Billy Lane faces new charge and Judge
Only days after the long running Billy Lane DUI case had a new Judge appointed, the Florida State Attorney’s office has filed a new charge against the Melbourne motorcycle builder. For over two years Billy Lane has faced the single felony charge of DUI Manslaughter and has appeared many times in the court of Brevard County Judge Meryl Allawas. Judge Allawas was voted off the bench in last year’s election and Judge Robert Burger has now taken over her case load. One of the cases still pending to be heard is the trial of custom motorcycle builder Billy Lane. Lane had three charges filed against him in 2006 for his involvement in a crash in Melbourne Beach that caused the death of 56 year old Gerald Morelock.
The case has taken many different courses since Lane’s arrest including two of the original charges filed against Lane being dismissed and original defense attorney Kepler Funk being replaced by Gregory Eisenmenger. With a trial date now set for February 9th, the State Attorney has filed a new charge of vehicular homicide against Billy. Lane is accused of attempting to pass cars in a no passing zone on Highway A1A while driving a 2006 Dodge pick up owned by Chrysler Corporation on September 4th, 2006. The truck Lane was driving struck Morelock head on while riding his motor scooter and caused his death. Billy Lane and female passenger Erin Derrick were both injured in the crash as well, but were both released from the hospital.
Florida State Troopers suspected Lane of driving impaired and later drew blood by force at the hospital. The blood sample came back from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement lab testing positive for an illegal amount of blood alcohol. The blood sample taken that night has been a major part of contention in the case and motions filed by the defense are trying to strike it as evidence. It was later revealed in a autopsy report that the victim also had been drinking. The victim’s family as well as the passenger in the crash have both filed civil suit against Lane and Dodge for damages. The civil case filed by the mother of Gerald Morelock has been settled, while the case filed by passenger Erin Derrick remains open and has been moved out of county.
Lane still faces 10 years in prison if convicted on the new charge.
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