TAMPA, FL. -- Attorney Charles Philip Campbell, lead attorney in a defamation suit by syndicated radio show host Todd "MJ Kelli" Schnitt was arrested in downtown Tampa last night by the Tampa Police Department, booked into jail and released this morning on $500 bond.
He was released from jail at 6:18 A.M., only two hours before he's due in court to represent his client Todd Schnitt in a defamation case against shock jock Bubba "The Love Sponge" Clem.
5-foot 8-inch tall Campbell was arrested at 10:08 p.m. Wednesday night at Cass and Tampa Street North.
"You can't make this stuff up," said J. Kevin Hayslett, attorney and friend of the Bubba "The Love Sponge" Clem morning radio show.
Campbell, well known Tampa attorney was arrested on a DUI charge for the second time.
64-year old attorney-at-law Campbell, ironically DJ Bubba Clem's former attorney and now representing Schnitt against Clem, had a prior driving under the influence arrest July 14, 2008.
He works at the law firm Shumaker, McKendry and was recorded during the 2008 arrest with a blood alcohol level between .153 and .156. and released the next morning on $500 bond.
Bubba Clem this morning on his radio show at 6 a.m., devoted the first hour's broadcast to the lastest Campbell DUI arrest, playing parody songs, audio clips and making comments about "karma." Clem described attorney Campbell, who represented him in a previous law suit as "a real dick."
Clem joked that Campbell this morning, may be the "most sober he's ever been " in court today after sleeping off his presumed drunkenness in Tampa's Orient Road jail drunk tank.
Campbell refused to take a breathalyzer test last night and was arrested for DUI, and as J. Kevin Hayslett told Clem this morning on the radio show, will automatically spend at least "10 days in jail" for not taking the test if convicted. "You can't make this stuff up," said Hayslett about the Campbell incident.
Hayslett told Clem, that if this were Campbell's second refusal to take the blood alcohol test, he would have his license suspended and spend up to 18 months in jail. Campbell was convicted in 2008 of DUI but at that time did not refuse the test.
Clem theorized Campbell may have some trouble with the Florida Bar because of the DUI arrest charges. Florida attorneys are required to report any convictions to the Florida Bar, which may put an attorney into mandatory counseling on a second conviction.
The Schnitt vs. Bubba "The Love Sponge" Clem defamation trial will continue this morning in court at 9 a.m. Due to a scheduling conflict with court rooms, the court will recess at noon and resume again tomorrow.
Update 9 a.m. Thursday: The attorneys in the Schnitt vs Bubba "The Love Sponge" Clem trial met this morning with Circuit Judge James D. Arnold before jurors entered the courtroom (photo below).
The trial will be delayed until tomorrow as attorneys asked for more time after Plaintiff's attorney Phil Campbell was just released from jail this morning at 6 a.m. The jurors are not supposed to be watching any news regarding the trial, and theoretically don't know about the attorney's arrest for DUI.
Today is plainitff Todd "MJ" Schmitt's 47th birthday.
what a loser!
ReplyDeleteJustice is divine; not human....
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