Peter Frommer late to court
The Aspen Times
Aspen, CO Colorado
ASPEN ” Pitkin County Judge Erin Fernandez-Ely issued a bench warrant Wednesday for Peter Frommer after he failed to make his court hearing on time.
It was the latest legal setback for Frommer, who faces more than 30 felony charges, including a handful of check-fraud claims. He is scheduled to stand trial in December.
Meanwhile, Frommer was scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday to prove that he has been making regular payments to Patricia Smyth, the Boulder baby sitter to whom he owes some $7,382, based on a civil judgment from March 2007.
The judge issued a warrant for Frommer’s arrest with a bond of the entire balance, but Frommer showed up 20 minutes after the hearing and filed a motion to stay the warrant.
He claimed he’d had a family emergency.
Smyth, who appeared in court by phone, told Judge Fernandez-Ely that Frommer had paid his scheduled payment of $200 via Western Union on the day before the hearing.
“Every time I think about it, it makes me angry and mostly I feel used and manipulated,” Smyth said after the hearing, adding that Frommer regularly makes his payments at the eleventh hour.
Smyth said that Frommer has paid her $900 since he was ordered last year to pay off the debt.
“As soon as we hang up with the judge, that’s the last time I hear from him until our next court date,” Smyth said. “You can’t believe anything he says.”
Court officials said Judge Fernandez-Ely would consider Frommer’s last-minute motion to stay the warrant.
Smyth said Frommer hired her services around the clock for a number of weeks in December 2006 and January 2007 ” a period in which Frommer allegedly wrote a string of bad checks around Aspen.
“I worked really hard for that money,” Smyth said. “I’d really like to be paid and close it.”
Smyth and Frommer agreed on a settlement in the case, Smyth said, but she would not disclose the amount.
Frommer agreed to make a partial payment in 10 days and pay the full settlement amount in 40 days, Smyth said.
But she wasn’t confident she’d see the money.
“He’s been telling me that for the last year-and-a-half,” Smyth said. “I’ll believe it when I see it.”
Smyth was also subpoenaed and will appear as a witness in Frommer’s criminal hearing.
Frommer, who regularly makes his court appearance, called Smyth to apologize for his failure to appear and said by phone that he did not mean to disrespect the court.
