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November 2008 |
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By MATT NICHOLS
Staff Writer
A former Wapakoneta law enforcement officer’s future is now in the hands of seven state Supreme Court justices.
Former Wapakoneta Police Chief Dave Harrison’s 6-year-old sex crime case reached the pinnacle in Ohio’s court system Wednesday, as justices heard arguments from Harrison’s attorney Dean Boland and state prosecutor Scott Longo.
Each party had 15 minutes to present their case to the justices. After both attorneys argued their cases, a single word in Harrison’s sentencing entry and a grilling delivered to Longo by justice Maureen O’Connor left Boland optimistic about his client’s future.
In June, 2003, Harrison plead guilty to a six-count bill of information after child pornography was found on his computer. After entering his plea, the man who served as police chief from 1988 to 2002 was sentenced to one year in jail.
Seven months after he completed his sentence, it was discovered by county prosecutors that Harrison should have been sentenced with an additional five years of mandatory post release control, or probation.
During a court hearing, Harrison was given the option to either be re-sentenced or withdraw his plea. Harrison chose the latter, taking things back to square one.
With the plea withdrawn, the state of Ohio slapped Harrison with a 23-count indictment which he was ultimately found guilty of and sentenced to six years in prison.
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Thursday, 14 August 2008 |
Wapakoneta native finds niche in Hollywood
 Wapakoneta native Theodore James, far right, poses with “I.O.U.S.A.” Executive Producer Addison Wiggin, Warren Buffett and Producer Sarah Gibson. James is working as an associate producer with the documentary film. (Photo provided)
By MATT NICHOLS
Staff Writer
He had 32 hours.
That is how long Wapakoneta’s Theodore James had to ponder his life-changing decision.
A decision to forego his life at home and leave with nothing more than a prayer, chasing a lifelong dream that beckoned to him from southern California, he said.
On a 32-hour drive to Los Angeles in 2004, James, 27, could not imagine how the next four years of his life would turn out.
“I’ve always wanted to make movies,” James said. “I would borrow my dad’s camera without permission and my neighbors and nieces and cousins would make these films.”
The son of Dawn and Ted Hemleben (he was born Theodore James Hemleben) said he could not imagine that a man from Wapakoneta would reach his goal to succeed in the motion picture industry.
Anyone who would be willing to give up everything in hopes of achieving a dream typically has their heart set on the goal at an early age, James said, and he was no different.
The infatuation with the motion picture industry that began in his childhood never faded as James got older.
From 2000 to 2004, he worked at the now defunct Regal Cinema 7, in Lima. James said working at the theater was all he could do to stay attached to the industry. He worked his way up to projectionist and even traveled around the state, training future projectionists.
It was a nice gig, but James said he wanted more.
“You could only learn so much doing that and, ultimately, it wasn’t what I wanted to be doing,” James said. “I decided I could either make this my career or I can take a chance and go to L.A. and try to be happy there doing what I want to do.”
With virtually no experience, James decided to head for what is often deemed the Entertainment Capital of the World.
He and a friend drove west to Los Angeles. For 32 hours, the two drove non-stop, switching places to allow each other to rest.
When they finally reached the concrete jungle of Los Angeles, James said he was floored.
“It was very surreal,” James recalled. “I didn’t know if I made the right decision. I mean the place was so big. It was definitely a culture shock.”
Immediately after arriving, James’ friend encountered a death in his family, prompting him to fly back.
Suddenly, James was alone in one of the largest cities in the world. He had no home and he had no friends.
James recalled the first six months in Los Angeles as some of the toughest weeks in his life. He got a job at a movie theatre in Long Beach, but it was 30 miles away from his ultimate destination — Hollywood.
“When I told people back home that Hollywood was 30 miles away, they all said, ‘Well that’s not bad,’ but what they didn’t realize was that is like a three hour trip on the 405,” James said.
Soon, the distance from his goal became too much, and James quit his job and headed north to Hollywood. Once he arrived, things became tougher, he said. For approximately two weeks he had to live out of his car.
His luck turned after landing a job at Tower Records on the Sunset Strip.
For nine months he worked at the store, meeting a variety of celebrities, including Bruce Willis, Keanu Reeves and George Foreman.
While working at the store, James said his life began its slow ascent.
He received a 30-hour per week unpaid internship with the Cartoon Network show “Tom Goes to the Mayor.”
The work was not glamorous — the job detail involved picking up laundry and doing lunch orders — but James said he did not care.
“I loved it,” James said. “I was just excited to be part of something that was on TV. I started totally at the bottom, but it was worth it to gain some experience.”
James said networking is the key to success in Los Angeles.
He would attend parties and clubs just to meet people, hoping to get his name out.
He eventually met a friend who was working on a new show on E! Network, “The Girls Next Door.”
The show followed the lives of Hugh Hefner and three Playboy Playmates living at the Playboy Mansion.
James said he began to virtually stalk his friend, constantly asking what was needed to get a chance at being part of the program.
James eventually received an interview and got the job as production assistant on the show. For seven episodes he performeed light office work and made trips back and forth from the mansion, learning the expansive Los Angeles highway system in the process.
After the season concluded, James received word through a co-worker at the Girls Next Door production company that L.A.-based O’Malley Creadon Productions was looking for a partner.
The company had just received acclaim for producing the movie “Wordplay,” a documentary about The New York Times’ long-time crossword puzzle editor Will Shortz.
James hit it off with both Patrick Creadon and Christine O’Malley and landed what he calls the job of a lifetime with the company as an associate producer on a major film.
James now is the associate producer on an upcoming documentary film, “I.O.U.S.A.”
The movie delves into the ever growing national debt and how the country’s constant spending will spell trouble for the nation’s future generations.
The film was an official selection at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival and will open in 380 theaters on Aug. 21.
James said immediately after the film premiers, a live discussion will take place, led by Warren Buffett, named the richest man in the world by Forbes Magazine.
“This is a very important film and we’ve done a good job on being non-partisan in telling the story,” James said. “We don’t go out of our way to blame one president. We are in this mess together and we’ve got to fix it.”
From a movie theater projectionist to associate producer in Hollywood, James said he has come a long way since his 32-hour drive four years ago, but is quick to point out that had he not been hired by O’Malley and Creadon, he likely would be back in Wapakoneta wondering what might have been.
“Without them, I wouldn’t be where I’m at right now,” James said. “Without them giving me these opportunities. I just owe everything to them.” |
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Last Updated ( Friday, 15 August 2008 )
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