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Bloggers comment on Groe's log entry

By TONY RAAP
Today's News-Herald
Published Friday, August 10, 2007 7:41 PM MST

Embattled state lawmaker Trish Groe took a beating Friday over comments she made earlier this week in her legislative Web log.

Several bloggers lashed out at Groe, a Lake Havasu City Republican, for saying she did not receive preferential treatment when she was arrested March 22 in Parker on suspicion of drunken driving.

Groe's comments were posted Wednesday in a candid, often self-chastising entry entitled “The Road to Recovery.” It was the first time since a March 27 news conference that she spoke publicly about her arrest and its aftermath.

“It would be a little more helpful and honest if you could just accept the fact that you are getting a break because of who you are and who you know,” an anonymous Lake Havasu City blogger wrote.

Groe did not spend the night in jail. She was released to a relative a few hours after her arrest, which she said is standard procedure.

“If that was anyone else, they would have spent the night in jail or longer and you know that,” the blogger said.

Groe also was rebuked for saying she would not step down.

“I believe it is time to stop kidding yourself and resign,” Hillary C of Lake Havasu City wrote. “It is embarrassing to our community to have a representative who believes she is above the laws she is entrusted to make.”

More than four months have passed since Groe's arrest. She has not been indicted even though lab results confirmed her blood-alcohol level was 0.148 percent at the time of her arrest, nearly twice the legal limit.

In her blog entry, she said she didn't know the reason for the delay.

“Anyone else would have had the book thrown at them,” an anonymous blogger wrote. “How can you sit there on ‘legislative row' (where laws are made) and continue to say you being in your seat is benefiting our state after going over four months with no indictment for a felony DUI?

“To me, as someone who voted for you, you just poured salt in the wound again.”

At least one blogger was in Groe's corner.

“Hats off to you for taking responsibility for your actions. There isn't a person alive that hasn't participated in wrongdoing,” an anonymous blogger wrote.

Groe did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

She was elected to the House in 2004 and re-elected in November. She took a temporary leave from the Legislature to seek treatment for an alcohol addiction after her arrest but is now out of rehab.

To read the bloggers' comments, go to http://azcapitolupdate.blogspot.com/

You may contact the reporter at raap@havasunews.com.

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Comments (5 comment(s))

Rick wrote on Aug 11, 2007 10:01 PM:

" I am so upset with Groe I could spit.(Being Polite) She is released without charges or bond, why? The county attorney is not doing his job, the cops are not doing their job, who do they answer to in county govenment? I see in the Parker Paper that the govenment employees want more money I for one think the budget's should be adjusted to the performance of it departments. The county attorney's budget needs to be cut and manpower reduced, to a clerk to farm out the work to outside attorneys like in Groess case. "

KMS...LAKE HAVASU wrote on Aug 11, 2007 3:19 PM:

" Excuse me, Anonymous who has chosen to crucify the people who have spoken out here on this blog. You have one heck of a nerve to say that people who got caught drinking and driving prior to Trish getting caught got in trouble was because of their bad karma or the fact that they might not go to church? Are you serious? Those people got caught because they broke the law and were endangering society just like Ms. Groe did. The difference here is they didn't have the pull and the position that Ms. Groe posesses nor are they in control of making the laws for our state! HENCE TRISH WASN'T A DO GOODER, SHE WAS A TRAIN WRECK EN ROUTE FROM PHOENIX TO HAVASU! AND!!!! HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN HER SUSPENDED LICENSE IN CALIFORNIA FOR A PREVIOUS DUI? WAS IT BECAUSE SHE HAD BAD KARMA THAT DAY IN CALIFORNIA? DID SHE MISS GOING TO CHURCH THAT SUNDAY? WERE PEOPLE BLOGGING ABOUT HER BECAUSE SHE GOT PREFERENTIAL TREATMENT FOR A FELONY DUI IN ARIZONA AND A SUSPENDED LICENSE IN CALIFORNIA,BECAUSE SHE'S A LAWMAKER? NO!!!! SHE GOT PULLED OVER, ARRESTED, CITED AND LOST HER LICENSE BECAUSE SHE'S AN ALCOHOLIC. YES, EVERYONE LET'S ALL ADMIT IT NOW. TRISH IS AN ALCOHOLIC WHO NEEDS HELP! GOD BLESS YOU TRISH. Trish caught a break "good for her"? NO GOOD FOR THE PEOPLE SHE DIDN'T KILL ON THE WAY FROM PHOENIX TO PARKER! GOOD FOR THE SHERIFF WHO SPOTTED HER BEFORE SOMETHING REALLY TRAGIC HAPPENED! Obviously, you are a personal drinking buddy of Trish or you wouldn't have the delusions to attack the good citizens of this state,who by the way, Trish invited here to voice their opinions in regards to her FELONY DUI. HECK, SHE SAID SHE WOULD ONLY TALK ABOUT THIS "ONCE AND ONLY ONCE", so we have come here to talk about it more than once. We voted her in, we'll vote her out. Heck maybe I'll start a recall petition, and I'll bet you that I'll get more votes than you'll have for Trish's next re-election with her friends and family combined!! LOL! NOBODY HERE SAID ANYTHING MALICIOUS NOR DID THEY YELL OR CRUCIFY TRISH. REMEMBER, TRISH FULLY ADMITS SHE DID THIS TO HERSELF. One thing I will give Trish credit for is admitting that much. Good job, Trish. We have a right to judge this because anyone of us who commits this same crime will go to jail and lose many privileges along with many fines. Why should Trish catch a break? ASK ALL OF THE PEOPLE WHO LOST THEIR LOVED ONES TO DRUNK DRIVING WHAT KIND OF PEOPLE THEY WERE AND THEY WILL TELL YOU THEIR LOVED ONES DIDN'T DESERVE TO DIE AT THE HANDS OF A DRUNK. WAS IT BAD KARMA THAT DAY OF THEIR DEATHS? WAS IT THE FACT THAT THEY DIDN'T GO TO CHURCH ON SUNDAY? ASK THE MOTHERS OF MADD. ASK THE STUDENTS OF SADD. WHAT ABOUT ALL THE PRECIOUS, INNOCENT CHILDREN WHO DIED AT THE HANDS OF A DRUNK DRIVER? WHAT DID THEY EVER DO TO ANYONE? ASK EVERY PERSON WHO WAS PULLED OVER IN THIS STATE FOR THEIR CRIME DRUNK DRIVING WHO PAID FOR THEIR CRIMES AND THE FIRST THING THEY'LL DO IS CRY FOUL AND HOW IT'S NOT FAIR FOR THE REGULAR JOE SCHMOE TO PAY FOR HIS/HER CRIMES AND LAWMAKERS CATCH A BREAK. BOO! HISS! God Bless Everyone Here On This Blog. Trish, seriously you should address your DUI more than once. It might save a life especially where you are in the position of power to do so. God Bless You Too. Godspeed on your sobriety. "

Thanks wrote on Aug 11, 2007 8:51 AM:

" I just wanted to say THANK YOU to News Herald and it's reporters for not letting this die and be swept under the table. This needs to be out in the open so the public knows what's going on here. Good job and I hope you keep up the good work until justice has been served and this woman gets the charges she deserves for her crimes. "

steve wrote on Aug 11, 2007 7:21 AM:

" Ms Groe's self serving statements are what is expected from someone in her position. The round of attorneys refusuing to take the job of prosecution; the length of time for justice to finally take place,the amount of BA% in her system with drugs, and her comments that there was no special treatment is what is absurd about her whole case. "

newtohavasu wrote on Aug 11, 2007 7:12 AM:

" I know of someone who was pulled over, refused breathalizer in favor of blood alcohol test, was thrown in jail for two days, has his car impounded, did not have blood alcohol above the limit, has to pay for impound on car, and was charged DUI, which was later dropped, (in Parker). Let's see...not DUI, had car impunded, sat in jail for two days and was charged, then dropped. Trish was (alledgedly) DUI, was released, car was not impounded, and not charged. Nope, no preferential treatment there ? Just don't vote for her again. "

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