Wednesday, July 29, 2009

We won't be free of the Jeremy Mayfield mess till at least 2010

Jeremy Mayfield is fast on the track, but the wheels of justice turn far slower than the wheels on a NASCAR!

[Heh heh. You like that? That's my "cheesy local news"-style lead.]

Anyway, the point. Mayfield/NASCAR, the brawl to settle it all, won't begin until September 13, 2010 at the very earliest. And, of course, there's plenty that could happen before then to either delay or settle the case. According to Scene, both sides will complete their initial investigations by April and must make their motions for summary judgment (where the judge goes ahead and decides the case without trial -- you know, like how NASCAR decides who will win each season) are due in early May.

Mayfield, as you surely know, has filed suit against NASCAR, both for suspending him for a drug test that he claims was a false positive and for defamation of his character. NASCAR, in turn, has countersued Mayfield for violating the sport's substance-abuse policy.

Mayfield had won a brief reprieve from his suspension earlier this month, but last week, a judge slammed the door on him once again pending a full review, which is likely to take place in October.

In related news, Mayfield also finds himself on the business end of a lawsuit filed by his stepmother following allegations that Mayfield made about her. Lisa Mayfield filed the suit in Iredell County (N.C.) Civil Court, and is seeking compensatory and punitive damages in excess of $10,000 apiece.

Lisa Mayfield had testified that she not only witnessed Mayfield taking methamphetamine at least 30 times, but that he was also making the stuff. Jeremy Mayfield responded in the following calm, reasoned manner in an interview with ESPN.com: "She's basically a whore. She shot and killed my dad."

Yeah, I can see why that might rub her a little wrong.

Mayfield also claimed that his stepmother took money from NASCAR for her testimony, but that's pretty tame compared to the allegations that he made against her regarding the death of Mayfield's father. According to Lisa Mayfield's complaint, Jeremy Mayfield told WSOC that "she's been running and basically either her, or conspired on killing my dad, shot my dad in the heart."

Not a whole lot of gray area there, is there? This case is still a mess, but one thing is certain -- this is scorched-earth. Nothing is ever going to be the same for Mayfield or anyone anywhere close to him after this.

NASCAR-Jeremy Mayfield trial cannot begin before September 2010 [Scene Daily]
Suspended driver sued by stepmother [ESPN.com]

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