Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, October 10, 1995 TAG: 9510100089
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-3 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: Medium
Denise Lawrence, 24, was arrested last week as her four children watched. She was charged with failing to return rental property.
``We're going to wait until court Thursday, and we're going to fight it,'' Lawrence said.
Her attorney, Joe Morrissey of Richmond, said that the law under which Lawrence was charged was intended to prevent people from failing to return big-ticket rental items such as cars and furniture.
``This is the silliest thing I've heard, that somebody is taken into custody and fingerprinted for failing to return `Black Beauty,''' Morrissey said.
He said that to obtain a conviction, the prosecution would have to prove Lawrence intended to pilfer the tapes. Lawrence says she simply forgot she had them.
``We will show there was no fraudulent intent,'' Morrissey said.
Lawrence had planned to return the tapes Saturday morning to the Video Club, but she changed her mind: ``It's basically their turf if I go walking in there.''
She rented ``Dumb and Dumber,'' ``Black Beauty,'' ``Rescuers Down Under'' and the video game ``Dinosaurs for Hire'' in July. Store officials say they tried unsuccessfully to contact her by phone and by registered letter to get the tapes back. She said she never got any reminders.
Her story has prompted calls from media outlets in New York, Texas, California and even Australia, Lawrence said.
Richmond radio station WRXL-FM persuaded Morrissey, the former Richmond prosecutor, to represent Lawrence for free, disc jockey Jeff McKee said.
Morrissey is a high-profile lawyer who lost his bid for re-election as commonwealth's attorney after he was tried and acquitted on three bribery charges. Two other charges were dismissed.
Brian Illes, station program director, said there is a simple reason the station is getting involved: ``It's a human-interest story.''
Said McKee, ``This is something a lot of people can relate to. How many of us have forgotten to return videos?''
Although Lawrence has vowed to fight the charge, a deal still could be reached before Thursday's court date.
``We just want our tapes back,'' store manager William Grinnan said Monday. ``I don't know what else to say.''
If convicted, Lawrence could get one to 20 years in prison and a $2,500 fine.
She said she has no problem with returning the videos and paying the late charges, which Morrissey estimated at $386. ``I do have a problem with one to 20 years,'' she said.
Memo: NOTE: Shorter version ran in Metro edition.