Jeffco courtroom meltdown for MTV's Don Vito

'Don Vito' actor yells, collapses in Jeffco courtroom

Sue Lindsay, Rocky Mountain News

Published November 1, 2007 at midnight

Text size

More Local News

More stories »

MTV star Vincent Margera collapsed in a Jefferson County courtroom Wednesday, sobbing and swearing as he heard his first guilty verdict for groping girls during a promotional appearance at the Colorado Mills mall.

"Jesus! I can't spend the rest of my f------ life in jail! Just f------ kill me now!" he screamed as he hit the floor, knocking down defense attorney Pamela Mackey as he fell.

Four deputies rushed to Margera, 51, as he writhed on the floor.

"I can't stand up! My legs! My legs! I can't move," he yelled as deputies tried to calm and subdue him.

The second guilty verdict for sexual assault on a child triggered another episode of wailing with Margera still on the floor.

"I didn't f------ do nothing. You can rot in f------ hell," screamed Margera, who is better known as Don Vito in the MTV reality series Viva La Bam, which stars his nephew, Bam Margera.

"I can't move. I can't move," he shouted as deputies surrounded him and the astonished jury looked on.

One juror cried and wiped tears from her face.

Over the din, Jefferson County District Judge M.J. Menendez continued reading the verdicts in a calm, clear voice, asking each juror, "Were these and are these your verdicts?"

Meanwhile, additional deputies ran down the hall and into the courtroom with a wheelchair and a defibrillator.

"I can't get up!" Margera said. "My legs are broke! Help me. Help me!"

Eventually, four deputies dragged the sobbing Margera out of the courtroom in handcuffs.

Once he was gone, the only evidence of the pandemonium was a miniature Hershey's candy bar on the floor where Margera landed.

The jury's verdict, reached after about five hours of deliberation, brought the 10-day trial to a dramatic end.

Margera was convicted on two counts of sexual assault on a child for groping the breasts of two girls, one 12 and one 14, who had their photos taken with him during an autograph session at the Colorado Mills skatepark on Aug. 18, 2006.

The 12-year-old girl said Margera touched her breast and commented "big boob," causing her to leave in embarrassment.

The 14-year-old girl said Margera put a sticker on her breast and inner thigh.

Ironically, Margera was acquitted on a charge involving a 12-year-old girl whose parents prompted the filing of charges by complaining to mall security and police.

Margera had been charged with groping this girl's breast, but the girl testified that he came near but didn't touch it. She said he touched her buttocks and leg as he put his arm around her for the photo.

Margera, who must register as a sex offender, faces possible sentences that include probation or prison. If sentenced to probation, he would have to serve at least 10 years and could remain under supervision for the rest of his life. If he receives prison time, the sentence could range from two to six years to life behind bars. He will be sentenced Dec. 20.

He also could face a mandatory sentence of one year to 18 months in prison for allegedly breaking the conditions of his bail. He is charged with 12 counts in that case, which comes up for a preliminary hearing in December.

Margera's attorneys and family members declined to comment and were escorted out of the courthouse through a back exit.

Denver District Attorney Scott Storey said he didn't know what to make of Margera's behavior.

"I've never seen a defendant plunge to the ground like that," Storey said.

"It's definitely a serious verdict. Not knowing him, I don't know if that's a typical reaction," he said. "He may have been taken by surprise and thought he would be exonerated. That's certainly not the case."

"It's not necessarily life in prison," he said. "A lot depends on how amenable he is to sex-offender treatment so we can assure that the community is safe. That will be up to him."

Margera has maintained throughout the case that he did nothing wrong.

A painter of cars in West Chester, Pa., Margera "went from anonymity to overnight stardom," Mackey said, because of his nephew's MTV show.

Mackey contended that her client may have been obnoxious and vulgar but said he was acting according to the character that his fans loved and expected to see.

Any touching that took place during the photo sessions didn't rise to criminal conduct because it wasn't done for sexual arousal, gratification or abuse, as the law requires, she said.

When two female police officers arrived at the mall parking lot to arrest him, Margera called them "psycho lesbian b------" and thought he was being "punked."

During the arrest, Margera claimed his arm had been broken, prompting a visit to an emergency room. He was cleared and taken back to the police station, only to be returned to the emergency room when he complained he couldn't breathe and was having a heart attack.

lindsays@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5181

Subscribe to the Rocky Mountain News