Also this issue:

Classroom Chaos
Did Edison's reduction of support staff help foster school violence?
-Elisa Ludwig

Soundbites
-Deborah Bolling

The Big Kahuna
-Mary F. Patel

The Bell Curve
City Paper's weekly gauge of Philly's Quality of Life

January 9-15, 2003

city beat

Free Marty!

The ringleader of a band of stadium gatecrashers has his day in court.

by Daryl Gale

Over the past few months, we've been updating the story of Martin Brennan, whom we first met in October when we watched him and his merry men climb a fence and sneak into Veterans Stadium for the zillionth time to take in an Eagles game for free. After the story was published, Brennan was singled out by stadium security when they spotted him at the next game, and it got ugly. When last we left Brennan in November, he had been hauled off to the hoosegow for defiant trespass, slapped with fines totaling $432 and given a court date for Mon., Jan. 6.

"I was offered a deal," Brennan says, calling from a pay phone at the Criminal Justice Center. "If I take a plea, I have to pay $132 in court costs and make a $150 contribution to the Police Athletic League, but they'll wipe my record."

Asked if he'd take the deal, considering it's a savings of $150 off his original fine, Marty defers to his labor union-appointed lawyer, Tom Ivory. Ivory says he not only advised Brennan to take the deal, he also told him it would probably be a good idea to stop calling newspaper reporters to brag about his activities.

"Apparently, the security supervisor at the stadium saw your article and was pissed," Ivory says. "He didn't think it was funny or cute at all." Fortunately for Brennan, the prosecutor took a much more lighthearted approach.

"What he did was wrong, but I think the D.A. saw the case for what it was," Ivory says. "Martin isn't a terrorist or career criminal, and at least the prosecutor was willing to make him a decent deal. I'm glad he took it, because going to trial on something like this would have been silly."

With his record expunged and his wallet nearly $300 lighter, Brennan says he's still going to the Vet this Saturday to check out the Eagles' playoff game against the Atlanta Falcons. Reminded that the tickets have been long sold out, we asked Brennan how he was planning on getting into the stadium. Apparently, his lawyer's advice took.

"No comment," said the chastened trespasser.