Cuyahoga County Judge Peter Corrigan found guilty of DUI and Sentenced to AA and get a Sponsor in Northern Ohio Area 45 District 21 - Jan 4, 2013

JR Harris's picture
Submitted by JR Harris on Wed, 01/09/2013 - 15:32

Ohio, Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge Peter Corrigan has been found guilty of Driving under the Influence in an incident on Dec. 17, 2012 in the Rocky River Reservation where he was found passed out slumped over the wheel of his running car. Judge Peter Corrigan was sentenced in Rocky River Municipal Court on Jan. 4, 2013 to three days in jail, levied a $500 fine and suspended his drivers’ license. He will be allowed to keep his job, but must be on probation for one year and get an Alcoholics Anonymous Sponsor. Judge Peter Corrigan resides in Alcoholics Anonymous General Service Area 54 (www.area54.org/intergroupsNEOhio.htm) District 21 (www.aaneoh.org/District21.html). The judge will spend his three days in jail at an intense 3 day Alcohol Rehabilitation program.

Corrigan found guilty of drunken driving

Written by Sue Botos on January 9, 2013

Rocky River

By Sue Botos

Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge Peter Corrigan was found guilty of operating a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol in Rocky River Municipal Court on Jan. 4.

Corrigan admitted that he “made a mistake” after pleading no contest to the charge despite prosecutors’ admission that officers operating the blood alcohol measurement device were having calibration issues.

The second-term judge was found on Dec. 17 in the Rocky River Reservation at the intersection of Valley Parkway and Cedar Point Road, by Cleveland Metroparks rangers around 4:30 a.m. Corrigan was unconscious and slumped over the wheel of his car with his foot on the break, engine running and headlights on. Rangers placed a cruiser in front of Corrigan’s car for fear he would be startled awake and hit the gas, sending the car into the nearby Rocky River.

Corrigan told the officers that he had visited friends and went to a Tremont area restaurant. He failed a field sobriety test, then agreed to a breath test which registered 0.152; nearly double the legal limit.

Rocky River Municipal Court Judge Donna Congeni Fitzsimmons dismissed the blood alcohol charge, but after the no-contest plea, found Corrigan guilty of OVI and of violating a Metroparks ordinance for impeding traffic by stopping or driving slowly. She sentenced him to three days in jail, levied a $500 fine and suspended his drivers’ license for 2013.

Corrigan will be allowed work driving privileges and jail time will be served as a three day education program. Fitzsimmons also placed the former Maine police officer on a one-year probation, subject to random alcohol testing and ordered him to get an Alcoholics Anonymous sponsor.

Fitzsimmons also praised Corrigan for pleading no contest and taking the case to trial, where she said there was a reasonable chance for a win on a technicality. That technicality was the fact that the blood alcohol information was the only objective evidence against Corrigan.

According to accounts of the court session, Corrigan’s lawyer Kevin Spellacy said that his client had undergone an assessment on his own and was found not to be dependent on alcohol. However, he stated that Corrigan is voluntarily taking advantage of an Ohio Supreme Court program for lawyers with alcohol and similar issues.

Corrigan first ran for the bench in 2004, beating incumbent Peggy Foley Jones by 26,000 votes. He was unopposed in 2010. Prior to serving Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court, Corrigan was a member of the county prosecutor’s office as part of the major trials unit.

Source: http://westlife.northcoastnow.com/corrigan-found-guilty-of-drunken-driving/

Comments

JR Harris's picture

JR Harris

Wed, 01/09/2013 - 16:02

Hi, my name is Judge Peter Corrigan and I'm not an Alcoholic but I have been mandated to get an AA Sponsor during parole. Is anyone available? Just remember that anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law and being a Judge I am required to report it. Any convicted felons want to be my Sponsor? Oh, and I don't go on prospect hunting trips to jails and prisons on "Corrections Committees" because they may be people I have sent there. But I can use my connections in the court system in your "Cooperation with the Professional Community" (CPC) committees to try and get you more court mandates.

Does anyone else see the irony in this?

"Tradition 10 - Alcoholics Anonymous has no opinion on outside issues; hence the AA name ought never be drawn into public controversy." Please follow orders from the Interchurch Center if you are an AA member and don't comment.

live_free_or_die's picture

live_free_or_die

Wed, 01/09/2013 - 16:57

job. The judge didn't admit to being an alcoholic. He won't be stigmatized by AA?

Alcoholics Anonymous: MyNotGodHasItCovered®
http://www.expaa.org/
http://bereanresearch.com/
http://badrecovery.blogspot.com/
NOT AA:
Rational Recovery, SOS, HAMS
http://alcoholabusesolutions.com/

El Oso's picture

El Oso

Wed, 01/09/2013 - 17:23

So on the basis of one drunk driving conviction a court of law considers the guy to be an alcoholic so tells him to get an AA sponsor. How on earth does anyone prove that they are or aren't an "AA Sponsor".
However medical opinion doesn't consider him alcohol dependent. Will he be expected to abstain from alcohol ?

"And if somebody told you God is on your side. I was told the very same thing So you know somebody lied." [Big Wind - Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee]

El Oso

JR Harris's picture

JR Harris

Wed, 01/09/2013 - 18:02

That would be the same way that you can prove if someone is or is not an AA member or if they ever have been one. You can't. You also can not prove if you are a"real" Alcoholic, a "real "atheist" or have a "real" Spiritual malady, but many AA members claim you can prove all of these things.

"Tradition 10 - Alcoholics Anonymous has no opinion on outside issues; hence the AA name ought never be drawn into public controversy." Please follow orders from the Interchurch Center if you are an AA member and don't comment.

massive's picture

massive

Wed, 01/09/2013 - 18:26

This is nuts . AA sponsors are not trained ANYTHING !!! WTF is gone on in our country with AA, Courts, Judges and lawyers and ......

AA sponsors are the self appointed blind leading the blind. GIve me a break. Let's call this jude and give him an ear full:)

Massive

dave

Wed, 01/09/2013 - 19:56

sober I was in a Barnes and Noble bookstore. I briefly looked at small inexpensive book on cults. The author thought aa was not a cult but thought its success would be the very thing that ended it. I think your article is another example of how aa's success is causing harm to itself. AA's success may be the very thing that brings it down.

I have no idea who wrote the book I mentioned.

JR Harris's picture

JR Harris

Wed, 01/09/2013 - 20:27

Well if you have nearly 2 decades of not drinking you're not a "real" alcoholic, you're just brainwashed by a manipulative religious cult that has sent you on a spiritual crusade to search for new prospects for the cult of Alcoholics Anonymous.

The Spiritual Crusade to uncover Alcoholics in the 21st Century
Submitted by JR Harris on Mon, 01/09/2012 - 13:52
http://orange-papers.org/forum/node/622

Keep coming back!

"Tradition 10 - Alcoholics Anonymous has no opinion on outside issues; hence the AA name ought never be drawn into public controversy." Please follow orders from the Interchurch Center if you are an AA member and don't comment.

dave

Wed, 01/09/2013 - 20:49

AA's popularity may be the very thing that brings it down.

JR Harris's picture

JR Harris

Wed, 01/09/2013 - 21:01

AA's popularity isn't what is going to bring it down, it is the outright lies and circular logic that will. People are realizing what is going on, it's not a secret society any more and they are learning from site like this and dozens more the illogical circular logic it uses and the slogans it teaches.

Have you notice that I have been using the same slogans (modified) against you and then giving you links to information that refutes it. That is called circular logic and is prevalent in the cult of Alcoholics Anonymous. it causes anger and confusion which you are experiencing. How does that make you feel?

Keep coming back! You didn't get here by accident and don't leave until the miracle happens and you are free from the terrible disease of being brainwashed by an adulterous con man who talked to dead people and made a lot money doing it called Bill Wilson.

"Tradition 10 - Alcoholics Anonymous has no opinion on outside issues; hence the AA name ought never be drawn into public controversy." Please follow orders from the Interchurch Center if you are an AA member and don't comment.

dave

Wed, 01/09/2013 - 21:12

be trying to teach me something in the way you perceive that all aa members talk to others. I'm glad you explained your intentions and methods, I was starting to think you were a little nuts.

JR Harris's picture

JR Harris

Wed, 01/09/2013 - 21:42

Dave, what I am doing is show you the absurdity that AA teaches and promotes. You can try the usual excuses that you or your group doesn't do those things, but face it it is prevalent in AA. You aren't the first and most likely not the last who have come to the Orange Papers to teach the "AA bashers" the "truth" about the cult of Alcoholics Anonymous. You are trying to explain AA as you see it to people that as a total have hundreds of years in AA. We are global and reach every nook and cranny (by the way thanks for highlighting the Solomon Islands for us). I can't speak for everyone else but I am using logic and explaining the circular logic of the cult of Alcoholics Anonymous so that I can to warn people that the disease doing pushups in the parking lot isn't alcoholism, it is a dangerous religious cult that hurts people greatly and when they kill their victims they make martyrs out of them or claim it was the fake made up disease of Bill Wilson that he used to live way above his means and cheat on his wife.

"Tradition 10 - Alcoholics Anonymous has no opinion on outside issues; hence the AA name ought never be drawn into public controversy." Please follow orders from the Interchurch Center if you are an AA member and don't comment.

live_free_or_die's picture

live_free_or_die

Thu, 01/10/2013 - 06:29

We be speaking the same language Bro!

Alcoholics Anonymous: MyNotGodHasItCovered®
http://www.expaa.org/
http://bereanresearch.com/
http://badrecovery.blogspot.com/
NOT AA:
Rational Recovery, SOS, HAMS
http://alcoholabusesolutions.com/

dave

Wed, 01/09/2013 - 22:33

I have read some things on the orange papers for years and have learned some truths about aa that I did not know before. I did not come here to teach "the aa bashers" anything and those are your words, not mine. If someone is anti aa it's usually for a good reason in my opinion. I see some truth in many of the negative things about aa that are discussed here and that has been true for me for quite a while. I will have to use the usual excuse and say I don't operate in the manner you suggest, although I may have for a very short period of time. I have also been in contact with those people (except one) who I may have acted like a "bleeding deacon" or "aa asshole" towards. Everything is good with those people today. After the discussions regarding predatiors in aa and reading all of the comments that relate to sending people to aa, I have found myself wanting to get back into general service although now is not the time for me. I am most grateful to this forum for giving me the final prod to suggest to a friend of mine to try SMART. Helping him could have been one of the main reasons I signed up for this forum. I also wanted to clarify some of your interpretations of the structrue of aa and I wanted to post the non profit pay scale for New York because everyone I know in and out of aa thinks it too much money to pay someone, which it may be, but there is some valid evidence showing top aa worker salaries are not out of line. I guess that's it for my agenda here.

live_free_or_die's picture

live_free_or_die

Thu, 01/10/2013 - 06:26

dave said: If someone is anti aa it's usually for a good reason in my opinion.

dave I am anti-AA for 3 reasons.

1) AA vary rarely works successfully
2) AA does more harm that good
3) AA kills some of its members.

First we all know that AA has a very poor "success" rate. BTW, how does AA define "success" in their program? Simple attendence at meetings is not success if the individual is binge drinking, or relapsing. In addition, if the AA member is depressed throughout the time he/she is attending meetings that is not success.

Second, AA applies numerous labels to people. Labeling people is never good dave. Labels like "alcoholic", powerless, insane, dry drunk, diseased, etc. Furthermore, telling people they have a lifelong disease that is incurable is criminal and unethical. Also, the dogma of the AA program convinces the AA member that they are low-lifes, sinners, and must confess their sins in order for their "character defects" may be removed. How is shaming people, forcing feelings of guilt and demeaning people helpful dave.

Third, most people that are overusing alcohol (or drugs) are depressed. Research supports this statement dave. Research also shows that the number one cause of suicides is depression. The AA scriptures and dogma often increases depression in AA members dave. Do you see where I am going with this dave? AA causes some of its members to commit suicide dave!

I am anti-AA because it doesn't work for the majority, AA is a negative approach that often screws with peoples heads and AA can kill some of its members.

Success does not equate to attending meetings the rest of your life, depressed and wondering why god has not performed the miracle that is promised in the Billshit program of AA known as 12 steps.

Alcoholics Anonymous: MyNotGodHasItCovered®
http://www.expaa.org/
http://bereanresearch.com/
http://badrecovery.blogspot.com/
NOT AA:
Rational Recovery, SOS, HAMS
http://alcoholabusesolutions.com/

dave

Thu, 01/10/2013 - 10:48

Did you arrive at these conclusions through participation in aa? My friend has a therapist that says aa has a negative approach and he was glad to hear this. He may stop attenting aa soon. I dont like the labels and assumptions either. There is some truth in everything you say. I think a big part of the problem which I am sure that you know it the people who are involved with sending people to aa and tout aa as the best way to stay sober. I have seen this change a tiny bit, but I don't think it will ever change completely. A woman I know had a room for rent, on her own and probably with what she thought the spirit of recovery was about, she rented the room to another aa female. The woman she rented to was a sociopath. The police and courts were involved and the sober woman lost 3 months of her life dealing with this mess. When I was talking to her yesterday she was still considering renting to another aa person. I kind of read her the riot act telling her that she was absolutely under no obligation to rent to someone in aa and that she should keep it business. I told here I would not rent to someone in the program. I said some other things too, but I think you get the gist. I am telling you this to give you a better idea as to where I stand on some things.

live_free_or_die's picture

live_free_or_die

Sat, 01/12/2013 - 01:39

to answer your question dave, I arrived at my conclusions of AA as stated above by applying logic and reason, for the most part. Read the Orange Papers, read what Stanton Peele says, read what Jack Trimpey says, Read what Hank Hayes says, read what Amy Lee Coy says.

AA is magical thinking in that god does not perform individual miracles tailored to the AA member to keep them sober.

Alcoholics Anonymous: MyNotGodHasItCovered®
http://www.expaa.org/
http://bereanresearch.com/
http://badrecovery.blogspot.com/
NOT AA:
Rational Recovery, SOS, HAMS
http://alcoholabusesolutions.com/

dave

Tue, 01/15/2013 - 19:29

I have not read any of that stuff. I will take a look.

Orange's picture

Orange

Thu, 01/10/2013 - 14:55

Two judges, one judging, and one being judged, and neither of them knows that it is illegal to sentence someone to a cult religion?

Duh...

dave

Thu, 01/10/2013 - 15:23

I see it like this: Two judges, one judging, and one being judged, and neither of them knows that it is illegal to sentence someone to a program that is religious in nature and has some cultish aspects that members hopefully get over really fast.

To Orange: When I found the Orange Papers site several years ago I learned about some of the lousy things Bill W. did. At first I was a little heart broken, but I soon realized that even though Bill did what he did I was sober and pretty happy. I also asked myself why isn't this stuff put out for more in AA to see. I had always thought that you were a member of AA and that you just wanted everyone to see the truth about some things and did not like being lied to. I know think I was completely wrong. If you want to, could you tell me a little more about yourself and your history with AA. I clearly do not agree with everything on your site, but I have looked at some of the cultish observations and many of these I agree with. Your site has caused me to act differently when I sponsor someone and to point out to some other members what I think is nonsense.

btnben's picture

btnben

Thu, 01/10/2013 - 15:52

The problem with AA and drinking is that they look on it as "one size fits all". Wrong. The only way to stop drinking is to decide you want to. I applaud your desire to help people. To quote Ghandi and Orange has used it as a signature "If you want to find yourself, loose yourself in helping other people". Keep posting. Keep questioning. If someone's hungry, feed him. If he has no shoes, give him a pair of yours. Don't need no steps to do that.

God damn it, get me a whiskey

Bill W, Deathbed

http://www.youtube.com/watch?source=patrick.net&v=Sdn3O6aaMNc

dave

Thu, 01/10/2013 - 16:03

I agree with that too. Too many people (alcoholic and non alcoholic) think aa is the only way or that aa is at the top of some mystical recovery pryamid and push that view on others.