Your Tax Dollars At Work - Again!

Speaking of a waste of tax-payer money, this joker was in court today and guess what the citizens in the good state of Florida get to pay for - a make-up artist to cover up these tattoos that he got in prison!

This is John Ditullio of New Port Richey.  John is going on trial for a murder that was covered on this blog pretty extensively:

Here

Here

Here

Here

Here

Here

Today, the Court heard discussion about why Ditullio is entitled to a cosmetologist to cover the prison ink that he has incurred while awaiting trial.

Circuit Judge Michael Andrews said he would allow a licensed cosmetologist to be brought in an hour before each day's proceedings to cover up tattoos that John Allen Ditullio Jr. acquired since his arrest in connection with the March 23, 2006 stabbing of 17-year-old Kristopher King.


"This on the side says 'f--- you,' (and) is very offensive regardless of whether he had it (at the time of the crime) or didn't have it," defense attorney Bjorn Brunvand argued in court Friday.


Brunvand told the Times that Ditullio, while in jail, acquired a tattoo that looks like a barbed wire going down one side of his face. He also got a swastika tattoo on his neck, too high up to be covered by a shirt collar.

The problem, Brunvand says, is that the average person on a jury might be "either offended or intimidated and maybe frightened by these tattoos." Brunvand is concerned the tattoos – not the evidence-- might lead the jurors to suspect Ditullio is guilty.


In other words, the tattoos could prejudice a jury, even though they "have nothing to do with the facts of the case," Brunvand told the Times.


Brunvand argued in court Friday that the neo-Nazi group Ditullio was affiliated with wore uniforms but "that doesn't mean you have to wear it in court."


State Attorney Mike Halkitis said the makeup should be limited to tattoos obtained after Ditullio's arrest in the 2006 stabbing. He argued that prejudice wasn't a good enough reason to cover all of Ditullio's tattoos.


"Everything he did that day was prejudicial," he said.

So...just how much will all of this cost the citizens? According to this report...

"In a previous hearing in Pinellas County, Chief Judge Thomas McGrady authorized spending up to $150 per day for the cosmetologist, but only if Andrews — the trial judge — ruled that it was necessary, court spokesman Ron Stuart said."

There ya go - your tax dollars at work!