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Sunday, November 12, 2017

A Viewer Writes: John Phoebus Hit & Run

John Phoebus, attorney with Anthenelli, Phoebus, and Hickman (from Crisfield MD) was involved in an accident Friday night around 7pm. Mr. Phoebus was (allegedly) drunk and crossed the center line and hit a car. He did not stop and fled the scene. A car following behind him saw the accident and followed Mr. Phoebus. He parked his car behind a brick building next to Circle Inn restaurant and was seen running on Jacksonville Road in Crisfield, MD .

The cops went to his place of residence where he resides with his mother. His mother was questioned and she told law enforcement he was not home.

An attorney from Easton, MD, representing Mr. Phoebus, contacted the Somerset County Sheriffs Dept. and he was advised to have his client, Mr. Phoebus turn himself in. Will Mr. Phoebus do the right thing, or will he think he is "above the law?"


Publishers Notes: All of the above mentioned is ALLEGED. 

95 comments:

wink wink good ole boy Alert . said...

Sounds like he will get a pass by a Liberal Prosecuter and judge.

Anonymous said...

The man was so intoxicated at 7pm on a weekday that he couldn't even drive straight - wow is all I can say. I hope he gets the help he desperately needs.

Anonymous said...

If this is true, he already did the wrong thing.

Anonymous said...

Everyone around him knew John had serious issues with alcohol and other "party favors" for a while now. Please John, if you reading this, turn yourself in and get into a good 28day inpatient rehab.

Anonymous said...

George "Bucky" Nelson is a close personal friend of Johnny. Mr. Nelson runs the Sheriffs Department.

Anonymous said...

Johnny has always been "above the law". Wow, !!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

"...and was seen running on Jacksonville Road in Crisfield, MD . " This would have made a good episode of COPS

Anonymous said...

True! All true....guess he was sipping more than coffee in that Bill of Rights mug he posted the same day lol

Anonymous said...

Stupid comes in all shapes, sizes and does not discriminate. At the end of the day, one cannot fix stupid. Sad, but oh so true!

4 days until TGIF and Veterans Day Weekend! See a Vet, thank a Vet, heck buy them a cocktail if you can!

Anonymous said...

We wonder where he's hiding? His mother said, "no he's not here." We think he's out in the woods.

Anonymous said...

Jon Jones or Jon phebous? My heros!

Anonymous said...

His Facebook has been quiet all weekend, and the man loves to post Facebook. I hope he is ok and not hurt, or worse, hurt hisself.

Anonymous said...

Or LIVE TV lol.

JoeAlbero said...

To those of you trying to personally attack John behind anonymous with rumors, you are and will be rejected.

Anonymous said...

John is scheduled to be the attorney in a DNR case on Tuesday the 7th, will he be there?

Anonymous said...

John, turn yourself in, man. It's not the end of the world. Just look at Davis Ruark, he's a State's Attorney now.

Anonymous said...

A person can't be charged with DWI if there's no real evidence that he or she was intoxicated at the time. The worst that can happen is a couple of traffic charges, including leaving the scene of an accident.
We're probably looking at most a PBJ or suspended sentence and relatively small fine.

Anonymous said...

I think John will be an even better attorney after he has felt the cold steel hard sharp tight handcuffs on him and been locked in a little cage like bad animal for a day. Hit n run is a misdemeanor. It's not like he's gonna be disbarred or anything.

Anonymous said...

The max he can get is 60 days in jail, $500 fine and 1yr supervised probation, and that is only if there's property damage. Now if someone was injured, that is a whole different story...

Anonymous said...

60 days for leaving the scene of accident causing property damage

Anonymous said...

My advice to John is have a good story ready. Say your girlfriend/boyfriend just broke up with you and you were super emotional and just needed to be alone for couple days.

Anonymous said...

Davis Ruark Redux!

Anonymous said...

Disbarment?

Anonymous said...

Once again good ol crisfield. It’s all in who you are in that town. If this was Waterman Johnny Jones down the street had done this they would’ve had helicopters out of state troopers to boot looking for him. Good old boys in every county. you mark my words nothing will come of this....guaranteed!

Anonymous said...

Shoot all John needs to do is go down there and show his Monopoly Get out of Jail Free Card and go about his business.

Anonymous said...

90 day rehab would be better!

Anonymous said...

A lawyer from Easton? Guess he doesn't trust his partner and former prosecutor Kristy Hickman to defend him. Just a thought!

Anonymous said...

10:06 said that Davis Ruark is a states attorney now, please someone tell me that this isn't true. If he is, where? The man broke every law imaginable, I frankly don't know how he could even keep his license.

NOBLE said...

John is a good man. He has helped a lot of people. If this alleged incident is true remember no one is perfect and the only man that was is Jesus and he was crucified on a cross.It seems people like to hear bad things about others because it makes them feel better about themselves.WE ALL MAKE MISTAKES AND FALL SHORT FROM TIME TO TIME!

Anonymous said...

Who is his lawyer in Easton?

Anonymous said...

Don't worry folks. Phoebus will get the same treatment Police Chief Philips, and Dick Reynolds gets under the Somerset Co. system of law.
I saw Philips at the Marina the night he was stopped by a Sheriffs' Deputy and he was positively plastered. He received a slap on the wrist from the Judge in a hearing where he was virtually the only onlooker in the room. Apparently, the word Chief has a lot of clout even after ones career with the MSP is over.
Reynolds is working on his fourth or fifth DUI with the most recent charges preferred by a Somerset Sheriffs' Deputy for the second time in as many years. He was stopped by a Princess Anne policeman and knowing what the outcome would be, the officer shoved the case off on this Deputy. Another Deputy stopped Reynolds on 413 N/B and after following him for nearly two miles arrested him. This case was plea bargained and the Deputy wasn't apprized of the date when the trial was to be. Reynolds walked obviously and now his second encounter with the Sheriffs' Dept is in limbo land. Wow doesn't Ronnie Howard really back his men?
Phoebus is in the Salisbury law scene along with the now disgraced Hickman,( former unseated Somerset DA).He is a member of the Md.Bar and a trial lawyer who is going to face a Judge who is also a lawyer and a member of the Md.Bar. Phoebus if you recall was the chair charged with picking Judge Longs' replacement and the first time picked a Democrat over a Republican with the State under a Republican Governor. I wonder how they'll finagle the presiding Judge
to rule on this case which if convicted Phoebus could face revocation of his license (DMV) and even suspension from the Bar. Fat chance of that!These guys don't forget favors and bargains.

So people you are witnessing the blindness of the law in Somerset Co. yet in a completely wrong context and that's the way it'll always be.
Sorry I can't reveal my identity but as you might guess if I did then the law and the powers that be would exercise their authority to its fullest extent over me because I am a government employee.

Anonymous said...

Hey John Phoebus why don't you get what is called a forensics psychiatrist to do an evaluation on you for 2500 dollars and then have your lawyer tell you plead guilty to the crime..

Anonymous said...

The video will not lie!

Unknown said...

John is a good man and a good attorney and he does so much for the community. I'm not saying he's right or wrong, guilty or innocent. I don't know the facts and I wasn't there. Many of us have done things that could be questioned but many sit at the keyboard and past judgment on others. Good luck to John.

Anonymous said...

I agree with you 11:52. I recall that we had a Warden in Somerset county that broke every law in the books and he was never properly prosecuted either. I will say that at that time we had a corrupt democrat prosecutor and now we have a more conservative honest prosecutor and judge. Maybe things will start to get a little bit better, we will have to wait and see. I hope justice prevails for the good of all.

Anonymous said...

What video?

Anonymous said...

Dan Powell to the rescue!

Anonymous said...

Davis Ruark is in Las Cruces New Mexico

Anonymous said...

Whoa! Chief George " Bucky" Nelson is a top homicide detective in Maryland PLEASE DO NOT say he is corrupt! Old saying in Somerset " the Buck stops with Bucky" that's because of how GOOD he is at his JOB.

Anonymous said...

Would an investigation look into his credit card charges in the previous hours of the accident to see if he had any charges at a local bar or restaurant that serves alcoholic beverages?

Anonymous said...

Average folks would have been found, arrested, and charged by now. The deal making has already begun behind the scenes in my opinion.

Anonymous said...

Maybe Mike Lewis will go get him like he did Davis Ruark.

Anonymous said...

Everyone thought Hickman was going to ruin Phoebus's upstanding name, but I guess Hickman drove him to drink.

Anonymous said...

Wow, I wonder what year the Daily Times will report on this? This is what Joe does best, gets news that no others are able to get.

Anonymous said...

If I were the police I would be looking at cell phone records, he very well may have been talking or texting.

Anonymous said...

Will Hall is representing him.

Anonymous said...

Doesn’t even show up on judiciary case search. Meanwhile a traffic stop for a rolling stop at a stop sign is posted almost immediately

Anonymous said...

Mr. Phoebus

I am sorry to hear that you were in an accident and fled the scene. Thank god everyone's ok.
A viewer writes are you going to do the right thing or do you think you are above the law. What does that mean to you Mr. Phoebus? What does the right thing or above the law mean?? Do you think the right thing to do is to walk in admit to everything you did tell them how much you drank, then hit a car and ran off, OR maybe you didn't do it at all OR Maybe you won't get charged because they don't have enough evidence against you and they are your friends that you work with. Hmmm what are you going to do Mr. Phoebus? Lets see you are not a teenager or a college student you are about 40 maybe 50 and you are a lawyer that knows the law. You know the law just like LEO's they know the laws. It is your job to know the law, so are you above the law? Are the LEO officers above the law by not arresting you? Mr.Phoebus who will you get for a lawyer? I sure hope you choose a lawyer very carefully I would hate to see you choose a lawyer that really doesn't have your best interest.That would stink wouldn't it!! I think their is a word for or is it a filing for that I am certain you know what that is Mr. Phoebus. Do you think your lawyer will file a motion for dismissal or just wait for more charges to be filed hmmm what would you do Mr. Phoebus. Do you think they can prove it or maybe they will just make up a bunch of fake charges against you. What do you think your lawyer would do? How about the states attorney do you think he would bring fake charges against you? Mr. Phoebus I am sure you have nothing to worry about it is not like you are facing 15 years in prison and you have four months to worry about it and your lawyer gave you a letter that said they will seek incarceration if you don't take a plea deal lol thats just crazy right! That doesn't happen right! Oh and after this gets in the news do you think you will still have an office. I would hate to see you not be able to get a job after this. This doesn't happen in real life does it Mr.Phoebus. Wonder what AVVO will have to say Mr. Phoebus are you still trying to get a law passed with your friends Mr. Phoebus.....Mr. Phoebus don't forget about your evaluation for 2500 did you split the money with him Mr. Phoebus!!!!!

Anonymous said...

Do a better job with your facts spend some time getting your info correct before you post

Anonymous said...

The acceptable thing to do now is check into rehab somewhere like Ruark did and at least you can tell the judge that you had a problem but you have completed a rehab program. That is what the judge usually wants to hear.

JoeAlbero said...

Part of a comment that just came in said, "I am a little concerned that my comment was deleted or not approved Joe."

This person went on to state names and rumors while attempting to do so anonymously. As I stated in an earlier comment, either use your name and man up or I will reject your comment. My only intent is to stop any defamatory comments on this matter and you choose to bring in high up officials names and again you hide behind anonymous with zero credibility.

Anonymous said...

I'm going to try to stay on the best side of being Christian that I can here, but I have to say..Mr. Phoebus, I hope and pray that you are able to use the 1800.00 you took from someone very dear to me for a case that you never had one intention of working, and use it towards finding out what you need to do to better yourself as a human being. That will be the ONLY way I will ever view that money as well spent. You had many words for a young, scared kid, but all along it would appear that you were not living what you were selling. We all fall short of what is expected of us and I will pray a day comes that you will be able to right all of your wrongs. If that day should come through legal punishment for your alleged behaviors, I would hope that you can pay your own bill....just like that kid did...and that you are reminded that what you were entrusted with wasn't a joke, it was the lives of real people.

Anonymous said...

Wonder which judge he'll get? Price or Powell?

Anonymous said...

I've recently seen Mr. Phoebus on several occasions in local establishments (Salisbury) pounding cocktails and entertaining much younger women. Nothing wrong with that as long as one calls UBER or some other means of transportation. So I guess we'll see what becomes of this. No one should be above the law.

Anonymous said...

John Phoebus on Facebook:
7 hrs · Crisfield ·
"This weekend, I was charged with several traffic citations, the most serious of which charged me with failing to remain at the scene of an automobile accident and provide insurance information to the other driver. This occurred on Friday evening.
Although I initially and incorrectly perceived that this was a private matter, after further reflection, I realized that it was wrong for me to leave. Through counsel, I worked with law enforcement over the weekend to provide them with the necessary information and I have personally accepted the traffic citations that were issued to me."

Nice spin on the truth, John.

According to eyewitnesses, weaving all over the road, hit another car and fled, without even seeing if anyone was injured. Then hide your car, run to your mother's house and have her tell the investigating police that you are not home. After it is too late to prove DUI, lawyer up, and resurface.Then post that you thought it "was a private matter".

Anonymous said...

1800 he charged us 7500 and another 2500

Anonymous said...

Hmm Price recommended Phoebus to us

Anonymous said...

I am sure he will order a transcript of this proceeding!

Anonymous said...

Good for Will. The fix is already in. Donald Duck could make this go away.

Anonymous said...

Here, here! Very, very appropriate comment.

Anonymous said...

Price recommended Phoebus to me didn't turn out so well just saying

Anonymous said...

Conflict of interest.

John Earl Thompson said...

I've been living in Somerset county for years. Chief George Nelson works for the county sheriff's office getting paid while he is working as a paramedic getting paid AT THE SAME TIME. He is drawing two paychecks for bearly doing one job. He hasn't been a criminal investigator for years, check Maryland judiciary. He is stealing the tax money of the citizens. Somerset county sheriff's office is a crooked organization with Nelson at the helm. The sheriff's office should be investigated by the dept of Justice for all the crooked stuff they get into.

Anonymous said...

Great post Mr. Thompson. Unfortunately, that’s what you get when the position of sheriff is an elected position. Ronnie Howard, although a great guy, should never have been elected. I like Ronnie personally but he has never been qualified for the job of sheriff. As a Trooper with MSP, he never rose above the rank of Tfc. As such, he never had experience supervising others. Understanding how to supervise others effectively is a necessary skill in managing and effectively running a sheriff’s department. With no experience in leadership and management, he is forced to rely on others to handle that task and/or teach him “on the fly”. When you add the lack of supervision skills to a person who genuinely WANTS to be liked by everyone, you end up with a supervisor who looks the other way and allows people to do things that they shouldn’t be doing because they don’t want to ruffle feathers. They don’t want to upset them because they rely on them based on their knowledge of the department and personnel. George is out of control but knows he has power of a Ronnie due to his institutional knowledge and Ronnie’s lack of experience with the department. As long as Ronnie relies on George, George will have the power to do as he pleases.

Anonymous said...

Kudos to John for knowing the law and using it to his advantage. AND for setting an example of what to do to beat a DUI charge because, there is no earthly reason for anyone, anyone, and especially someone with the intelligence and 'supposed' integrity of John to leave the scene of an accident unless he had something to hide. And yes, he will come out on top, and beat the system, but the taint of deceit will always exist. Fortunately for him, the majority of people forget, but to others, the ones who have always felt there was something off' - he has proven them right. And to those who need him, he has elevated himself to a higher status as the man to help 'fix' problems. Again, congrats for a job well done all around!

Anonymous said...

His case should be heard by a judge from across the Bay, and certainly not by Price or Powell or any judge located on the Shore, except maybe Kent or Queen Anne's County if they don't know him.

Anonymous said...

George was getting fired not to long ago for LYING in his time cards. Fact. Bobby Jones ran cover and protected him as much as politically possible. George has NEVER taken a lie detector test or met ALL requirements to be a police officer in Maryland. He goes by hometown nickname of George "Bucky" Nelson and that's all you need in Somerset County. Good ol boy!

Anonymous said...

There's no reason for Phoebes not to have a trail in Somerset county. It's a traffic citation, for goodness sake. He's not that special.

H.W. said...

No, he's a coward that totaled my nephew's truck, fled the scene, hid his car, ran away and hid from authorities until he was sober then tried to act like the hero "accepting" his citation from law enforcement. I hope the witness that followed him testifies and he goes to jail and is disbarred. He's a worthless low life coward.

Anonymous said...

Last week ,while police were searching for Lamont Potter Jr, they went to his girlfriends house looking for him. She lied to the police ,he bolted, and they charged her with a false statement to police officer.
Friday night, John P flees an accident, hides in his house,and his mother lied to the police. Nothing,not even a reprimand.
I hope Kirkland Hall and the rest of the NAACP looks into that.
Same offense basically. Despite her being pregnant,they put Potters girlfriend in cuffs and she has court date scheduled.
Poor,young, pregnant and black, you lock up but old,rich and white? No problem, its all good.
This is why Somerset County is a damn joke.Racism is alive and well.

Anonymous said...

I see your point 10:11 but I really don't think it has anything to do with racism. It has everything to do with money and power. Many poor white people suffer the same consequences as Mr Potters girlfriend, they really do. On the other hand if a predominant black person gets in trouble they receive the same lenient treatment as the white person. It really isn't about color, it is all about who has money, power and the ability to hire a good lawyer and fight back.

Anonymous said...

If you can't find him on case search try looking for Sheriff Lewis he has a big lawsuit and they are hiding it. They have it hidden on the very last page and the last case!!!!

Anonymous said...

They put it on case search either late Monday or early Tuesday. Use the 'date range' to search Nov 6th or you'll have to jump to the end because he has so many listings as attorney. Eight charges, some of them with some decent fines.

Anonymous said...

Oh ok I found Lewis on search Sept 2016 to November 2017

Anonymous said...

Who is John Phoebus lawyer?

Anonymous said...

And interestingly he has removed his 'confession' from his FB page

Anonymous said...

I'm not sure how anyone can see anything on case search. It appears to me it has been locked from public view. This just gets more and more "interesting".

Anonymous said...

John has done many good things during his career. Unfortunately, like many in high places, it sounds as if he has made some serious mistakes. It's easy to cast stones at people who have achieved. It's easy to be vicious. It's also easy to say what you want in an effort to destroy. Let's see how John handles this. Does he take the high road and admit he has problems and correct them? Or does he run and hide from them (as allegedly he's done so far). It's easy for someone in a high position to hope that after a while people will forget about what's been done, but some will never forget, much less forgive. Time will tell whether it all goes by the wayside or whether this will end a career. It sounds as if the choice is John's to make.

Anonymous said...

What on earth was in the car and how did he get a ride to the hotel?

Anonymous said...

I heard George "Bucky" Nelson wants John charged with several felonies but Ronnie is running interference. Closed door sessions all week at Sheriffs Department. Time will tell

Anonymous said...

1046 seriously doubt the law can charge Mr. Phoebus on anything alcohol-related because if you don't blow there's a no-go. They have hearsay and nothing in the way of evidence to substantiate anything further than the hit and run. If they want to make an example of him any jury would view it as a miscarriage of justice. Plus, they would have to seek a change in venue due to his family's name and prominence in the area. It would be a huge waste of time. You can't just charge people for the sheer hell of it. There needs to be evidentiary support. Where's the proof.

Anonymous said...

Anyone that followed Phoebus on Facebook saw he had multiple posts a week belittling and making fun of defendants he saw in the courts. Once he even took a picture of a woman's tattoo that said something like, "Only God can judge me." This whole event is something of a come-uppance for John. You made fun of others, and now you are the one in the spotlight, John. How does it feel?

Anonymous said...

Gotta love the eastern shore, like good old Mr Phoebus told me " money talks and bullshit walks" here on the shore it was up to me. Thank you john I chose letting money talk and I'm sitting free and clear

Anonymous said...

Why do you assume alcohol charge? Did John have intent to strike the vehicle?

Anonymous said...

You people already know nothing will become of this, I'm sure they're already ironing out agreement. Plea plea plea everyone knows the game

Anonymous said...

Do we know John was driving? A pair of size 5.5 high heels were found! That is a women with SMALL FEET!!

Anonymous said...

I am truly amazed at the lack of support Phoebus is getting. When other lawbreakers are caught they almost always have a bunch of people defending them and screaming innocent until proven guilty but that has not been the case with Phoebus. The only supporters sound like his law partners because they just can't resist using the legal terms "evidentiary support" for example. Not an everyday work for most folks.

Anonymous said...

I like that 3:11. Surly he didn't intend to hit the other car so how can he be charged. That is why Hillary Clinton is running around free as a bird isn't it? Get Jim Comey for a lawyer, he is the biggest crook of all.

Anonymous said...

541 can assure you I'm not a law partner but I know enough about what law enforcement can and cannot use. Phoebus is innocent until proven guilty. Only problem is they have no evidence to prove his guilt beyond any reasonable doubt. (You gotta have that in order to convict someone of a crime.)

Have a nice day!

Anonymous said...

Didn’t you see Legally Blonde 5:41?

Anonymous said...

Also evidentiary support is two words not one.

Anonymous said...

544 at least we both agree it should go to a jury for the felonies. As far as the 60 day charge le is already 75 percent on the way to a conviction. What will a reasonable judge think? I just hope the victim is ok.

Anonymous said...

All I can say is, welcome to Somerset county, home of the good ole boys.

Anonymous said...

John DOESNT CALL his CLIENTS back so why on earth would he STOP for a accident he caused. He is VERY busy with jogging,cycling and vacations... I wonder if he has actually completed a case from beginning to end and not HALF baked it.

Anonymous said...

Davis is licensed to practice law in two states, Maryland and New Mexico. He supervises 15 felony trial attorneys and tries murder and serious cases himself. Yes, he was convicted of a DWI, but that’s it.