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Romanowski trial: Day 4 Broncos LB acquitted on prescription drug charges
Updated: Saturday June 30, 2001 3:42 AM
CASTLE ROCK, Colo. (AP) -- Saying his reputation was restored, Denver Broncos linebacker Bill Romanowski was acquitted of getting prescription diet pills illegally. "I care what people think about me," Romanowski said Friday after the jury found him not guilty on all counts. "I take a lot of pride in being a good person and being a role model, and a lot of that was in question over the last two years." Romanowski, 35, was accused of obtaining the appetite suppressant phentermine from prescriptions written for his wife, Julie, and two other people. Investigators said he took phentermine to enhance his play. The drug is not banned by the NFL. Romanowski's eyes were rimmed with tears and his voice was shaky when he spoke after the Douglas County District Court jury returned its verdicts. But he regained his composure and let out a whoop of joy as he and his lawyers walked to their cars. Defense lawyers never denied that Dr. Randall Snook prescribed phentermine for other people that was meant for Romanowski. But they said Romanowski committed no crime because he was acting on the advice of Snook. They also said Snook told the Romanowskis they were doing nothing wrong. "This has been a terrible, terrible ordeal," defense attorney Jeff Springer said. "There was no evidence, not one iota." The defense also said Romanowski took phentermine only to suppress his hunger before games and not to improve his play. Prosecutors argued Romanowski was at the top of a conspiracy that included Julie Romanowski, Snook and former family friend Loretta Johnson. Lead prosecutor Michael Spear said the Romanowskis pressured Snook into giving them the pills. Snook pleaded guilty to providing the pills. Johnson pleaded guilty to conspiring to illegally obtain a prescription drug. Julie Romanowski is scheduled to go on trial Aug. 14 on charges of illegally obtaining phentermine and conspiracy. Jurors did not speak to reporters after the trial, but alternate juror John Averitt said the prosecutors' case wasn't convincing. "They didn't prove beyond a reasonable doubt that he did anything," Averitt said. "There was no evidence of Mr. Romanowski taking the prescription." Defense lawyer Harvey Steinberg argued that investigators unfairly targeted Romanowski because of his fame. To make that point, the defense called Douglas County sheriff's investigator Jeff Grimwood, who testified he and another officer traded high-fives after an interview with Snook in his office. Grimwood said the high-fives came because of their luck. Julie Romanowski had called Snook to ask about getting phentermine while investigators were in his office. "In reality, he was on trial for his life," Springer said. "This was prosecution that was unprecedented." Still, Springer was so confident of the case that he rejected a settlement offer from the district attorney's office before trial. Romanowski was charged with one count of unlawful possession of a controlled substance, one count of obtaining a controlled substance by fraud and deceit, and two counts of conspiracy. He could have faced up to nine years in prison. District attorney's spokesman Michael Knight said prosecutors thought they had a strong enough case to go to trial. "We felt we needed to bring this to a jury for the community to have a chance to speak," he said. Knight said prosecutors still plan to try Julie Romanowski.
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