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Judge rules 'Little People' star not guilty of DUI
06:08 PM MST on Thursday, January 10, 2008
A judge ruled Thursday morning that an Oregon reality TV show star was not guilty of driving drunk.
The jury got the case Wednesday and deliberated for three hours before heading home. They were supposed to decide whether Matt Roloff, star of "Little People, Big World," was impaired by alcohol when a Washington County sheriff's deputy stopped his van shortly before midnight June 19. If found guilty, the 46-year-old could spend up to a year in jail.
However, the judge learned that jurors had looked up legal terms on the internet, in violation of the judge's directions, and Roloff waived his right to a jury trial and petitioned the judge for a directed verdict of not guilty, which the judge rendered Thursday morning.
Rolloff took the stand Wednesday in his own defense.
He answered dozens of questions about the night in June when a Washington County deputy stopped him on suspicion of drunk driving.
Roloff testified he'd had one beer about two hours before the deputy stopped him in Helvetia, not far from his family's farm. Roloff insisted he was not impaired.
The deputy who arrested the diminutive TV star also took the stand on Wednesday. He said that during the June arrest, an angry Roloff threatened to get the deputy "off the road."
He also said Roloff smelled of alcohol and failed a field sobriety test. Roloff said he refused to take a breathalyzer because he did not trust the deputy.
The defense told the court Roloff was exhausted when he was pulled over and was driving his wife's car, which he was not accustomed to operating.
The attorney implied that the deputy had insufficient information at the time of the arrest.
Both Roloff and his wife have conditions commonly referred to as dwarfism.
The Learning Channel program “Little People, Big World” showcases Matt along with his wife, Amy and their son, Zach, who are little people, and their other three children, who are average size. The Roloffs, who live on a farm in Washington County, say they wanted to do the show to dispel stereotypes about dwarfism. Producers say the show has won a following because it captures the everyday struggles of a wholesome family.
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