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Orioles farmhand catches break in Culpeper court Date published: 2/10/2009
BY DONNIE JOHNSTON
A Baltimore Orioles farmhand must have breathed a sigh of relief yesterday when the judge he was facing announced from the bench that "I am a lifelong Orioles fan." Greg Miclat, a University of Virginia student who was signed last year by the Orioles, was passing through Culpeper several months ago when he was stopped on U. S. 29 for speeding 73 mph in a 60-mph zone. Miclat appealed his case to the circuit court saying that he was only speeding because the car behind him was pushing his Honda Civic and that he sped up to get out of its way. State Trooper Jennifer Hathaway said her radar clocked the second car at 67 mph. Judge Jack Berry's curiosity was piqued when the defense attorney said that Miclat (who lives in North Carolina) was a minor-leaguer in the Orioles organization and that being forced to come back into the state to take a defensive driving class would create an undue hardship on the young man's baseball career. "The Orioles need all the help they can get," Berry said, before asking Miclat what position he played. The defendant replied, "Shortstop." While Berry acknowledged that the state trooper was right in issuing the ticket, he told the minor-leaguer that if he took the defensive driving class online and passed, the charges would be suspended. As Miclat left the court, a spectator asked for the young man's autograph and sent it to Judge Berry in his chambers as a memento--just in case the minor-leaguer made it to the majors. Donnie Johnston:
1. Be respectful. No personal attacks.
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