Arrest gets defender's intern fired

Police said the legal intern pulled up his shirt to flash a gun and told a man he would shoot him.

By TAMARA LUSH, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published February 27, 2002

TAMPA -- An intern at the Hillsborough County Public Defender's office was fired Tuesday, two days after he was arrested and charged with aggravated assault.

According to the Tampa Police Department, Douglas E. Spiegel, 33, got into an argument with Jason Wade Rogers, 27, near Spiegel's Fremont Avenue residence about 3 a.m. Sunday.

The argument was over Rogers' dog, which had reportedly scratched a car, police said. Spiegel pulled up his shirt and showed Rogers a Colt .45-caliber handgun and also said "I'll shoot you" twice, according to police.

Rogers called police, who found the handgun and arrested Spiegel, who was intoxicated, a report said.

He was charged with one count of aggravated assault, booked into the Hillsborough County Jail and was released on $1,000 bail Sunday.

Hillsborough County Public Defender Julianne Holt said Spiegel had worked as a certified legal intern for about six weeks, processing paperwork on clients and helping the department's lawyers.

Spiegel's lawyer, Thomas Maiello, said he is disappointed that Holt fired Spiegel.

"Shouldn't he be afforded the same presumption of innocence that everyone else has?" Maiello said.

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