Asheville News

Pyle takes stand in his own defense

Jason Sandford August 28, 2009

Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

ST. AUGUSTINE – Former Lynyrd Skynyrd drummer Artimus Pyle told a jury Thursday he never meant to violate Florida’s sex offender registry law and the charges against him resulted from a “convoluted” series of mixups.

“I was just trying to get my [driver’s] license,” Pyle testified. “I’m a long-haired, hippie freak … but when somebody in authority tells me something, I try to listen and comply.”

He told jurors: “I’m more nervous now than when we opened up for the Stones.”

Pyle, 61, is charged with two counts of failing to register as a sex offender and one count of giving false information on a driver’s license application. All are third-degree felonies carrying a maximum five-year prison sentence.

He pleaded guilty in 1993 to two counts of lewd and lascivious assault in Jacksonville Beach.

Prosecutors contend Pyle moved back to Florida in 2007 and didn’t register within 48 hours as required by law. They note he gave his old Crescent Beach address when applying to reinstate his driver’s license.

But Pyle, who has a home in North Carolina and is living with a friend in Virginia, said he doesn’t live in Florida and hasn’t in years.

StAugustine.com’s version of the story here.

Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

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2 Comments

Miss Daisy August 28, 2009

He told jurors: "I’m more nervous now than when we opened up for the Stones."

Srsly? Name dropping in court?

‘And Mick Jaggar will tell you, I would never hurt a child.’

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Been there August 28, 2009

I hear ’em. You get caught up in bureaucratic twilight zone, it’s worse than tangling glue monster. It’s hard to get free.

I’m not proud, but I screwed up and got a DWI. I did my community service, I attended counseling (on my dime) and I completed the tasks set forth in my conviction.

Then it got weird. GA, the state of Georgia, would not allow me to get back my NC license. They had record of a DWI and because it was in their system, the put a block, nationally, on my license.

Thing is, I never had a DWI in the state of Georgia. How did Georgia get the information? I still have no idea, nor does anyone in the state of NC. I lived in Georgia during college, but that was over two decades ago.

I have to give kudos to folks with the DMV in Raleigh. It took over 2 months to sort it out, but everyone at the NC DMV was pleasant to work with and willing to do whatever was necessary.

As for Georgia… they can kiss my white hiney. I’ll tread lightly through the Peach State for the rest of my days. Sober. Very, very sober.

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