Robbinsville – Shanda and Todd Dooley pled guilty Nov. 6 to their respective crimes stemming from the July 25, 2020 fight on a one-lane road.
The Dooleys were sentenced to unsupervised probation for 12 months; and ordered to pay court costs.
Shanda pled guilty to contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile; Todd pled guilty to misdemeanor assault on an individual with a disability.
Defense attorney Nathan Earwood stated what Todd said to him about the fight.
“In hindsight, he wishes this whole event didn’t happen,” said Earwood. “He recognizes that his own engagement in this altercation, even though he wasn’t the initial aggressor, did put his family in danger.”
On July 25, 2020, the Dooleys, were driving on Riverview Drive, a one-lane road. Their neighbors, Robert Cape and his unidentified girlfriend were driving on the same road in the opposite direction. Cape had lost sight in one of his eyes before the fight.
The neighbors had to stop and they had a disagreement on who should have to pull over to let the other pass. A fight then broke out.
Cape may have thrown the first punch at Mr. Dooley. Earwood commented, asking why Cape wasn’t charged. Cape and Dooley exchanged blows and then the fight stopped. They argued and then Dooley punched Cape resuming the fight. The Dooley’s son, 15 at the time, joined the fight. Shanda encouraged her son to go after Cape.
The fight continued with Dooley and Cape rolling down a bank, where Cape and then the Dooley son followed. At the bottom of the bank, the father and son chased Cape, brought him to the ground and pummeled him.
At one point, Cape grabbed a glass bowl from his truck and smashed it over Todd’s head. Dooley had to have 17 stitches.
Judge William Coward asked if there was any previous bad blood between the neighbors. The answer was that there wasn’t any – the fight was simply about not being able to pass on a one-lane road. Coward looked baffled.
The Dooleys and Cape have not had any issues since.
The fight was caught on a cell phone video with a 5-10 minute break and then it continues. A neighbor’s door bell camera filled the gap. The phone video was posted on social media and the Dooley’s received backlash from it. Three years since, the hostility against them has dwindled, but the shame the family carries still lingers.
“It was embarrassing and I don’t think either of the defendants would tell you that they were without fault,” said Earwood. “And if they had the opportunity to redo the situation, it certainly wouldn’t have escalated like it did.”
Shanda was a teacher assistant and was fired because of this incident.
Todd luckily kept his job.
Other dates set
Also during the Nov. 6 session:
* Jon Mark Jenkins, 54, of Robbinsville had his court date rescheduled for Monday, Feb. 5, 2024 with a court-appointed attorney. Jenkins was charged for possession of methamphetamine and arrested for this offense on Feb. 21, 2022;
* Bobby Huel and Danielle Nicole Pastel’s court date was rescheduled for Monday, May 6, 2024. Bobby and Danielle were both implicated in the drug overdose of 30-year-old Casey Allen Phillips on March 24, 2021.
* Forrest Scott Waldroup’s court date was changed to Wednesday, Dec. 13. Waldroup was charged with possession of firearm by felon and murder, stemming from the June 29, 2019, shooting death of Nathaniel David Birchfield.
* Michael Lee White, 47 of Robbinsville, will have an admin session on Dec. 13 and a court date for Monday, Feb. 5, 2024. White was charged with first-degree sex offense on child. He was arrested for this offense on July 12, 2019.
* Robert G. Kays, 50 of Robbinsville, has not had a court date set, because the court cannot get in touch with him. Judge Coward placed an order of arrest for Kays with a secured bond of $150,000. He was arrested on May 9, 2021 after allegedly stealing the sheriff’s office’s Humvee and taking it on a multi-county chase.