GUILTY FL - Jimmie Morningstar, 43, killed by cabbie, West Palm Beach, 5 Nov 2004

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) -- A taxi driver killed a drunken passenger when the man refused to get out of his cab, police said.

Robert Lee Smiley Jr. was charged with first-degree murder and was being held without bail Monday.

The victim, Jimmie Morningstar, became heavily intoxicated at a bar and started a scuffle early Saturday, and a bouncer paid Smiley $10 to drive Morningstar home.

"We thought we were doing the right thing," bar manager Dave Lynch said.

Outside Morningstar's home, two witnesses told officers they heard Smiley yelling at Morningstar to get out of the cab, and one saw Smiley try to pull Morningstar out, then zap him with a stun gun, a police report said.


http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/WeirdNews/2004/11/08/705889.html

another "only in florida" piece...i have arrested 2 of smiley's relatives. chronic problems.

From February 2007:

http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/20..._1_plea-deal-jimmie-morningstar-robert-smiley

Days before cab driver Robert Smiley was to stand trial for a third time on a murder charge for killing a drunken passenger who wouldn't get out of his taxi, he pleaded guilty Thursday to manslaughter.

The 58-year-old will serve four years in prison, with credit for the more than two years he has already spent behind bars...

Smiley testified at the trial that he was scared of Morningstar, who he characterized as aggressive... After the shooting, Smiley sped out of the complex and threw his gun into the Intracoastal Waterway before accepting the next fare through the dispatch system.

Click to expand...

deputylinda said:

another "only in florida" piece...i have arrested 2 of smiley's relatives. chronic problems.

Click to expand...

If you're an actual police officer, I don't think you should be advising of his relatives were arrested and making assumptions on them or him. Seems like you just want to be judge and jury.