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Video

• Eyewitness News at 5

Schanze Pleads No Contest

June 13th, 2006 @ 5:59pm

Richard Piatt Reporting

It was another interesting day in court for Super Dell Schanze today. After he pleaded no contest to a public nuisance charge, a total stranger agreed to pay his $300 fine for him.

It came out of the blue: A woman takes Super Dell's side, writes a 300-dollar check, and in response, he kisses her foot.

It was gratitude for a total stranger. But, Dell Schanze and Leslye Arrowsmith weren't strangers long.

"Thank you very much. I'm proud of you for standing up for what you believe in. Thank you. We love you. Thank you, I love you too."

Especially after she paid Schanze's 300-dollar fine for him.

Leslye Arrowsmith/ Paid Super Dell's Fee: "Today, I would pay Dell's 300 dollar fine. I don't care. That's how much I believe in Dell Schanze."

Prior to all that, Schanze pleaded 'no contest' to a public nuisance charge, tied to an early-morning para-gliding excursion a few weeks ago.

It was tape you saw only on Eyewitness News ---later a photograph confirmed it was Schanze. Draper police and the FAA both investigated, because of the dangerous distraction they say he was causing for commuters on I-15.

In addition to the fine, Schanze also agreed to probation for a year, in exchange for the city dropping a disorderly conduct charge.

Afterword, and in spite of the plea, Schanze insisted he was not guilty.

Dell Schanze/ Plead 'No Contest': "I'm the one, if I'm guilty I'll plead guilty. If I'm not guilty, I'll fight it. And sometimes, I'll plead no contest if I can get out of it and stop wasting everyone's time for another year over something that's really silly."

Dell Schanze: "I just think people need to back off, and report the news. Report what's really going on out there."

Even though these two started a friendship over how 'silly' they say the case is, the FAA and Draper Police are not laughing. They're serious about what they call an airspace violation.

Schanze also agrees to show up at a counseling session in the next few weeks. But everyone in court took great pains to point out that it is not a mental health evaluation.