State Agrees To Pay Biker Hells Angel Acquitted In Murder Case To Be Reimbursed For $19,000 In Lost Wages

A Spokane Hells Angel acquitted in May of murder and assault charges will receive a check from state taxpayers for about $19,000 covering lost wages and personal expenses.

The state’s total reimbursement for the case, including defense costs, is $71,600.

The payback comes under a state law providing reimbursement to criminal defendants who prevail in self-defense cases.

Hells Angel Timothy Myers was charged with killing one rival gang member and wounding another. He told the jury he was severely beaten and feared for his life when he fired his gun.

The jury acquitted Myers after the two-week trial and, after further deliberations, decided that Myers acted in self-defense.

Bevan Maxey, Myers’ attorney, said he originally asked the court to approve a total reimbursement of $78,000. After discussions, the court eliminated a disputed amount of lost wages, investigative fees and research costs.

“For the most part all of Mr. Myers’ expenses were covered as they should be,” Maxey said. “It’s unfortunate that he had to compromise on this at all.”

The order of reimbursement, signed by Superior Court Judge James Murphy and filed Dec. 27, was presented as a compromise by the state attorney general’s office, the county prosecutor’s office and Maxey.

David Hearrean, the deputy prosecuting attorney who handled Myers’ prosecution, couldn’t be reached for comment. Neither could Myers.

Maxey will be reimbursed about $30,000 in attorney’s fees. A private investigator, flown in from Alaska by the national Hells Angel organization, will be paid about $22,000.

The money paid to Myers covers about $12,000 in lost wages and $7,000 in other expenses, Maxey said.

Myers was working as an apprentice electrician for a private contractor when he was arrested Dec. 9, 1995.

“He couldn’t work with the crew that he was with because they took a job out of the county and he was restrained from going out of the county,” Maxey said.

Myers is now working in construction, Maxey said.

Reimbursement for “reasonable costs” in self-defense cases comes from money administered by the state attorney general’s office.

The payback still has to be approved by the state Legislature. Maxey said he expected the money to be paid out by May.

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