Attorneys duke it out, he's run down..cyclist

Professor accused of assault
Lawyer says she ran him down as he cycled; she calls it an accident


09:08 PM CDT on Monday, May 3, 2004

By MICHAEL GRABELL / The Dallas Morning News


This is the story of a lawyer on her way to a bike ride who hit a lawyer
riding his bike.

Tommy Thomas, a Dallas business lawyer, came away with scrapes and bruises
but is perplexed about what would drive a prominent law professor at
Southern Methodist University to run him down in what police say was a road
rage incident.

Police arrested Jane Dolkart on Sunday and charged her with aggravated
assault. According to police reports, Mr. Thomas was cycling with a friend
about 10 a.m. on West Lawther Road when a woman in a Volkswagen Passat came
up behind them and started honking and screaming.

Police say Ms. Dolkart, an expert in labor law related to sexuality and
gender, followed the cyclists around a U-turn and then rammed her car into
Mr. Thomas' bike. Ms. Dolkart, 56, referred questions to her attorney, who
characterized the incident as an accident.

Ed Ishmael, a friend and local real estate title attorney, said he was
surprised by the allegations.

"It doesn't sound anything like the Jane Dolkart I know," he said. "She's
not a hothead."

But Mr. Thomas said he was dragged underneath the car and suffered road rash
and bruising on his arms and shoulders.

"It is the most unbelievable, amazing thing that happened to me," said Mr.
Thomas, 28. "I still can't believe it happened to me."

Ms. Dolkart's attorney, James Vasilas, said his client was on her way to go
biking at White Rock Lake when she came across two cyclists moving slowly in
the middle of the road just south of Mockingbird Lane.

"She tapped on her horn one time - she was not honking and screaming - just
to let them know, 'Hey, if you move over a little, I could get by.' "

He said that when Ms. Dolkart made a U-turn to go into the parking lot, Mr.
Thomas slammed on his brakes and was hit.

"This was obviously blown way out of proportion," Mr. Vasilas said. "This is
not a criminal offense."

Ms. Dolkart was taken to the Dallas County jail and posted a bond for the
$2,500 bail on Sunday night. The Dallas Police Department is investigating
and will refer the case to a grand jury to determine whether she will be
indicted on assault charges.

Aggravated assault with a deadly weapon is a second-degree felony punishable
by two to 20 years in prison and up to a $10,000 fine.

The witness "could hear her screaming through the closed window at him. ...
That's how loud she was screaming," said Detective L.C. Hall of the assault
unit. "If it was stress or if she was late, I have no idea why this incident
occurred."

Mr. Thomas said he and a friend had been waiting for another friend for
their usual ride to Lake Ray Hubbard and back.

"It sucked the tire underneath the car, and the next thing you know, I'm
underneath the car," he said. "The bike is absolutely shredded."

Ms. Dolkart has been an associate law professor at SMU for 14 years. Before
that she was an assistant general counsel at the Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission and taught at Catholic University Law School in
Washington, D.C.

Specializing in civil rights and labor law related to sexuality and gender,
she has worked extensively on benefits for same-sex partners, sexual
harassment in the workplace and gender discrimination.

SMU officials released a written statement Monday saying the university
takes all allegations of misconduct involving a member of the school's
community seriously, but they did not comment further because the matter is
under investigation.

Mr. Thomas said her position is all the more reason she should be held
accountable.

"You'd think that people who are training our future attorneys would have
better judgment," he said.

Mr. Vasilas said he is confident his client would be cleared.

"This case isn't going anywhere," he said. "This is not going to stick."

"mrbubl" wrote in message news:axWlc.7294

By MICHAEL GRABELL / The Dallas Morning News
He said that when Ms. Dolkart made a U-turn to go into the parking lot,
Mr.
Thomas slammed on his brakes and was hit.

I can't follow this at all (might be because 2 lawyers are involved).

Dolkart's car was earlier following Thomas's bike.

How could Dolkart's U-turn have put her in Thomas's path (assuming Thomas
wasn't a wrong-way rider)?
---
Mike Kruger
Blog: http://journals.aol.com/mikekr/ZbicyclistsZlog/

Mike Kruger wrote:
:: "mrbubl" wrote in message
:: news:axWlc.7294
:::
::: By MICHAEL GRABELL / The Dallas Morning News
::: He said that when Ms. Dolkart made a U-turn to go into the parking
::: lot, Mr. Thomas slammed on his brakes and was hit.
:::
:: I can't follow this at all (might be because 2 lawyers are involved).
::
:: Dolkart's car was earlier following Thomas's bike.
::
:: How could Dolkart's U-turn have put her in Thomas's path (assuming
:: Thomas wasn't a wrong-way rider)?

Maybe he got hit as she was attempting to make the U-turn....she might have
been still going forward...or claiming to be attempting a U-turn when she
hit him...

Wed, 05 May 2004 01:09:08 GMT,
m,
"Mike Kruger" wrote:

I can't follow this at all (might be because 2 lawyers are involved).

My sympathies are with the judge on this one.

I'd not question 'em for hanging the whole lot.
--
zk

My sympathies are with the judge on this one.

I'd not question 'em for hanging the whole lot.

Stick them in a room with a few weapons alone and let them work it out (G)

--
Knight-Toolworks & Custom Planes
Custom made wooden planes at reasonable prices
See http://www.knight-toolworks.com For prices and ordering instructions.

Interesting story. I must say, my biggest fear on the road is the women
with the huge SUV's that are on cell phones. They are so aggressive!

Curt

"mrbubl" wrote in message
ink.net...
Professor accused of assault
Lawyer says she ran him down as he cycled; she calls it an accident


09:08 PM CDT on Monday, May 3, 2004

By MICHAEL GRABELL / The Dallas Morning News


This is the story of a lawyer on her way to a bike ride who hit a lawyer
riding his bike.

Tommy Thomas, a Dallas business lawyer, came away with scrapes and bruises
but is perplexed about what would drive a prominent law professor at
Southern Methodist University to run him down in what police say was a
road
rage incident.

Police arrested Jane Dolkart on Sunday and charged her with aggravated
assault. According to police reports, Mr. Thomas was cycling with a friend
about 10 a.m. on West Lawther Road when a woman in a Volkswagen Passat
came
up behind them and started honking and screaming.

Police say Ms. Dolkart, an expert in labor law related to sexuality and
gender, followed the cyclists around a U-turn and then rammed her car into
Mr. Thomas' bike. Ms. Dolkart, 56, referred questions to her attorney, who
characterized the incident as an accident.

Ed Ishmael, a friend and local real estate title attorney, said he was
surprised by the allegations.

"It doesn't sound anything like the Jane Dolkart I know," he said. "She's
not a hothead."

But Mr. Thomas said he was dragged underneath the car and suffered road
rash
and bruising on his arms and shoulders.

"It is the most unbelievable, amazing thing that happened to me," said Mr.
Thomas, 28. "I still can't believe it happened to me."

Ms. Dolkart's attorney, James Vasilas, said his client was on her way to
go
biking at White Rock Lake when she came across two cyclists moving slowly
in
the middle of the road just south of Mockingbird Lane.

"She tapped on her horn one time - she was not honking and screaming -
just
to let them know, 'Hey, if you move over a little, I could get by.' "

He said that when Ms. Dolkart made a U-turn to go into the parking lot,
Mr.
Thomas slammed on his brakes and was hit.

"This was obviously blown way out of proportion," Mr. Vasilas said. "This
is
not a criminal offense."

Ms. Dolkart was taken to the Dallas County jail and posted a bond for the
$2,500 bail on Sunday night. The Dallas Police Department is investigating
and will refer the case to a grand jury to determine whether she will be
indicted on assault charges.

Aggravated assault with a deadly weapon is a second-degree felony
punishable
by two to 20 years in prison and up to a $10,000 fine.

The witness "could hear her screaming through the closed window at him.
....
That's how loud she was screaming," said Detective L.C. Hall of the
assault
unit. "If it was stress or if she was late, I have no idea why this
incident
occurred."

Mr. Thomas said he and a friend had been waiting for another friend for
their usual ride to Lake Ray Hubbard and back.

"It sucked the tire underneath the car, and the next thing you know, I'm
underneath the car," he said. "The bike is absolutely shredded."

Ms. Dolkart has been an associate law professor at SMU for 14 years.
Before
that she was an assistant general counsel at the Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission and taught at Catholic University Law School in
Washington, D.C.

Specializing in civil rights and labor law related to sexuality and
gender,
she has worked extensively on benefits for same-sex partners, sexual
harassment in the workplace and gender discrimination.

SMU officials released a written statement Monday saying the university
takes all allegations of misconduct involving a member of the school's
community seriously, but they did not comment further because the matter
is
under investigation.

Mr. Thomas said her position is all the more reason she should be held
accountable.

"You'd think that people who are training our future attorneys would have
better judgment," he said.

Mr. Vasilas said he is confident his client would be cleared.

"This case isn't going anywhere," he said. "This is not going to stick."

On Wed, 05 May 2004 00:26:46 GMT, "mrbubl"
wrote in message
. net:

This is the story of a lawyer on her way to a bike ride who hit a lawyer
riding his bike.

Too many jokes.

Guy
--
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk

88% of helmet statistics are made up, 65% of them at Washington University

Just zis Guy, you know? wrote:
On Wed, 05 May 2004 00:26:46 GMT, "mrbubl"
wrote in message
. net:

This is the story of a lawyer on her way to a bike ride who hit a lawyer
riding his bike.

Too many jokes.

too easy. would it have been better or worse had it been two politicians?
or a lawyer and a politician? crappy tv shows on, ohhhhh, say, the discovery
channel have been based around much less.
--
david reuteler

On Wed, 05 May 2004 01:09:08 GMT, "Mike Kruger"
wrote:
I can't follow this at all (might be because 2 lawyers are involved).

That's a surefire way to know the whole thing is going to be full of
nonsense, Anyway...

Dolkart's car was earlier following Thomas's bike.

How could Dolkart's U-turn have put her in Thomas's path (assuming Thomas
wasn't a wrong-way rider)?

Here's how:
:Police say Ms. Dolkart, an expert in labor law related to sexuality and
:gender, followed the cyclists around a U-turn and then rammed her car into
:Mr. Thomas' bike.
--
Rick Onanian