Does anyone have a link to the original story? I kinda missed this the first time around. I'm amused he was riding fixed though, I lived in Marin for quite a long time and only once did I see another fixed gear bicycle.

it's just a malformed quote, look up the page to see the op

ah, gotcha. thanks.

+1. Who do you believe?

story is indeed ****y all around, but I hate that perp's lawyers and/or associates get on here to badmouth torrin. Interesting that a member who joined in Jan '06 would make their first post on this topic (one that few folks who haven't been here over a year would know about) and would refer to Torrin by his screen name, when he hasn't posted since last June...

yeah, the picture of Arrigoni makes him look like he just cheated his way out of a high school detention. way to go! big arm swing! pumped up! i hope karma comes back to haunt him. you don't just "get out of" attempted murder, *******. you don't leave a scene of an accident, *******. what a ****ing upright citizen of Marin.

as for the OP, ... nevermind.

Hahaha...am I the only one who immediatly thought of Arrested Development when I read about the dude faking blindness?

I have a very hard time believing someone would fake blindness for over a year. Not saying it is impossible, but going all the way with guard dog, brail school, support money, and on top of that fooling all your friends and people you know seems very extreme. I know I for sure would not be willing and/or able to pull a stunt like that for such a long time. Anyway, not sure how to feel about it, but you'd think assessing blindness shouldn't be too hard, so there could be an answer to this question.

i don't really know with whom the facts actually lie, but if torrin was indeed feigning blindness -- and lied on the stand -- then the case pretty much had to be dropped because his testimony was rendered unreliable. the witnesses said that they didn't actually see a collision (according to the article), which, although the swerving seems like it'd be pretty obvious, it doesn't eliminate doubt. if -- and i emphasize this conditional -- he was lying, then he really ****ed himself on this one. the prosecutor really isn't going to win the case. and, ****, how would you feel if you were in charge of the case and worked closely with someone, only to find out that they fabricated testimony and faked injury? i'd probably say "**** this case," too.

indeed. and then the OP makes their first 2 posts here, then goes and plays word association in foo. dunno why that amuses me. i can just imagine "huh, so this is the internets, is it?"

So based on one wishy washy report from supposed ophthalmologist and the whole case is dropped? Wasn't that pig dog Arrigoni’s family in bed with the local government some how too? Even if Torrin is a total lier the guy is still a criminal. He's a heartless bastard that got cought red handed and is now set free. I declare a fatwa.

Well can Torrin at least ride again?

Harryhood your post made me chuckle. Touche. I am probably not the most internet savvy person on here. If posting an article I found to be interesting, and disconcerting, make me a troll then I am a troll, whatever that is. And I am a female that cannot quote a former post with alacrity, not a dude. Have a great day y'all. Bye

His father is a former county supervisor. James Arrigoni is apparently a mortgage broker.

yes, the guy is a criminal and it's horrible, but it's pretty much impossible to get a conviction in a case where the prosecution's crucial witness is shown to have lied (not only about the blindness, but about even visiting that doctor at all -- he had a "psychotic" episode and couldn't go, or so he said*), especially after the defense has pointed out that he has a history of retaliation against automobiles. all of us tend to favor the cyclist's perspective, because, well, we empathize, but, for someone in the jury who is neutral about the matter, that really destroys any credibility that he and the prosecution's case have. the other witnesses certainly indicate that something was afoot, but they cannot prove that the guy actually hit him.

the guy who swerved at torrin is obviously a ****ing cockbag for raging against him with an automobile, but i wouldn't blame the prosecution at all for dropping the case. had there been no dishonesty, the case probably would have been won.

* - the prosecution could have questioned the testimony of the opthomologist had torrin acknowledged that he went to the appointment and said that, despite the findings, the man is wrong. but, according to the news article posted, he denied that he even went, which a) is a lie, and b) looks strongly like an attempt to hide the fact that someone found him out.

what's your relation with Torrin? you've obvoiusly have been following the saga.

Well, given the amount of clueless sympathy posts about the dude from those who had contact him

it follows that he figured he'd be able to get away with it cause there are so many idiots out there

talk about DUMB ASSes

and, for anyone who's been hit by a car, it really hits home

sucks all around

im not quite sure what you are trying to imply here, but those of us who have at least met torrin believed him and supported him. We are not dumbasses for helping someone we felt was truly in need, it apears you may be the clueless dumbass.

Let me spell it out:

you're around someone (APPARENTLY) who is faking blindness
and you don't catch on
and you come on BIKEFORUMs supporting his claims
then YOU (in general) are an idiot
and HE's used you in his perverted game
I find it all disturbing

especially since I was struck by a car last year

that's all I'm saying

the dude's been exposed, apparently

take your licks like a man

a DUMBASS

should i believe you? and if i did, you'd label me a DUMBASS?

Do his eyes still owe the rest of his face some rent money? Maybe his eyes were just on some weird rough sex getaway for the weekend and they didn't want his face to know? Did anyone call his father's eyes yet?

hit the nail on the head:

who has credibility after this ****?

how many fingers am I holding up?

all i am saying is that people who help other people in time of need are not dumbasses.

You tell me, How does someone act when they are faking blindness, do they just lie to the people they are trying to fool, or just to a huge group of friends and family. I certainly have not ever (previously?) met anyone who has faked blindness.

If it is true then i think Torrin owes alot of people an appology, however, I think we may need to let this incident expose it self beyond a local newspaper and OP troll.

so are you that skeptical about everything you do, anyone you meet?

and why are you trying to elicit sympathy by lying about being in a bike crash last year? that's pretty low.

Exactly. I have no axe to grind in this case. I don't know Mr. Torrin, or Mr. Arrigoni, in the real world or online. But I do know that a prosecutor, once he's discovered that the supposed victim of a crime has committed, or is likely to commit, perjury, has a very real problem. A lawyer who puts a witness on the stand knowing that that witness will perjure him/herself can be disbarred. And if that witness' testimony is shown to be false, nothing that witness says in further testimony will be believed by a jury. Or by a judge, in a non-jury trial. If the prosecution's case was built on Mr. Torrin's testimony, and some of Mr. Torrin's testimony was shown to be false, the case is over, period.

Is there a civil suit going? Or is that screwed too now?