UPDATE Transcript-gate? Law student/model banned from UVA property
-
Joshua Peter Gomes was held at the regional jail.PHOTO BY LISA PROVENCE, UNIVERSITY POLICE -
Joshua Gomes also is interested in modeling, according to photos found on the website Model Mayhem.MODEL MAYHEM -
Gomes sports a professional look.MODEL MAYHEM -
Versatile Gomes makes another fashion statement.MODEL MAYHEM
UVA law student Joshua Peter Gomes, arrested around 3am December 7 outside of Carruthers Hall and charged with three felony counts, has been released from jail and ordered to stay away from University of Virginia property.
University officials reported the Registrar's office on Emmet Street was broken into December 6, and police were already investigating that when they allegedly found Gomes on the site. He's been charged with two counts of breaking and entering and one possession of burglary tools. He won his release at a Friday, December 9 bond hearing.
"We do not believe he made entry into the facility on December 7th, the night he was arrested," says UVA police spokesperson Melissa Fielding. And she says there were no signs of forced entry.
Police suspect Gomes of entering the Registrar's office to steal official transcript paper, according to a release. Transcript paper was found during a search of his residence after his arrest.
Gomes, 25, is a second-year law student who attended undergraduate school at the University of Connecticut, according to his Linkedin profile. He lists involvement with the Black Law Students Association and the Innocence Project Clinic at UVA. And photos posted on a website called Model Mayhem suggest he's interested in modeling as well.
He's the third UVA law student to fall afoul of the law this year. In April, third-year Johnathan Perkins penned an account of racial profiling and harassment by University Police, only later to confess he'd made up the tale. Authorities did not file charges, and any Honor Code charges would remain confidential.
Shortly after that, second-year Daniel Watkins was arrested May 6 for stalking and assault, charges that were dismissed in August.
Watkins appeared in Charlottesville General District Court December 9 for Gomes' bond hearing. When the hearing was over, Gomes' fiancée mouthed the words "thank you" to Watkins as she walked out of the courtroom.
Gomes appeared via video conferencing from the Albemarle Charlottesville Regional Jail.
Before the hearing began, his attorney, Public Defender Jim Hingeley, told Gomes he'd just found out the law student was banned from university property.
Chelsea Cheeks, his fiancée and mother of their two-year-old son, testified for Gomes. She told the judge they were both from Waterford, Connecticut, both have family there, and planned to travel there over the holidays.
Gomes is charged with two counts of breaking and entering while armed with a deadly weapon. Hingeley asked the judge to not consider the part of the charge relating to the deadly weapon as a condition of bond, but did not specify what the weapon was.
Judge Robert Downer approved a $10,000 bond assured by Cheeks. He ordered Gomes to stay away from UVA property, a sprawling place that stretches across much of Charlottesville.
"If you're not sure," the judge told Gomes, "don't go."
Judge Downer okayed travel to Connecticut but ordered Gomes not to possess or consume alcohol and drugs, not to possess a firearm, and to get substance abuse and mental health screenings.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for January 12.
Updated December 8 with new bond hearing date.
Updated December 9 following the bond hearing.
Original headline: "Registrar-gate? Another UVA law student arrested"
28 comments
My brothers! One thing in common. Our love of rock and roll.
Wow. How did they let this cat in. Maybe he had some UComn stationery,too.
I wonder if he will attempt to defend himself. Curious as to what his motive might have been.
My suspicion is Student Health is handing out antidepressants like candy. It can cause this kind of irrational behavior, and worse.
Wellbutrin made him do it! HA! Like the way he cocks his brow very B&E.
He apparently has lots of talents . . . http://www.modelmayhem.com/portfolio/303818/viewall
Deleted by moderator.
Was the motive to change a grade an official transcript?
He'll probably graduate with honors,instead of being thrown out of the U. on an honor beef.
He's HOT!
I tell you, people who are crazy, or acting crazy, are often obsessed by documents. I don't believe a rational person would think transcript paper could be of any real use these days.
Above the Law weighs in: http://abovethelaw.com/2011/12/uva-law-student-arrested-charged-with-be/
Same guy? http://naugatuck.patch.com/articles/naugatuck-police-blotter-nov-16-17
DUI
Joshua Gomes, 26, 85 Lattin Hill Road, Thomaston, was charged with driving under the influence, blocking an intersection, not having proper insurance and a driving with a suspended registration on Nov. 16. Gomes was released on a $2,500 non-surety bond and is scheduled to appear in Waterbury Superior Court on Nov. 30.
He is kind of cute in a crazy weekend kind of way.
All of the last three guys who got into trouble with the law are black. Is there a weakness in the admissions selection committee to favor black people regardless of their character?
His name is "Joshua Peter Gomes" and he's from Connecticut. Is he any relation to Peter Gomes?? :squint:
That looks like the old State Farm headquarters across from Barrack's Road? And more proof that police mugshots don't compare with model mugshots.
So Angel Eyes had a comment deleted for naming 2 black law school graduates who've been disbarred for ethical violations and criminal offenses.
And what is so wrong with that that she should be censored?
Betty- not sure that is a talent, but it sure is interesting. Probably a movie in this somewhere.
Nothing wrong with dementia, unless like Reagan, you happen to be president.
I know nothing about this case except what has been reported. However, there have been a lot of anti-lawyer and anti- UVa comments posted on this and other sites. Two things are certain. First, if he is guilty, he will be expelled from UVa law school. The Honor Code will allow for no other result. Second, he has no hope of being licensed tom practice law. Bar licensure includes a character/fitness component, which he will not be able to survive. Bottom line, give the lawyer jokes a rest. This guy isn't a lawyer, and will never be one.
You don't have to be a dishonest minority to get into UVA Law. They accept dishonest whites too, like Teddy Kennedy (aka The Swimmer) who got kicked out of Harvard for cheating but was apparently honest enough by UVA Law School standards. Hmmm.......pretty low benchmark they have there.
Yup, you don't have to be unqualified minority to get into UVa. They have admitted ten times more unqualified whites, based on their parents bank accounts. UVa is a wannabe Ivy league school at best. Most overated college on the east coast.
if (when) he's kicked out of law school, he won't be able to transfer to any other accredited law school. So he'll never even sit for the bar exam.
The fact that he thought he could break into Carruthers exhibits his complete lack of intelligence. Or maybe he is really smart and just lacks common sense. Either way. HOOLARIOUS!!!!!!! Can he at least play ball or run fast?
"any Honor Code charges would remain confidential."
Huh?
Why doesn't the Hook ever report on the shennanigans at the Darden School? There's enough going on at that MBA program to warrant several investigative special editions of the Hook.
The young bucks at law school need to learn real world skills. Bring in the old white guys to show them how its done. Have Matt Murray teach a class on crying and exclaiming "this is the worst case of...", and deleting face book pictures. You can get much more money by learning how to cry on a dime (think of your dead dog etc) than getting out the burglary tools.