The Palm Beach Post from West Palm Beach, Florida • Page B001

MAGENTA BLACK 1B Final 4 PA vl 17 The Palm Beach Post Palm Iran's new service a hit with some, miss with others, 3B Man in shooting of motorist found guilty, gets life sentence, 3B THURSDAY, MARCH 27, 2008 Deputy who held dying sergeant leads benefit ride Chris Reyka's longtime friend and colleague asks motorcyclists to help raise money for the family. More at PalmBeachPost.com See past photos and video reports on the Reyka case. Share condolences in Sgt. Reyka's guest book. Motorcycle ride route, 4B at the hand of one or more gunmen 0-- 1 while he was 11 checking out a suspicious car outside a Pompano Beach Wal- Reyka greens.

Like no other killing of a lawman in recent memory, Reyka's death galvanized the law enforcement community, generating one of the Broward County sheriff's deputy Brian Donnelly is expecting 1,200 motorcyclists to ride from Pompano Beach to Titusville in honor of Sgt. Chris Reyka, who was ambushed Aug. 10. He shows the T-shirts riders will receive. Donnelly worked with Reyka.

Photo by STEVE MITCHELL aura 1P iv. 1,,0,94, of At S. wow rivr. enooto colleague, held his sergeant and tried to comfort him. "The guys are coming," Donnelly whispered.

"Hang in there. It's not that bad. The guys will be here soon." But it was too late for Reyka, a husband and father of four. The 51-year-old Wellington resident died Aug. 10 By KEVIN DEUTSCH Palm Beach Post Staff Writer Chris Reyka lay dying in his friend's lap.

The Broward County sheriff's sergeant could still breathe, but the bullets in his body were quickly stealing his life. Deputy Brian Donnelly, Reyka's longtime friend and largest rewards in state history $267,000 and bringing thousands of well-wishers to the aid of his family. The killing also launched one of the largest manhunts See RIDE, 4B Cyclists hail court ruling on bike lanes Man pleads guilty to murdering four in '04 Judges say the state's discretion on whether to add them is limited. 1, 11,, 1 kAi 41 'I- '1. ,...,01., 11.

I ft: 7 4 Lii E4: '''44r; N'', -Z-04 it-. 111 fs il .1 .0 14 i i 1 -s. By CHUCK McGINNESS Palm Beach Post Staff Writer Community or political opposition is no reason to not include bike lanes and sidewalks on state road projects, a state appeals court has decided. The ruling Tuesday by the 1st District Court of Appeal in Tallahassee is being hailed as a victory by a coalition of cyclists who sued the Florida Department of Transportation after the amenities were left out of big pieces of a plan to repave a 27-mile stretch of State Road AlA from Palm Beach to Boca Raton. But the court also found that the state does not have to go back and put standard 5- foot bike lanes and sidewalks where the resurfacing has been completed.

The cyclists intend to ask the court to reconsider this issue, attorney Jeffrey Lynne said Wednesday. Otherwise, the court found that the state's discretion on whether to add bike lanes and sidewalks is restricted. They can be eliminated only if they pose a safety hazard, are too costly or not really needed, the court said in its opinion. The state had argued it could consider factors, such as the effect on homeowners and the character of the com Staff photos by DAMON HIGGINS Sarah Ivory, the mother of Turner Norwood, cries Wednesday after Derek Dixon pleaded guilty to killing her son and three other men in two separate incidents in 2004. Derek Dixon will serve his sentence of 40 years concurrently with another 40-year sentence for carfacking See BIKE LANES, 5B Private law opportunity lures Berger from bench 1.0111111r-N, er I 1111-fr illipH By LARRY KELLER Palm Beach Post Staff Writer WEST PALM BEACH As relatives of the dead wept, Derek Dixon pleaded guilty Wednesday to the murders of four men that rocked the city in November 2004 and was sentenced to 40 years in prison.

Dixon was involved in two revenge-motivated double murders within a span of three days on Palm Beach Lakes Boulevard. Police initially said the crimes were unrelated. They were among nine murders in West Palm Beach that month. In the first pair of slayings, Reynold Barnes, 23, and Eddie Gibbs, 26, were found shot to death in a car near the Palm Beach Mall. Three days later, Turner Norwood, 22, and Ali Jean, 22, were discovered shot to death in a car near the Home Depot east of the mall.

Homicide prosecutor Angela Miller said the dead men's families wanted the plea deal in order to put the case behind them. "Those families have been 100 percent supportive of the process," she said. Norwood's mother and sister, however, said afterward they were displeased. "The same thing he did to my brother should have happened to him. He should have been sentenced to death," said Norwood's sister, Tanya Matthews, 36, of West Palm Beach.

"He messed up four families and he only got 40 years." Norwood was the father of four young children. The youngest, Taurus, now 5, was in court with See DIXON, 4B The judge and ex-Boca Mayor Abrams will join a Fort Lauderdale firm. Derek Dixon consults with Public Defender Carey Haughwout moments before pleading guilty to four counts of murder. Images of defendant differ in leaving-scene trial Follow the trial online Get live updates from the courtroom as witnesses testify today. PalmBeachPost.com By LARRY KELLER Palm Beach Post Staff Writer WEST PALM BEACH Circuit Judge William Berger says he's stepping down from the bench after five years so that he can open a branch law office with outgoing Boca Raton Mayor Steven Abrams.

"I love being a judge," Berger said. "I hate having to give up the bench. This happens to be a great financial opportunity for me." Circuit judges earn 015,000 a year. Berger said that an expected challenge to his reelection this year from homicide prosecutor Craig Williams was not a factor in his decision. "None whatsoever," he said.

"Craig is an excellent lawyer. I respect him highly" Chief Judge Kathleen Kroll said she is awaiting word from the governor's office on whether Berger's successor will be appointed or elected. See BERGER, 4B :,.,7 rf 0" 12,1:, 't 1 i -s I' '41411-- '-g- l'-- '95 i F- 6 .,,,,,,::,,..7,. 3, '4'-' il ,6,,, 2-1 li 1 4. lig-- -4- 4 OW By SUSAN SPENCER-WENDEL Palm Beach Post Staff Writer WEST PALM BEACH Two images emerged Wednesday of Adam Gaillard, the man charged with leaving the scene of a pre-dawn accident on the Blue Heron Bridge that killed two women.

During opening statements in Gaillard's trial, the lawyers' depictions of him diverged. Prosecutor Ellen Roberts alleged Gailliard evaded police, delayed reporting to them for more than 12 hours after the accident, and factual inaccuracies in the statement he did make. "The defendant, in his state- ment, will tell you all the lights were out and the bridge was very, very dark," Roberts said. "That's simply not true." Gaillard also told police he received a phone call right before the crash and threw the cellphone down in frustration, causing the car to swerve. That phone call, Roberts said, came in long before the crash occurred.

Roberts' case to prove is that See GAILLARD, 4B DAMON HIGGINSStaff Photographer James Jones, who was near the bridge on the day of the accident, uses an aerial photo to describe what he saw. Adam Gaillard is being tried on charges of leaving the scene of a fatal crash. Emily J. Minor is on assignment. Kravis Center season includes Broadway series, 3B 4 g4 PA VI 17.