Walter Case Hearing In Boston

[Oskar]

Walter Case had his hearing in Boston this morning. His attorney challenged a ruling by the Plainridge/state judges that he be denied a license to drive in Massachusetts. They went after him with guns blazing, but I have a hunch he’ll be granted a probationary or provisional license by the State Racing Commission. Getting his foot in the door at Plainridge would open things up elsewhere for him, over time. A signed contract between Jeff Gural and Case was presented to the commissioner who conducted the hearing.

[CHeCK EyE]

I'm not old enough or into harness racing long enough to remember Case but I've h heard and read a lot. I'd love to actually see him race but Gural is setting a double standard here no? Bans Pena, okay cool. Bans Brennan for poorly phrased opinion, reinstated. Open arms to Case with his history? Again, I'm not old enough to know the details with Case and his past. I know a lot was off the track problems but he had his fair share on track too didn't he? I'm all for what Gural is doing. Just some thoughts to ponder.

[camfella]

I'm not old enough or into harness racing long enough to remember Case but I've h heard and read a lot. I'd love to actually see him race but Gural is setting a double standard here no? Bans Pena, okay cool. Bans Brennan for poorly phrased opinion, reinstated. Open arms to Case with his history? Again, I'm not old enough to know the details with Case and his past. I know a lot was off the track problems but he had his fair share on track too didn't he? I'm all for what Gural is doing. Just some thoughts to ponder.
Case's drug and alcohol problems got worse and worse over time, he did show up at tracks he was listed to drive, was abusive to others, started kicking horses,driving with his feet out of the stirrups,was losse with the whip,totally unreliable. One thing he was never accused of was failing to give an effort when he did drive. He cheated himself. He did his time, apparently has stayed clean,he deserves a chance,if not ,what good is rehab?

[Oskar]

Case claims he used his feet because he never liked to whip a horse.

[Saratoga_Mike]

He went to prison for stabbing his wife in the back with a steak knife. I wouldn't grant him a license.

When he drove at Yonkers in the 90s, he could literally improve a horse by 5 to 10 lengths. I've never seen anything like it.

[wilderness]

I'm not old enough or into harness racing long enough to remember Case but I've h heard and read a lot..

You may find this interesting (http://www.barntowire.com/smf/index.php?topic=19836.0)

[LottaKash]

He went to prison for stabbing his wife in the back with a steak knife.

Who needs him ?...

What is it with American Sportslovers ?...

A guy bite's his opponent's ear off when he is losing a professional prizefight, and yes it was the same guy who raped his wife....And yet we need him ?....

Another guy cheats on his wife "big-time" like all over the world, and yet he wasn't man enough to tell his wife that he wasn't being satisfied as he should be....What a guy...

I forgive them, sure, but I don't care to see any person who has utter disregard for his fellow human, which "ESPECIALLY" includes a wife, in the spotlight acting as if all is ok....All three "suck", imo...

Who needs these guys in our faces, when there are so many other deserving people that can do just as well, given the chance....There are other jobs for JO's, let them go find them.., I wouldn't trust any one of the three with anything, for my money......Any man that has so much disregard for the woman that they promised to "protect" is a man to be avoided and be on guard against....Not in my face, if I have any say in the matter.....

[Oskar]

Walter Case had his hearing before a single commissioner of the Massachusetts State Racing Commission today. He arrived wearing a New England Patriots cap, shorts and a t-shirt. Case doesn’t have a driver’s license so a friend drove him to Boston for the hearing; they left New York at 4 a.m.



The first witness was a state trooper who serves as an investigator for the racing commission. He read from a report he did on case in 2008 in which he went into excruciating detail about the stabbing incident that landed Walter in jail. The trooper couldn’t have been more forthright in expressing his utter and absolute disdain for Case. He kept saying that Case chased his wife down like an animal. The trooper was up on his hind legs throughout a cross examination conducted by Case’s lawyer, Jeffrey R Pocaro.The latter picked apart the details, numbers and typos in the report, and it soon became apparent that the only person in the room the trooper loathed more than Case was Mr. Pocaro.



The trooper had no answers to Pocaro’s questions about a driver who had been convicted of race fixing in New Jersey in the past yet was licensed by Massachusetts last year. The presiding judge for the state later said that the circumstances in every case are different and that the individual in question had been licensed in California when he came to Massachusetts.



The trooper stated that he had been in contact with authorities in Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York and New Jersey, and that they all stated they would not grant a license to Walter Case. Later on Pocaro noted that the New Jersey commission told Case to come back in 2014: they wanted to see him stay on the straight and narrow a little longer.



There was also testimony from the state presiding judge as well as one of the Plainidge judges. At one point the former began waving a parcel of papers around proclaiming in a loud voice that Case’s USTA record contains 761 infractions. He detailed the incremental increase in fines and finally suspensions that authorities resorted to in a fruitless attempt to get Case to stop kicking horses. That judge claimed that Case still owes days and dollars to Ohio. Later on Pocaro pointed out that the driver had three bad years: 2000, 2001 and 2002. He noted that in 2003 the number of infractions was down considerably, indicating that Walter had finally caught on.



Pocaro had Case pull his chair back from the table in front of him and put his two feet up against it, pretending it was a horse. Case said that he never kicked a horse in his life, that actually the horse was coming back with its rear legs and hitting his foot. (Hey, I’m just an observer. I don’t make this stuff up.) Pocaro asked him if it was indeed the case that he used his feet because he didn't like to whip a horse, and Walter answered in the affirmative.



The trooper said he was fuming when the judges decided to grant Case a license in 2008, despite his scathing report. The two judges present were not in a position to vote at the time but a colleague, who was not present, had voted for Case in 2008 and against him this year. Pocaro wanted to know why he wasn’t there. The state judge told Pocaro that judge said he knew management really wanted Case on board in 2008, so he felt some pressure to sign off on him: Plainridge president Gary Piontkowski and Case are friends. (Case couldn’t take further advantage of the Massachusetts license because his parole was transferred to New York and he wasn’t allowed to leave that state.)



Pocaro entered a contract signed between Jeff Gural and Case as evidence that many respected figures in the sport support Walter. He also submitted email and letters from fans and owners who are anxious to see the driver reinstated.



Things got very emotional when Pocaro tried to draw his client out about a riot that ensued while he was in prison. Apparently guards had to save Case who was at risk of serious injury. The driver simply put his head down and kept shaking it, stating that the subject was too personal and that he couldn’t address it.



Pocaro went into detail about the twenty-five races Case drove in at Plainridge in 2008. His horse was favored in twenty-one of them. Ten of the twenty-five were winners, six placed and five finished third. Pocaro cited stats obtained from David Carr of the USTA indicating that even with only ten wins in the last nine years, Walter still stands sixth in that category.



A long letter from Herve Filion, imploring the commission to grant Case a license, was also read. Herve stated that Walter was so successful at Yonkers that the racing secretary devised a system where case would be handicapped in the draw process. Herve said no racing secretary had ever done that to him.



The friend who drove Case to Boston was introduced as a character witness. He moves horses for the driver’s wife, Luanne, and has only known Case for three or four years. He described him as being “mild mannered and soft spoken.” He said he had never seen him drink.



The state judge asked Case why he wanted to be licensed to drive at Plainridge where the purses are small, as opposed to New York where they race for so much more. The driver said it was because he’s a New Englander and feels comfortable at Plainridge.



When asked about getting his license back prior to the proceedings, Case shrugged and said, “I’m retired.” He obviously wasn’t very optimistic. And after hearing the trooper catalogue the disgraced driver’s litany of sins, I felt the same way. However, I thought Pocaro did an excellent job and walked out of the room believing that the commission will indeed overrule the judges. Pocaro stated that Case would be fine with a provisional license, and that’s exactly what I think he’ll get.

[pandy]

I only met him once, in between races at Monticello, and he seemed very nice and had that positive energy about him that so many talented people seem to have.

I personally believe that people who get caught cheating, trainers who drug horses, race fixers, should be severely punished or thrown out of the sport. But Casey is being kept out of the sport because of a crime he committed away from the track while under the influence and he paid for that crime with several years of prison time. It is wrong for the sport to ban him. He is an addict so he must be tested but he should be reinstated. No one tried harder to win every race he was in than Walter Case, Jr.

Quite a few NFL players have committed crimes and were let back in after they did their time.

[Oskar]

I only met him once, in between races at Monticello, and he seemed very nice and had that positive energy about him that so many talented people seem to have.

I personally believe that people who get caught cheating, trainers who drug horses, race fixers, should be severely punished or thrown out of the sport. But Casey is being kept out of the sport because of a crime he committed away from the track while under the influence and he paid for that crime with several years of prison time. It is wrong for the sport to ban him. He is an addict so he must be tested but he should be reinstated. No one tried harder to win every race he was in than Walter Case, Jr.

Quite a few NFL players have committed crimes and were let back in after they did their time.

I think that's the distinction Gural makes and the reason he is willing to promise Case a spot at The Big M if he gets licensed. Questions about an individual's integrity in the racetrack setting will get them run from Gural's tracks in a heartbeat, but as you say, Walter's racetrack issues grew out of trying too hard to win. I think Gural's willingness to accept Case will serve as an ace in the driver's deck. You know that Gural looked at the situation closely before entering into this agreement.

[pandy]

When Case is driving there is more action because the other drivers have to be aggressive and alert or he'll win every race.

[Saratoga_Mike]

I only met him once, in between races at Monticello, and he seemed very nice and had that positive energy about him that so many talented people seem to have.

I personally believe that people who get caught cheating, trainers who drug horses, race fixers, should be severely punished or thrown out of the sport. But Casey is being kept out of the sport because of a crime he committed away from the track while under the influence and he paid for that crime with several years of prison time. It is wrong for the sport to ban him. He is an addict so he must be tested but he should be reinstated. No one tried harder to win every race he was in than Walter Case, Jr.

Quite a few NFL players have committed crimes and were let back in after they did their time.

So you want to treat stabbing a woman in the back with a steak knife more generously than drugging a horse? Wow.

[pandy]

As citizens, we can't make the laws or act as judge and jury. Case's situation had nothing to do with racing. I understand that because of what he did a lot of people don't like him, which is understandable. But strictly from a matter of law, racing should not be allowed to ban him because of something that he was already punished for by a court of law.

A privately owned racetrack has the right to ban him, but right now he is actually being banned by the industry, which is wrong.

[wilderness]

A privately owned racetrack has the right to ban him, but right now he is actually being banned by the industry, which is wrong.

Bob,
That is not entirely accurate.
He banned himself from multiple states before his incarceration by turning over his license in an agreement to be relieved of then existing fines.

Technically, before he could/should be licensed within these jurisdictions in which he forfeited his license in lieu of payment, he should perhaps pay the fines?
Or should these fines be forgotten merely because he's a convicted felon?

[Saratoga_Mike]

Pandy,

I didn't judge him, a jury of his peers did the judging. He was found guilty.

There's a driver/trainer at Saratoga Raceway who is currently accused (not proven) of engaging in sex with multiple minors. If he's found guilty and serves his time, would you support him getting his trainer's/driver's license back?

[pandy]

Pandy,

I didn't judge him, a jury of his peers did the judging. He was found guilty.

There's a driver/trainer at Saratoga Raceway who is currently accused (not proven) of engaging in sex with multiple minors. If he's found guilty and serves his time, would you support him getting his trainer's/driver's license back?


Good question. First of all, that's a little different because he was not under the influence of drugs, and if found guilty, these were crimes he committed over and over. Case had one incident when he went into a rage while under the influence. But yes, I believe you have to follow the law. Crimes have to be dealt with by the legal system, that's the way these things work. If we as a society try to circumvent the law it can only cause chaos.

As for trainers who use illegal drugs, that's different because for some reason the Feds normally don't bother to prosecute, even though they should because drugging a horse with an illegal substance is race fixing, which is a felony. Since the gov't won't try to arrest these corrupt trainers the sport has to take matters into its own hands.

[pandy]

Plus, if there are minors around the racetrack he could be considered a risk, so I'm not sure, that's a much more complicated issue.

[Oskar]

Bob,
That is not entirely accurate.
He banned himself from multiple states before his incarceration by turning over his license in an agreement to be relieved of then existing fines.

Technically, before he could/should be licensed within these jurisdictions in which he forfeited his license in lieu of payment, he should perhaps pay the fines?
Or should these fines be forgotten merely because he's a convicted felon?


I believe Mr Pocaro is handling the case Pro bono. He had a co-counsel who is licensed in Massachusetts as well as an investigator with him yesterday. Case certainly isn’t in a position to pay for this sort of high-end representation, nor is he in a position to pay off all the fines. I’m sure that if and when he gets his license back and wants to drive a horse in Ohio an agreement will be made to settle his account.


One doesn’t get the impression that this is being approached from a “Give me back my license, now” perspective, by Case or his attorney. As I said in an earlier post, when I asked him about getting the license back, he just smiled, dropped his head and said, “Me, I’m retired.” The fact that this attempt to get back in the game is bereft of arrogance is working to his advantage. I’m sure it helped sway Gural and I expect it helped him with Commissioner Cameron.

[wilderness]

[font=Calibri][size=4]Case certainly isn’t in a position to pay for this sort of high-end representation, nor is he in a position to pay off all the fines.

Oskar "J",
I didn't imply that he was in any position to pay old fines, rather that he voluntarily forfeited his license (s) in the past in lieu of these old fines.

[rowboat]

I love case he was no tone of the boys.Ray rice acuused of murder is playing.not o downgrae what case did but at what point do you you do your time.tracks are rampant with drugs and booze.no excuse but it has its hold on the sport

[jeebus1083]

According to Commissioner Cameron at today's board meeting (being aired live on the Massachusetts Gaming Commission website, she will have a recommendation on the appeals brought up to her last week, including Walter Case's, at next week's Gaming Commission meeting.

[Oskar]

According to Commissioner Cameron at today's board meeting (being aired live on the Massachusetts Gaming Commission website, she will have a recommendation on the appeals brought up to her last week, including Walter Case's, at next week's Gaming Commission meeting.

That meeting will be streamed live on Monday at one.

[marksinger]

Thank you Oskar for the heads up

[Rise Over Run]

Ray rice acuused of murder is playing.not o downgrae what case did but at what point do you you do your time

Please explain.

[jeebus1083]

Oskar, I missed the live stream, and mass.gov/gaming has no meeting minutes posted. Did you catch the decision?

[marksinger]

Wish I understood what rowboat meant??

[wilderness]

Wish I understood what rowboat meant??

He's suggesting that the past of this thread topic should be overlooked.

[jeebus1083]

Here is a reply that I received this morning from the Commission in response to my query about yesterday's hearing:

As of now no determination has been made and the case has not been resolved.

I'm guessing that all things considered, Commissioner Cameron is weighing in heavily on this appeal, and is taking her time to make sure that she makes the correct recommendation.

[marksinger]

I agree. I think the longer they wait the worse it is for him.

[jeebus1083]

I agree. I think the longer they wait the worse it is for him.

I think that the opposite is true here, for the reason being that there is more than enough evidence to flat out justify the denial of the license. There is a lot to consider here, especially since the criminal past is different than the racetrack penalties that are outstanding. This is a big decision here, and to make a rash judgment is violating Walter's right to due process.

[badcompany]

I agree. I think the longer they wait the worse it is for him.

I think this is true becaus the longer they wait the greater the chance that won't be a sport where Case can return.

[Pacingguy]

Personally, I think the MA racing commission should give him a conditional license. Let's face it, if the racing commission found Case deserving of a license in 2008 and there have been no infractions or problems since then, how do you logically go and deny him a license now?

I don't think you can. That being said, it should be his last chance. Here is his chance to show he has changed his ways so give him the chance. If he messes up this time, he has no one to blame but himself.

[jimnancy]

I guess the question is would harness racing be better off with Case or not.
One thing never in question was his trying to win with evrey horse he drove. Most of his problems occured off track. I think they should let him have a 3 or 6 month license and see how he does.

I think there would be a lot of people watching the outcome of this. And if Case passed his probation in MA maybe then he could look for other places to race.

Just think if he made it back to the Meadowlands I would be watching and I think others would be also.

[Saratoga_Mike]

I'd deny him a license. That said, if he obtains a license, he should stick to half-mile tracks that's where he always dominated.

[madbee310]

Oskar...you seem to have the inside scoop on this matter. Have you heard anything new in regards to Case? Thanks for any updates.

[Oskar]

The ruling has been continued again, to the next meeting which is Tuesday July 10 at 1 pm. The livestream of that meeting should be available at:

http://www.mass.gov/gaming/ (http://www.mass.gov/gaming/)

[Oskar]

This is one of the most polarizing issues in the world of NA harness racing. And the interesting part is that, unlike some other issues, it cuts across the generational spectrum. Case has been out of circulation for a decade and many of the younger fans that frequent the message boards are only familiar with his story: they’ve never seen him drive or bet on one of his horses. I was called to testify at the hearing about the level of interest in whether or not Case gets his license back, and it wasn’t easy to break it down. For instance, some focus exclusively on the crime that landed him in prison. It all begins and ends there for those folks. Some of them say that what he did disqualifies him from ever being a licensed participant in the sport—end of story. While others say that he’s done his time and paid his debt to society so there’s no reason to deny him a license.



Others concentrate on the fact that he generated so many fines and suspensions for kicking horses. For some of them the fact that he treated horses in an inhumane manner disqualifies him. Others fear that licensing him would invite PETA to go after the sport at a time when it is already in free fall. And for a third group the fact that many of his fines remain unpaid gets their goat.



The notion that he was never accused of fixing races is a major selling point for some.They’ll take a driver who sometimes tried too hard to win over a chemist who is robbing them blind and repeatedly getting away with it.



You also have the “who cares” segment of the harness racing community. Some of them are convinced that his skills have eroded to the point where he would no longer be a factor on the track. Time can take its toll; we can’t answer that question until and if he drives again. However, I believe Case was born in early March of 1961, so he’d be eleven years younger than 62-year-old Herve was when he returned from his seven-year hiatus in 2002. John Campbell is 57 and Cat Manzi just turned 62.



Case apparently hasn’t slipped up since being released from prison, and didn’t commit any infractions while driving at Plainridge in 2008. If Cameron recommends against licensing him I assume it will be on the basis of a sudden shift to high moral ground on the part of the freshly minted Massachusetts Gaming Commission regulators.

[LottaKash]

You also have the “who cares” segment of the harness racing community. .

Uh, that would be me....

Been around this game a long time, and I was the greatest supporter of him and his driving talents....But, these days, I really don't give a rat's ass about him anymore....

He had his day, just as I did....I am retired now, and he should be moving on with his life as well....

Get over it Walter, you blew it !....Accept it !!

[madbee310]

Thank you for the update and insight to his plight. As a fan for many years, I have never seen any driver impact a horse like this guy. From the top tier horses at Yonkers, to the 3,000 claimers at Northfield. They all would go lengths better than before. He always had them in position to win and he routinely got more out of the horse.
What guys don't realize, is that Case seldom ever used the whip. He only needed his hands and wrists (and maybe his boot a time or 2) to make them go. He has never been a slasher. If they ever had an entire whip-less meet, with the all time top drivers...Case would bat about .520 and all the rest would be scrambling for minor spoils. He was, and hopefully still is..THAT GOOD!

[Mr G]

An interview with him that took place in November 2008

http://www.standardbredcanada.ca/news/11-20-08/one-on-one-with-walter-case-jr.html

If he has indeed stayed sober and doesn't drink any longer then I would be for him getting a license...but if he still drinks, even if its just a little here and there, then I would vote no license.

Does anyone know if he has quit drinking for good?

[Oskar]

An interview with him that took place in November 2008

http://www.standardbredcanada.ca/news/11-20-08/one-on-one-with-walter-case-jr.html

If he has indeed stayed sober and doesn't drink any longer then I would be for him getting a license...but if he still drinks, even if its just a little here and there, then I would vote no license.

Does anyone know if he has quit drinking for good?

He no longer drinks.

Obviously none of us know that for sure, but testimony was given by someone close to him that he has not been seen drinking during the four years that person has been around him on a regular basis.

[Mr G]

Well then good for him and I would vote to grant him a license on the condition that if anytime in the future he goes back to drinking the license gets pulled immediately and shredded....gone forever.

[Saratoga_Mike]

Well then good for him and I would vote to grant him a license on the condition that if anytime in the future he goes back to drinking the license gets pulled immediately and shredded....gone forever.

Why? As long as he's sober for races, why does this matter? Are you more concerned that he might drink than by the fact that he stabbed a woman in the back?

[Mr G]

Why? As long as he's sober for races, why does this matter? Are you more concerned that he might drink than by the fact that he stabbed a woman in the back?

A guy I know spent many years in the upper level of the federal prison system. Not the warden but right below the warden.

And one day we were shooting the breeze and he told me that from what he has seen that over 40-50% of the convicts in his prison who were there due to comitting a violent crime did so while they were intoxicated....the excessive booze in their system triggered an emotion normally not there in the absence of excessive alcohol....he went on to say how many in prison today are life long criminals and sure don't need to get shit-faced to commit a crime but he was trying to get across that more than half of the prison population were locked up due to causing bodily harm while drunk.....

So what does this have to do with Walter Case? Well, the little I have read about him is that it became clear that alcohol was his weakness...not just drinking but excessive drinking....did drinking lead to him stabbing his wife? I don't know but it appears he is not a career criminal and when I first heard he has a drinking problem I immediately thought of what my friend the prison official had told me long ago. Regarding how excesive drinking can ruin ones life in a instant due to an aggressive action the person takes while intoxicated....an action that according to him more than likely wouldn't have happened if the person wasn't shit-faced.....

I recently read that his new wife and his family is supporting him 100% and that he has finished his parole trouble free and has been a model husband and person since..

I don't know if that is true or not but just something I have either read somewhere or heard a fellow gambler say.

So if the man can't hold his liquor and does criminal things due to that then I say if he has quit cold turkey and is no longer drinking then I would vote to give him a shot at getting a temporary license so he can do what he can to legally earn a living.....He has fully paid his dues for the stabbing of the wife incident.....prison then a successful parole.

But I sure you know much more about him then I do but I'm trying to explain why I said earlier if he quit drinking totally I would vote to give him another chance in his previous occupation.

[pandy]

There's no question that he's a completely different person when he's drunk. He won't be drunk when driving harness horses, that's for certain.

That's why his serious problems always happened away from the track. On the track he was the hardest trying driver in the sport and even fans that didn't like him personally admitted that he always tired to win even when he didn't have a good horse.

I think he'll eventually drive again and some fans will hate him because of the crime he committed.

[Pacingguy]

I went to the link but couldn't see any video. Was a decision made in Walter Case Jr's license application?

[Oskar]

Denied.