Pubdate: Thu, 21 Nov 2013
Source: Washington Post (DC)
Copyright: 2013 The Washington Post Company
Contact: http://mapinc.org/url/mUgeOPdZ
Website: http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/491
Author: Dana Milbank

THE INS AND OUTS OF TREATMENT

When the good people of southwest Florida elected Trey Radel last 
year to represent them in Washington, they probably didn't expect him 
to be doing so from Room 314 of D.C. Superior Court. There the 
first-term Republican congressman stood Wednesday morning, his 
shoulders hunched, his hands clasped in front of him, awaiting his 
sentence from Judge Robert Tignor for cocaine possession. He was just 
a few blocks from the marble corridors of power but a world away, in 
a windowless room with threadbare carpet, frayed brown fabric on the 
walls and some stained ceiling tiles.

"Your Honor, I apologize for what I've done," Radel said. "In life, 
I've hit a bottom where I realize I need help. . . . I am so sorry to 
be here. I know I let my constituents down, my country down and most 
importantly my family, my wife and my 2-yearold, who doesn't know it yet."

But Radel's actions suggest that he was mostly sorry he got caught - 
and that the 37-year old self-described "hip-hop conservative" was 
trying to make the embarrassment go away as quickly as possible. His 
statement late Tuesday suggested that he made a onetime mistake: "I 
struggle with the disease of alcoholism, and this led to an extremely 
irresponsible choice." Before Radel entered his guilty plea, however, 
the prosecutor described how the defendant had on several occasions 
purchased, possessed and used cocaine.

Radel's attorney, David Schertler, said it would be "completely 
appropriate" to give the lawmaker six months of unsupervised 
probation rather than the maximum six months in prison. "As you know, 
he is a member of Congress, recently elected," Schertler explained.

Incredibly, the prosecutors agreed with this request, saying that an 
unknown person without a record would get a similar sentence. But 
that's the point: Radel is a public figure, and he broke the laws 
he's tasked with writing. Tignor gave the lawmaker 12 months' 
probation with some supervision.

Radel isn't Rob Ford, the Toronto mayor who jokes about his substance 
abuse. He's not even Marion Barry, who blamed his drug arrest on 
others. Yet Radel acted Wednesday as though the most important thing 
were his job, not his recovery. He said in his statement in court 
that he planned to "continue serving this country." His lawyer made 
only vague reference to plans to do inpatient treatment later. 
Treatment is difficult, Schertler said, because Radel, "based on his 
job, spends part of his time in Washington and part with his family 
in Florida." More than 12 hours later, in a latenight news 
conference, Radel announced that he is taking a leave of absence to 
seek inpatient treatment.

When Radel arrived at the courthouse, three satellite trucks and 
about 10 TV cameras were waiting for him. As reporters converged on 
the defendant, Schertler shoved Fox News's Chad Pergram. "David, calm 
down," Radel told him. Awaiting him in Room 314 were 30 journalists, 
including courtroom artists and Pete Williams, who normally covers 
the Supreme Court for NBC News.

In the matter of United States v. Henry J. Radel 3d., Schertler was 
eager to be done. "Mr. Radel does want to accept that [plea] offer," 
he said. "We would ask for sentencing today."

"Let's take this one step at a time," Tignor suggested.

The prosecutor described what happened on Oct. 29: Radel and an 
acquaintance, with whom he had on "several previous occasions used 
cocaine," met for dinner at a Dupont Circle restaurant, where Radel 
agreed to buy 3.5 grams of cocaine for $250 from an undercover cop. 
Radel paid $260 (it wasn't clear whether this was a tip or the 
congressman didn't have correct change). When he got out of the cop's 
car, federal agents approached and the congressman at first dropped 
the bag of cocaine, but then invited the agents up to his apartment, 
where he presented them with a vial of cocaine he had purchased earlier.

"What did you believe you were purchasing?" Tignor asked.

"A drug. Cocaine," Radel replied.

Tignor asked whether he bought it "knowingly and intentionally." 
"Yes, Your Honor." Schertler offered the usual bromides about 
addiction being a "disease" and a "lifelong battle" and about how 
this "unfortunate incident" could become "a very positive one" for his client.

Outside the courtroom, reporters chased Radel down the stairs and 
outside to a waiting Honda Pilot. Schertler blocked reporters, and 
the lawmaker, escorted by armed marshals, ignored questions about 
whether he would resign.

In the melee, a reporter tripped over a concrete pillar and fell to 
the pavement. Radel, nearly at a run, paused to see that she got up, 
then resumed his rush to transform himself from lawbreaker back to lawmaker.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom