In what would cause a major media and public outcry in many areas, little fanfare appears to have arisen from the negligence of authorities in not obtaining a blood alcohol level from Billie Jean Dunn's attorney, John Young, when he was arrested a day after being recognized by fellow attorneys with an award.
Suspect drew gun on officer, police say
Sweetwater's police chief said Tuesday that an area attorney allegedly pulled a gun on a police officer before being arrested early Monday morning.
Attorney John Young was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and taken to the Nolan County Jail, where he was released after posting a $12,000 bond.
Young, who most recently has been in headlines for representing Billie Dunn, mother of missing Colorado City teen Hailey Dunn, has been an attorney in numerous high-profile criminal cases — including bigamy charges (later dropped) against House of Yahweh leader Yisrayl Hawkins — ranging from murder to a mauling by a pit bull.
According to Sweetwater Police Chief Jim Kelley, around 12:15 a.m. Monday, an on-duty officer was "staying at a house in the 2100 block of Robert Lee with his ex-wife."
"He stopped by there to get a glass of tea," Kelley said, when the officer noticed a car behind the house that he "assumed was Mr. Young's." The officer approached the front of the vehicle, at which point Young exited his vehicle "yelling" at the officer, calling him a "threat," the police chief said.
Young then pulled a 9 mm handgun from behind him and pointed it "right in the officer's face," Kelley said.
In vino veritas. Note the level of confidence to point a 9 mm handgun directly in the face of a police officer and not be fired upon.
The officer told Young to stop pointing the weapon at him, then "knocked the gun hand away," at which point the two started scuffling, Kelley said.
"I don't know how long the scuffle occurred, but other officers arrived and helped (the) officer handcuff Mr. Young," Kelley said.
Perhaps he should learn the details.
Though he said that "Mr. Young was intoxicated on something" at the time of his arrest, Sweetwater police "didn't pursue any alcohol-related charges," Kelley said.
This means that Young will be able to deny intoxication as they did not test his blood for drugs or alcohol.
"(We) didn't see the need to offer any type of blood or breath analysis," he said.
Young, contacted via cellphone, declined to comment on the charges.
"I have no comment, I'm sorry," he said.
Young, who graduated from Texas Tech University's law school in 1988, was admitted to the state bar in November of that year. Recently, he became chairman of the education institute of the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association.
Tuesday afternoon, Abilene attorneys who know Young expressed shock at the news, along with concern for his well-being.
Criminal defense attorney Alex Eyssen said he did not know anything beyond what had been in local media reports about the case, but said that Young was a "commensurate gentleman and a true advocate and scholar" to fellow attorneys and clients, generous with his time and legal research and resources.
"I have nothing but the best regard for him in what must be a trying time for him, his family and his law practice," he said. "He has taken lots of cases, and I think he has represented his clients well in state and federal court, and again I hope whatever is going on with him right now is something he can get a hold of."
Though in a sense he and Young could be considered competitors, "he (Young) didn't view it that way," Eyssen said.
"He viewed us as a profession that owes a responsibility to each other for the betterment of our clients and for the system," he said. "He embraced that, and I can't say that about everyone else I practice with."
Eyssen said he had spoken with "10 or 15" lawyers Tuesday about the incident, all of whom expressed concern for Young and his well-being.
Barrett Thomas, a former prosecutor and now defense attorney, called Young "one of the most professional and down-to-earth attorneys I have ever dealt with."
Thomas, who is representing Shawn Adkins, Billie Dunn's former boyfriend and the only named suspect in the disappearance of Hailey Dunn, said Young remained a competent attorney "no matter what's going on in his personal life."
"We just wish him all the best and are praying for him," he said.
It is not the first time that Young has had difficulties with the law.
According to a 2004 Reporter-News profile on the attorney, Young was forced to resign from the Lubbock district attorney's office in 1990 after he was involved in a car crash that claimed the life of Darlene Hall, a mother of two.
According to Reporter-News archives, the news made headlines throughout Lubbock, though a grand jury did not indict Young on a charge of anything other than driving while intoxicated.
"It was a very unpleasant time in my life, but clearly not as unpleasant as those two young children," Young said in the story. "I did act in an irresponsible manner. There's nothing I can do in this life to make up for taking the life of Mrs. Hall. What I can do ... is do better."
Note the sensitivity of the word "unpleasant" as it is repeated. The two children are without a mother, which he describes as "unpleasant"
After the accident and the resignation, Young moved to Sweetwater and joined a local law firm, according to the story, with plans to learn to practice civil law and move to a larger community.
"I was still looking over my shoulder for the fallout of a horrible mistake," Young said. "I expected the people of Sweetwater to judge me."
Instead, Young said in the story, the community embraced him, his wife and their two children.
In the 2004 article, Young said there were multiple reasons for his ability to capture big-time clients, including his experience as a criminal defendant.
"I know what it's like to have made an enormous error," he said. "I have a great passion for standing up for those who can't stand up for themselves.Source URL: https://wallpaper-com.blogspot.com/2011/06/attorney-blood-alcohol-not-tested-by.html
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