WDRB reporting arrest

seems like every news outlet is all over this. anyway here is some more detail here:
http://insiderlouisville.com/news/2012/ ... afficking/

Without more facts this isn't worthy of discussion.

Reminds me of the Don Henley song, "Dirty Laundry."

" Kick em when they're up, kick em when they're down."

I'm thinking that making a simple buy of a controlled, not an illegal, substance hardly justifies breathless use of television time.

If I were a betting man, I would be "all in" that the final version of this story does not even remotely resemble the conclusion that media sources are allowing readers/viewers to draw with their early reporting of these half-facts.

As a matter of fact, given the many many wonderful things I have heard about the man...Given the countless acts of "under the radar" kindness and generosity I have heard attributed to Chef, I would be very surprised if this whole thing wasn't just a case of him trying to help someone with a legitimate need.

I mean think about it. Someone you know is in pain...maybe they've got a toothache fer Christ's sake and they can't afford to go to the dentist AND buy the drugs to help the pain go away. Here's Dean, maybe he's got a bottle of something leftover in his medicine cabinet that would help the poor feller out for a day or two...until he gets paid and can get to the dentist. I mean I dunno, you could probably shoot all kinds of holes in this particular scenario but like I said, if I'm a betting man, I'm betting something LIKE this is closer to the truth than what is being breathlessly reported in the local media.

Just MHO.

I'm not disagreeing with Steve at all...but man, if this was the case, why do the "hand-to-hand" exchange in a apt. parking lot?

I sure hope the truth comes out and thikngs work out for the best. DD

I'm thinking that making a simple buy of a controlled, not an illegal, substance hardly justifies breathless use of television time.

If I were a betting man, I would be "all in" that the final version of this story does not even remotely resemble the conclusion that media sources are allowing readers/viewers to draw with their early reporting of these half-facts.

As a matter of fact, given the many many wonderful things I have heard about the man...Given the countless acts of "under the radar" kindness and generosity I have heard attributed to Chef, I would be very surprised if this whole thing wasn't just a case of him trying to help someone with a legitimate need.

I mean think about it. Someone you know is in pain...maybe they've got a toothache fer Christ's sake and they can't afford to go to the dentist AND buy the drugs to help the pain go away. Here's Dean, maybe he's got a bottle of something leftover in his medicine cabinet that would help the poor feller out for a day or two...until he gets paid and can get to the dentist. I mean I dunno, you could probably shoot all kinds of holes in this particular scenario but like I said, if I'm a betting man, I'm betting something LIKE this is closer to the truth than what is being breathlessly reported in the local media.

Just MHO.

I'm not disagreeing with Steve at all...but man, if this was the case, why do the "hand-to-hand" exchange in a apt. parking lot?

I sure hope the truth comes out and thikngs work out for the best. DD

I dunno... Most apt or condo parking lots are pretty public with lots of people coming and going at odd times. If I was going to do something clandestinely I wouldn't pick a parking lot. I can think of a lot more private places. I think it points more to the fact that he was not doing something shady.

I consider Dean a mentor and personal friend. Knowing what I know, once all of the details come out, this sensationalized media feeding frenzy will quickly fade away and give Dean and I something to chuckle about over a couple of Bud Lights someday in the future.

The man has done more for me personally than anyone who hasn't had the privledge to work for him could ever understand. He would give some one his last dollar and the shirt off his back if he thought it would do someone more good than he would with out it.

His contributions of his money and personal time are well known. He has inspired me to give back to the community as much as I have chosen to do.

It's a shame that we have to sit back and watch his good name raked through the mud and read the outright mean spirited personal attacks from people who have no idea who this man is, that have been posted in other media outlet's forums.
I hope that other people share in my support for Dean and his family through this attack on his character.

Maybe someone with a law enforcement background can weigh in here. Does actual money have to change hands in order for it to be considered trafficking, or could he have been charged just simply by sharing a pill or two with someone?

I remember reading that Chef Corbett had back surgery recently. No one should have to deal with chronic pain. These medicines should be available to those who need them, without resorting to buying them off the streets.

Good luck Chef. Hopefully you can beat this bogus persecution.

I dunno... Most apt or condo parking lots are pretty public with lots of people coming and going at odd times. If I was going to do something clandestinely I wouldn't pick a parking lot. I can think of a lot more private places. I think it points more to the fact that he was not doing something shady.

I don't have an opinion on Chef Deano, but really Carla? You should take a drive through Old Louisville or Smoketown sometime and watch the car to street transactions. It happens all over town (every town).

It's illegal to give or receive a controlled substance without a physician prescription for the specific pills in question. In other words you are breaking the law to share, give, or take pills from your friends. Now it is technically illegal - on the other hand I've never heard of anyone arrested for it.

When we speak of "dealing" don't we usually think of high volume purchases or exchanges?

Innocent until proven guilty in my book.

But at the same time, I'm not naive enough to think the police imagined a drug transaction or planted something on him. Something was probably going on, we just don't know what.

Dean sounds like a great guy, based on the support for him that I've seen here so quickly. I sincerely hope that whatever problems he has get worked through and resolved. Obviously, he has some legal issues facing him immediately. And if (strong IF) he has a substance abuse problem, I hope he gets to work on that and is able to resolve it. Drugs, pills, alcohol, etc can all be very serious problems. They take a lot of lives.

Dean, if you're reading this, please know that you have my full support and consider mine to be an open door if you need any help as you get through this messy situation.

I encourage everyone else on this forum to be there for him in the coming days, weeks and months...

Cheers,

I know this will not be a popular opinion, but I am going to state it anyway ...

I think it is possible that many of you are very attached emotionally with Chef Corbett and will not be able to look at this objectively. That being said, it is within the realm of possibility that good heartedness, generosity, and all of the other attributes that some of you have used to describe this man can co-exist with controlled substances in a person's life.

I have seen stories about his back issues, his fight with cancer, etc. I can easily see where a painkiller habit could form. They sneak up on you and once you are dependent on them, it is ugly. I hope one of two things come out of this ... the allegations are untrue, or IF they are true ... that he uses this as an opportunity to fight the battle and conquer any addictions that may exist.

Will it stop me from patronizing his restaurants ... no. We all make mistakes. But if a pattern forms, I would reserve the right to change my stance.

Now back to your regularly scheduled programming,
-Pete

I am not a lawyer nor a law enforcement person, but have known several individuals who struggled with substance abuse in the past. You can get charged with trafficking for selling/distributing/purchasing as few as 20 doses of Vicodin. (Vicodin is a Schedule III narcotic)

(Did some Googling to confirm I was remembering correctly; relevant link here: http://www.lrc.ky.gov/krs/218a00/1413.PDF)

As none of us will probably ever know the whole story...I support Chef Dean. We have no way of knowing if the pills were even for him. If he or someone close to him is struggling with substance abuse, well, then I hope they're able to get the support & assistance they need.

Why is it that every time someone local has trouble people here start saying it shouldn't be talked about? The best thing you can do in this situation is to talk about it. The world has moved on from the days where you could play the hush hush game; you truly need to adjust your viewpoint away from the silly folderol you see on televisions shows where people are innocent until proven guilty and no one should judge anyone -- if you decide you want to "wait" 'til all the facts are in, you're just going to leave the people who don't care about facts as the only ones talking, which directly harms your otherwise good intentions.

Anyway, aside from that relative annoyance with certain members of this forum, it certainly does not sound to me as if he was "trafficking" by the colloquial meaning. He's done a lot for the community, and unless he was running an illegal drug ring, which certainly does not appear to be the case, my opinion of him isn't going to change too much. There are a great many people who are addicted to pain medication -- statistically, at least a few of you posting are -- and it doesn't make them horrible people. If some of the other rumors floating around regarding the situation are true (and that the handoff was the other direction, for someone who likely needed it), the sensationalists are going to feel even more silly about this.

I admit a slight bias insofar as I don't care a flying fig about peoples' personal habits regarding substance use, but other than some local media outlets who really need some clicks and views for advertising, I can't see too many people caring all that much about this. Excluding maybe the people at Norton's.

Far worse people have gone through situations like this and come out for the better. Hopefully, whatever the situation, it's the same for him and he continues to support the community as he seems to have for so long.

Postedit: And yes, I'm aware that either way it's a rather serious crime. Unfortunately, I think it's one of the most banal crimes in existence, and that our laws are horribly warped, so it doesn't really affect my judgment much.

WHAS11 just shared a statement from Chef Corbett.

Sounds like it was an unintentional error of judgment stemming from a lack of knowledge.