A 63-year-old Episcopal priest is being temporarily barred from his official duties while he faces charges including public indecency and drunken driving.
The suspension of Robert A. Hufford, chaplain to the Convent of the Transfiguration, takes effect as soon as he receives it, said Richelle Thompson, spokeswoman for the Episcopal Diocese of Southern Ohio in Cincinnati.
Hufford’s lawyer, Brad Kraemer, declined to comment Tuesday except to say his client has pleaded not guilty to the four charges against him: failure to drive within marked lanes, operating a vehicle while impaired, public indecency and abusing harmful intoxicants. Hufford is set to appear in Butler County Area II Court in Hamilton on Sept. 5.
This is a sad case of human frailty and I presume, perhaps a refusal to admit to an additiction. I know nothing about the man, so all I can do is pray that he will allow himself to admit his failure and to enter a program to heal himself.
I do not know what the law says in Ohio, but the law here in California was recently changed. If a person is caught up short and needs to urinate in a public area by the side of the road for example, if he is arrested by the police, he will be charged with Public Indecency and he is in a world of hurt. If the trial finds the man guilty of public indecency, he must now register as a s*x offender for the rest of his life.
More to this than meets the eye, according to notes over on Virtue’s blog. According to Virtue’s reader, apparently amyl nitrate is used as an aphrodisiac by homosexuals, and this man also apparently was in a place frequented by homosexuals. Also, note that his intoxication level, while above the legal limit for driving, was not that high. So questionable if this level of intoxication would reduce his inhibitions to the point that he would urinate in public, as opposed to soliciting in a apparently know homosexual pick-up area.
Bob Hufford is a friend of mine, and has been a great priest in the diocese. I was shocked and greatly saddened by the report in the Enquirer. I am praying for him, the Convent, and Bethany School (run by the convent) that healing will occur.
David Bailey+
#2, rank speculation doesn’t get the ball down the field.
I think that Rev. Huffard has enough on his plate just now, without piling on with un-verified insinuation.
In the article, the reporterclearly states:
[blockquote] The trooper said he spotted two bottles inside the vehicle, and that Hufford identified them as amyl nitrite, an inhalant that can be used to produce a brief feeling of euphoria.[/blockquote]
If you don’t know about “poppers”, I am happy for you. But jsut know that they are not used to enhance road side urination.
Poppers
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Variety of popper brands
Variety of popper brands
Poppers is the street term for various alkyl nitrites taken for recreational purposes through direct inhalation, particularly amyl nitrite, butyl nitrite and isobutyl nitrite.[1][2] Amyl nitrite has a centuries-long history of use in treating angina,[3] as well as an antidote to cyanide poisoning.[4][5] Amyl nitrite and several other alkyl nitrites which are used in over-the-counter products, such as room odorizers and video head cleaners, may be inhaled to enhance sexual pleasure.[6] Use is particularly prominent among gay urban men.[6] These products have long been part of the club culture from the 1970s disco scene to the 1980s and 1990s rave scene.[7]
#5, No as it happens, I do not know about poppers, I’m probably quite ignorant of all the current drugs of convenience …. chalk that off to my graduating from college in 1976.
That said, the police said that Huffard+ blew a 0.10, so according to Ohio law, he was legally impaired and subject to arrest for drunk driving.
Do poppers cause you to blow an elevated alcohol level? I mean, do they have any alcohol as a component? I remember an LA judge who claimed that when he blew a 0.10, he blamed it on his breath freshener.
For now, the man has been arrested for drunk driving among other things but there are 4 charges mentioned, but not further specified in the article.
I’m inclined to let the charges speak for themselves, with no speculation on what it all may mean, and let Huffard+ fight the charges in court, where they ought to be fought.
Whoops, I just found the list of the 4 charges, having overlooked it just now.
Hubbard+ has a problem to face, but as I stated above, let him do it in court.
#6, thanks for the info on poppers, I eally am naive in these matters.
This is indeed a sad report, and I trust a huge misunderstanding. If this is the same priest, he used to teach at the seminary in Lexington , Ky…In those days (early 80’s) he was considered a High Church conservative…An excellent instructor, and a very nice Christian gentleman. Pray for him…
NOT surprised Virtue carries this – nor the fact he knows these cruising areas.
But this is NOT something for this blog, surely?
#10, you seem to be casting aspersions on Mr. Virtue’s personal character. Also, why do you think a current article on the arrest of an Episcopal priest is not something to be commented on on this or any reputable blog?