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Firefighter Mason claims alcohol to blame

September 11, 2012

The attorney for a San Luis Obispo firefighter on trial for beating a man during a wedding after party is claiming his client was defending himself against a drunk aggressor. [Tribune]

In June 2011, John Ryan Mason, 34, allegedly beat Jory Brigham, 32, unconscious in a bathroom after an eight-month rift stemming from claims the firefighter was having an affair with a local policeman’s wife. Mason had no injuries while Brigham had 17 fractures in his face.

Mason’s attorney Chris Casciola said a day of heavy drinking gave Brigham the courage to confront Mason.

“Alcohol is critical in this case,” Chris Casciola said in his opening statement, according to the Tribune. “We all know what it does to a person — liquid courage or forgetfulness.”

In her opening statement, Deputy District Attorney Kristy Imel said it was a case of “rage, opportunity and revenge.”

Casciola contends Brigham is pointing a finger at Mason because he is planning on filing a civil lawsuit if his client is convicted. Mason is charged with felony assault with great bodily injury and battery with serious bodily injury.

 


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Deputy District Attorney Kristy Imel — Is this person honorable and capable? If she is, Mason is going to prison.


As others have eluded to, the injuries inflicted by Mason were not the product of two men scrapping. They are a product of Mason knocking-out Brigham and then continuing to beat upon his static body. People that do such things need to be taken off the street.


The DA also needs to get off his dead ass and investigate why it took FIVE DAYS to arrest Mason and begin the investigation. Trying to ignore/bury this matter is a prime example of why many detest government and law enforcement in particular.


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I’d venture to guess that the Fire Chief whom he confided with

and maybe even some Cops friends

helped him out with the self-defense excuse

over the 5 day period before his arrest…


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This guy is nothing more than a sadistic thug. As brutal as professional prize fighting is most fights do not continue on to allow the extent of injuries that were dealt out in this case. This guy is the bad apple. Now the question will be how is the firefighters union going to come to support this guy when he is imprisioned, fired or exonerated?

Following the tradition of giving away retiremnent benefits to firemen in SLO it will be interesting to see the outcome.


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Mason needs to go to jail for a very long time!


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Okay… I can somewhat understand hitting someone… or maybe pushing them away… if someone came up to you threateningly ( if this is true)… but this guy looks like he was the recipient of an arsenal of punches… not just one.


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Wasn’t it Mason who was refused service by a taxi cab driver that day due to his offensive and belligerent behavior when the cab arrived ? I have to ask myself what he was on that caused him to offend an innocent taxi cab driver? Second, according to the DA, Mason has been involved in 7 (SEVEN!) previous physical and AGGRESSIVE altercations, I only know of 3 and I wonder what the other 4 are about?


NO, I don’t think Casiola’s defense is going to fly but he ” has to” come up with something …….and he doesn’t have many options.


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Lets just imagine for a moment that this was self defense. How does self defense lead to a seven hour surgery and mulitple face fractures for the other guy while you come out of it unscathed? I call B.S.


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Mason seems to have to use self defense alot, if memory serves he has had NUMEROUS altercations with others.


Maybe he needs AA and anger management, AND a year or two in the slammer.


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He needs to spend time in prison for his crime.


Mason has been able to hide behind the SLOFD shield, and, in the bargain, denigrating the SLOFD and fire personnel.


No more special treatment for violent offenders, I don’t care who they are and what first-responder organization with which they are affiliated.


While the first-responder organization to which they belong may happily which will screw with its own reputation to coddle POS first responders like Mason, taxpayers are not so willing to support organizations which will contaminate itself by protecting the likes of Mason.


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Let’s see we have a guy (Mason) who has lied to his wife, had past aggressions and I should believe the defence attorney? Hmm.


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It looks like this guy got hit by a firetruck, not a firefighter.


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After his victim was on the ground, Mason repeatedly used diving elbow smashes to his face.


Then–despite the fact Mason was a first-responder/fire-fighter–he runs from the scene of the crime, without at least calling in the injury to 911 and staying with the victim until another first-responder was on scene.


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Driving elbows smashing Jory’s face…


SOUNDS like a UFC Smack down…

Mighty Mouse Manson


http://www.youtube.com/user/UFC


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I suspect it was more like the heel of his right foot…


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