Teen at judge�s home before crash - April 28, 2005

Mail Tribune (Medford, OR — Wayback)

2005-05-03

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70 °F Forecast | Road Cams Monday, May 2, 2005   Today's News | Shop Our Valley | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery  | Contact Us       SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries   Life   Opinion   Tempo   AP News   Weather   Classified   Archives   Site Map   SPECIAL SECTIONS   Since We Asked   Outdoor Journal   Menu Guide   How To Guide   Health   Readers' Choice   Real Estate Showcase   Real Estate Guide   Joy Magazine   Homelife Magazine   Wedding Guide   Passport to the Rogue Valley     SHOP OUR VALLEY AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Classified Place an ad  TOP JOBS   EXTRA   Ashland News   NIE   Personals   Movie Times   TV Times   E The People   Volunteer   Moving here?  eSouthernOregon   CUSTOMER SERVICE FAQ's Advertise with us Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend April 28, 2005 Teen at judge’s home before crash Circuit Judge Rebecca Orf has said that she and her husband weren’t home the night of the alcohol-related fatal collision By SARAH LEMON Mail Tribune An Ashland teen was at a judge’s home the night of Feb. 11 before driving drunk and crashing his car in Medford, killing himself and another man, said a parent whose son testified Wednesday in the case. Kevan Thatcher-Stephens had been "hanging out" at the Ashland home of Rebecca Orf, a Jackson County Circuit Court judge, when he asked Kris Daly’s son, Aaron, if he wanted to drive to Medford, Daly said. She believed a Jackson County grand jury Wednesday was trying to find out if her son also was socializing with Orf’s teenage son, Drew, before the 9:32 p.m. collision in downtown Medford, said Daly, an Ashland resident. Orf’s husband, local criminal defense attorney David Orf, was subpoenaed to testify before the grand jury, Josephine County District Attorney Stephen Campbell confirmed Wednesday. Campbell would not elaborate on testimony but said he hoped to release some of the panel’s findings today. Only a portion of the investigation was complete, he added. Daly said she believed her 16-year-old son was not with Thatcher-Stephens, one of his closest friends, that night and that the grand jury panel was "badgering" Aaron. He and Thatcher- Stephens’ passenger, Ian Graham-Collier, were among several Ashland High School students summoned to testify Wednesday. "He (Aaron) just said they were trying to put words in his mouth," Daly said. "They’re trying to say that he was at Drew’s when he wasn’t." The Orfs could not be reached Wednesday for comment, but Judge Orf previously said that she and her husband were out of town the evening of Feb. 11. They had left their son with a trusted adult, the judge said in a February interview with the Mail Tribune, which was prompted by anonymous tips the newspaper received. The judge then refused to comment further.Medford police Lt. Tim George also declined to respond Wednesday to questions about the Orfs’ involvement or the status of the investigation. The source of the alcohol 17-year-old Thatcher-Stephens consumed has been one focus of the crash investigation, police officials said. No information has been released that indicates the teen obtained or drank alcohol at the Orfs’ home. Thatcher-Stephens’ blood-alcohol level following the wreck was .16 — twice the legal limit for those of drinking age. Criminal charges of furnishing alcohol to a minor could be filed in the case, police said. Daly said she did not know where Thatcher-Stephens obtained alcohol. "There are 100 places he could have been drinking or gotten alcohol," Daly said. Graham-Collier’s father, Andrew Graham-Collier of Ashland, previously told the Mail Tribune that he was shocked to learn that Thatcher-Stephens had been drinking the night of the crash. He said Wednesday that he does not know where the boys were before the wreck at Jackson Street and Riverside Avenue. Ian Graham-Collier, 17, was injured and released from Providence Medford Medical Center three days after Thatcher-Stephens ran a red light and slammed his Jeep Cherokee into a Chevrolet Blazer driven by Charles Ashley Bench, 26, of Shady Cove. Bench died at the scene, and his passenger, Mark Louis Robustelli, 27, of Medford, was hospitalized with critical injuries but has since been released. Jackson County forwarded the case to Campbell’s office to avoid a conflict of interest with a high-ranking county official who has been suspended since the collision. Capt. Joe Puckett of the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department trailed Thatcher-Stephens as he sped down Riverside at reported speeds of 90 to 100 mph. Talent police officer Jeff Price, who also was following the Jeep, remains on duty. Reach reporter Sarah Lemon at 776-4487, or e-mail [email protected] . 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