful people in the black community in this region, rivaled only by the mayor and Fred Nance.
Well, it’s beyond sad when caring for another human being loses out.
I quite agree. No one who’s shielding him from the consequences of his own actions is ultimately doing him a favor. Simply postponing his day of reckoning.
Synenberg is a RINO judge anyway, no wonder about her lenient sentence
I know nothing about these judges but I do know something about alcoholism. In many cases there is a fine line between those whose star bruns brightly and the alcoholic personality. When they merge (as too often, sadly, happens) you get the Zach Reed situation. I hope that in this case we’d have a basic understanding of the damage alcoholism does to those afflicted and their families. Where is Reed’s support system? I certainly hope that he gets a serious rehab experience. At some point, those who are protecting him from the consequences need to make sure he’s placed out of circulation and in an intensive rehab situation before he kills someone on the street. Real caring is making the hard choice not to enable anymore. It seems long past the time in this case.
Hi Keith - I agree 100%: “Where is Reed’s support system? I certainly hope that he gets a serious rehab experience. At some point, those who are protecting him from the consequences need to make sure he’s placed out of circulation and in an intensive rehab situation before he kills someone on the street. Real caring is making the hard choice not to enable anymore. It seems long past the time in this case.”
I was saying that in 5/06. So many folks seemed to know then that he had a habit. Why they thought that hiding from it or skirting it or ignoring it was the smart or best thing to do, I don’t know - probably, no one wanted to accept that he was going to go lower.
I see from the PD that his lawyer George Forbes is applying tough love, at least publicly. The photo made Reed look as if he was chasing after his lawyer, asking his forgiveness.
And what’s a RINO judge?
RINO = Republican In Name Only
Gotcha. But remember that her husband, Roger, is a major figure in Republican circles, so that should be taken into account as well.
John,
You are correct, RINO Snakenberg, as most in the RPCC call him, is a major figure in the party.
You could say that he is pretty much part of the problem and part of the reason why the RPCC has been a failure for such a long time.
In the near future Snakenberg will no longer be anything in our party. I am sure we would let him stuff envelopes, maybe work a phone bank or two…
The rank & file in the party are moving towards ridding ourselves of people such as him. The rank & file are finally realizing that many of our leaders are NOT doing what is in the best interest of the party, but are doing what is in the best interest for the so-called leaders themselves.
As for Councilman Reed - I hope everything works out the best for him. I am laughing pretty hard at all the “support group” and alcholism talk - actually I find it pretty comical.
The drinking thing is really pretty easy…
A person who drinks will not stop until they want too. Until a person reaches that point, everything is useless. In my opinion much of the stuff that comes from these support groups prior to the person wanting to stop drinking, actuall makes the person drink MORE!
But because Reed was found passed out, does not mean he has a problem. Just because it is not the first time, it does not mean he is an acholic. It means the guy likes to party!
As the saying goes, the party has been very good for him (and his wallet). How good he’s been for the party, I can’t say (though you did a nice job of summarizing). But then, as someone decidedly from the other side of the aisle, I would hazard the opinion that the Republican party at the moment has far larger problems than this couple.
King - you wrote, “But because Reed was found passed out, does not mean he has a problem. Just because it is not the first time, it does not mean he is an acholic. It means the guy likes to party!”
When has someone crossed the line from liking to party to having a problem?
[…] - why didn’t Judge Synenberg do that the last time around? I’m assuming it has something to do with Reed being on Cleveland City Council? No? Then […]