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Artis Hughes

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Bus Driver Pleads No Contest, Found Guilty In RTA Uppercut Case

Artis Hughes could face up to six months in jail when he is sentenced

Artis Hughes -- the former RTA bus driver who is accused of uppercutting an unruly female passenger -- pleaded "no contest" to a charge of assault Tuesday morning in Shaker Heights Municipal Court, according to NewsNet5. The judge found Hughes guilty but did not sentence him. Hughes could face up to six months in jail or $1,000 in fines when he is sentenced. Hughes' sentencing hearing has not been scheduled. Meanwhile, Shidea Lane -- the woman Hughes is accused of striking -- was charged with disorderly conduct and a trial has been scheduled for May 2 in Shaker Heights Municipal Court. Hughes, 59,  and Lane, 25, were involved in an altercation — which was recorded on a cell phone and later became a viral video — on an RTA bus in Beachwood …

Friday, March 8, 2013

Lawyer Requests to Postpone RTA Uppercut Driver's Union Arbitration

Artis Hughes' hearing was set for March 27 but union president reports that the RTA's lawyer has requested that it be postponed to May

Arbitration over the firing of a Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority bus driver may be postponed, according to Amalgamated Transit Union Local 268 President William Nix. Artis Hughes — the former RTA bus driver who is accused of uppercutting an unruly female passenger — was fired following the altercation. According to an email Nix sent Patch, counsel for the RTA requested that the arbitration hearing scheduled for March 27 be postponed to late May or June. A reason was not given in the email and the lawyer did not return a phone call from Patch. Hughes, 59,  and Shidea Lane, 25, were involved in an altercation — which was recorded on a cell phone and later became a viral video — on an RTA bus in Beachwood last fall. Lane …

Friday, March 1, 2013

Change Of Plea Scheduled In RTA Uppercut Case

A change of plea hearing has been scheduled for RTA driver Artis Hughes, who is accused of assaulting an unruly female passenger

Artis Hughes -- the former RTA bus driver who is accused of uppercutting an unruly female passenger -- was scheduled to have a pretrial hearing in his assault case Thursday in Shaker Heights Municipal court. However, a change of plea hearing has been scheduled for April 2 instead, according to online court records. The scheduling of the hearing itself is not legally an admission of guilt. Meanwhile, Shidea Lane -- the woman Hughes is accused of striking -- was charged with disorderly conduct and a trial has been scheduled for May 2 in Shaker Heights Municipal Court. Hughes, 59,  and Lane, 25, were involved in an altercation — which was recorded on a cell phone and later became a viral video — on an RTA bus in Beachwood last fall. Lane …

Friday, January 25, 2013

RTA Uppercut Trials Delayed

Judge grants motions to delay trials for Artis Hughes and Shidea Lane

A Shaker Heights Municipal Court judge has granted motions to delay the trials of Artis Hughes and Shidea Lane. The two were involved in an altercation — which was recorded on a cell phone and later became a viral video — on an RTA bus in Beachwood last fall. Shidea Lane, 25, reportedly boarded an RTA #5 bus Sept. 18 without paying. A dispute began that ended in the notorious uppercut delivered by Hughes, who was driving the bus. Both Lane and Hughes were criminally charged following the incident. See all posts on this topic: RTA Uppercut Topic Page Hughes' jury trial for an assault charge was scheduled to begin today, but it was pushed back to February 28 per a joint request made by the defense and the prosecution so more evidence could …

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Uppercut RTA Driver's Firing Goes to Arbitration

The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority bus driver shown in a viral video punching a passenger was fired last month over the dispute.

The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority's bus driver union voted to bring in an arbitrator in connection with the firing of a bus driver involved in a physical altercation with a passenger last year. Artis Hughes was fired Nov. 6 after an altercation witha female passenger that ended with an uppercut. A video of Hughes uppercutting a passenger in Beachwood went viral on the web. The RTA said that Hughes' actions were not in accordance with the company's policies, and he has been charged with assault in connection with the altercation. The passenger, Shidea Lane, has also been charged with disorderly conduct. Amalgamated Transit Union Local 268 President William Nix said that the members approved the measure to seek arbitration …

Yvonne Renee Harris

3:25 am on Friday, January 11, 2013

Give Art his job back he's our hero from all bus drivers   more ›

Sunday, December 30, 2012

Top Stories of 2012

Top Story of 2012: Cleveland RTA Driver Hits Woman, Video Taken in Beachwood

A viral video of a bus driver punching a passenger on an RTA bus was Beachwood's biggest story of the year.

One of the biggest hits locally this year wasn't in the box office, it was on an RTA bus in Beachwood. On October 11 a video of a bus driver punching a passenger on an RTA bus went viral online is from an incident in Beachwood. Warning: Video contains graphic scenes and strong language. The video, first posted on the website WorldStarHipHop.com Oct. 11, has since been viewed nearly 17 million times there and reportings on YouTube have been viewed over 375,000 times. In the shaky, graphic video, a woman, Shidea Lane, 25, is seen standing at the front of the bus arguing with the driver, Artis Hughes, 59. The two threaten each other and the woman approaches the driver, possibly striking him. Hughes has been an employee of RTA for 22 years. …

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Cleveland RTA "Uppercut" Bus Driver Fired

Artis Hughes has been terminated, the RTA said today, in part because the company argues that his actions were not in self defense.

The Greater Cleveland RTA bus driver depicted in a viral video punching a passenger has been fired, the RTA said today. Artis Hughes, 59, of Cleveland, was terminated by the RTA today because he did not follow RTA protocol in handling an unruly passenger on a route Sept. 18 in Beachwood, the RTA said. See all posts on this topic: RTA Uppercut Topic Page Shidea Lane, 25, reportedly boarded an RTA #5 bus Sept. 18 without paying. A dispute began —which was recorded on a cell phone and later became a viral video — that ended in the notorious uppercut delivered by the angry bus driver. Though the RTA acknowledged in a press release that Lane was out of line that day, the company asserted that Hughes did not react properly to the threat, and his…

Thursday, October 25, 2012

RTA Bus Driver's Disciplinary Record Includes Headphones, Minor Crash

The Greater Cleveland RTA released Artis Hughes' personnel file Thursday.

The RTA bus driver who was caught in a viral video uppercutting a passenger in Beachwood has three written disciplinary marks in his personnel file. Artis Hughes has been cited by the RTA for listening to headphones while driving twice and hitting a tree with his right-side mirror, according to documents released by the RTA Thursday. See all posts on this topic: RTA Uppercut Topic Page The 22-year-veteren of the RTA has never been punished with more than a written warning. According to the disciplinary reports, Hughes told the RTA that he was listening to the Bible on cassette the second time he was spotted wearing the earbud in January 2005. The first time he was cited for the earbud was in August 2003. The other written warning he …

Ken Persuchetti

6:30 pm on Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Hughes actions were indefensible. I applaud the RTA and the DA's office for doing the right thing.   more ›

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Cleveland RTA to Meet With Uppercut Driver Today

Artis Hughes will meet with administration today to discuss his employment after he was caught on video uppercutting an unruly passenger.

Artis Hughes will meet with Cleveland Regional Transit Authority administrators today to discuss the future of his employment at the company. Hughes, who drove for the RTA for 22 years before his unpaid suspension began Oct. 13 after the RTA saw the viral video online, has been charged with assault in Beachwood for the uppercut he delivered to passenger Shidea Lane Sept. 18. See all posts on this topic: RTA Uppercut Topic Page Lane, 25, reportedly boarded an RTA #5 bus Sept. 18 in Beachwood without paying. A dispute began — which was recorded on a cell phone and later became a viral video — that ended in the notorious uppercut. Lane was charged with disorderly conduct and was booked and released last week. A spokesperson from the RTA …

Ms. Jazzy

1:56 pm on Wednesday, October 24, 2012

I do trust that Cleveland RTA will do the right thing by giving Mr.Hughes his job back. If they do not, he will have been served a great injustice for defending himself. If that being so,I pray that he deals with them accordingly and take them to the bank for allowing him to go through such pain and suffering !!   more ›

Monday, October 22, 2012

RTA Uppercut Driver Booked, Released at Beachwood Jail

Artis Hughes turns self in at Beachwood Police Department Monday afternoon.

Beachwood Police have confirmed that Artis Hughes, the 59-year-old RTA bus driver who uppercut a passenger in a viral video last month, has turned himself in on an assault charge. See all posts on this topic: RTA Uppercut Topic Page Shidea Lane, 25, reportedly boarded an RTA #5 bus Sept. 18 without paying. A dispute began —which was recorded on a cell phone and later became a viral video — that ended in the notorious uppercut delivered by Hughes. Follow us on Twitter | Like us on Facebook Fox 8 news reports that Hughes was booked, posted his $5,000 bond and was released in about half an hour Monday afternoon. WEWS reported that dozens of supporters surrounded Hughes as he entered the police department today with signs, arguing that Hughes …

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