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Ex-Allman Brother Dickey Betts 'Steadfastly Denies' Striking His Wife
08/15/2001 6:00 PM, Yahoo! Music
Bruce Simon
(8/15/01, 6 p.m. ET) – Former Allman Brothers member Dickey Betts is denying a report that he struck his wife Donna Marie Betts while she was driving on Saturday (August 11). Attorney Michael Mosca told LAUNCH that "Mr. Betts has steadfastly denied striking Mrs. Betts," and that he's "taken aback by the allegation." The attorney added that an eyewitness might very well be able to support Betts's account of the incident.
According to Mosca, Donna Betts was in "a highly agitated state" when she picked her husband up at the airport on Saturday, and that the couple had an argument during the ride home, as Dickey felt she was operating the car in an unsafe manner. After pulling into their driveway, Dickey walked into the house "and the next thing he knew, police and EMTs [emergency medical technicians] were in the driveway," Mosca said, after which Dickey was arrested and taken to jail, where he spent the night before being released on $2,000 bail on Sunday (August 12).
Mosca stressed that Betts was calm, rational, and coherent while at the jail, and that there was "absolutely no indication" that the former Allman Brothers Band member was under the influence of alcohol or any other substance.
Donna Betts told a judge on Sunday that she didn't think she was in any danger, and that she was comfortable with Dickey being in the house. The couple returned to their home after he was released that day, and no formal charges have been filed with the court by prosecutors. Mosca also said that there was a witness on the couple's property, known to both Dickey and Donna Betts, whose account is expected to bear out Dickey's claim of innocence in the matter.
The attorney added that even though Betts is on probation from prior incidents, there is no indication that he won't be able to resume his tour behind Let's Get Together, his new album with the Dickey Betts Band. The outing is scheduled to kick off Saturday (August 18) at the Biker's Music Festival in Blakeslee, Pennsylvania.
Mosca also said that Dickey Betts hoped people would respect his and his wife's privacy as the couple moves forward and works through this unfortunate incident.
-- Bruce Simon, New York
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