The lawyer for a Lawrence motorcyclist who was paralyzed after he was run over by an SUV said her client ? who has a criminal record that dates back 20 years ? is an ?innocent victim.?
?Are people so blinded by their fears and prejudices in this case that they cannot see that before anyone laid a hand on Mr. Lien, that Edwin Mieses was run over and left severely injured?? Gloria Allred told reporters yesterday. ?Where is the justice in that??
?He tried to encourage people to move on and keep riding,? Allred said. ?He was attempting to defuse the situation. ... And he turned his back to the SUV to start walking back to his own bike. It was then, with his back to the SUV and as he was in front of it, that he was run over and crushed.?
She said Mieses is the loving father of two children with Dayana Mejia, who he has been with for 15 years. Mieses and Mejia were together in 2002, according to a Lawrence Police Department report that charges him with possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, failure to stop for police, driving to endanger and resisting arrest. In August 2002 a prostitute was busted and told cops she could get Mieses to deliver crack cocaine to them, police said. When Mieses showed up, cops moved in and he fled, ditching the car and running, but was arrested, police said.
