Loomis’ dad: ‘Not guilty’

By Christina Scanlon

Dressed in shorts and work boots, Melvin C. Loomis, 64, of Granville, appeared before Judge Roger Forando Monday evening and pled not guilty to charges of second-degree facilitating aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle and knowingly lending a vehicle without an interlock device to a person required to have one.

The misdemeanor charges stemmed from the May 26 death of Elizabeth Gibson, also of Granville. Gibson was killed in a vehicle accident after Melvin Loomis allowed his daughter, Kristina Loomis, 31, to drive his car, which did not have a required interlock device.

She stands accused of first-degree vehicular manslaughter, first-degree driving while intoxicated, first-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, all felonies, as well as failure to keep right. She was found to have a blood alcohol content of 0.29 percent, according to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office. She remains in jail.

Neither Forando nor Paul Manchester, also a town judge, will hear Melvin Loomis’ case, due to “extensive interactions over the years,” said Forando. The case will be reassigned to another court in the next 30 days.

Bail was waived for Loomis, as he “has always shown up every time he needed to,” said Forando.

John Winn, attorney for Loomis, has requested a supporting deposition in the case. The document is a statement by the police officer who issued the charges, detailing the facts that provided the reasonable cause that Loomis committed the offenses for which he is being charged.

The next appearance date has been postponed until a new court is named.