OT: LA prosecutor drops charges against 2 AL players because he loves sweat, hates A/C
If you watch the video report from the local news station in Louisiana, you get more details in the case. A police officer found four guys in a car afterhours in a park smoking marijuana. There was marijuana in the car and two handguns, one of which was stolen. Charges were dropped because of "insufficient evidence".
Money quote and another example of SEC compassion comes from District Attorney Jerry Jones:
"I want to emphasize once again that the main reason I'm doing this is that I refuse to ruin the lives of two young men who have spent their adolescence and teenage years, working and sweating, while we were all in the air conditioning,"
This makes less than no sense. Having lived in Tuscaloosa, I cannot IMAGINE their DA letting LSU players off the hook.
these kind of "second chances so their lives are not ruined" verdicts occur all over the country. The worst are repeate child sex offenders getting no jail time after the second and third time. The good may be like the kids mentioned in the OP, unless they go all Johnny Manziel.
Similarly, a strict judge hands down a "now you'll learn your lesson" punishment. But, I'll stop here because I'm standing at the edge of a slippery slope of politics.
Drugs and Stolen handguns? And this was not their first arrest, and you're still going with "Boys will be boys?" No, no, NO, dumbass. These are adults committing multiple DANGEROUS felonies.
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What part of marijuana possession and/or use is dangerous?
In fact, there was only ONE felony charged and that was against Robinson. It was for possession of a stolen firemarm.
Possession of a firearm in not a "dangerous" offense -- at least not in this country.
You don't think 4 armed and high dudes, chillin in the hood in the wee hours of the morning, poses a danger to themselves or others?
Anyone who is armed poses a danger to everyone they come in contact with, but this country doesnt see it that way. So....
Smoking weed doesn't increase your chances of violence. In fact, it may decrease it.
Maybe they pose more of a danger to themselves through an accident, but definitely not to the public.
As for the conotations of "chillin in the hood..." I am going to ignore any implication and simply state that, if it was a bad area, then their gun possession (at least for the permitted guns) seems more justified.
Man you solved the gun violence problem in America. Just get everyone high.
The NRA says there is no problem.
I could accept the registered on, the stolen one raises a few concerns beyond it being a felony offense. The typical happy stoner does not seem to fit this instance.
of the patron saint of "boys will be boys'. At least we know now that it is not limited to entitled frat boys.
With guns? Any drug around guns becomes dangerous. As does alcohol. Using ANYTHING judgement affecting around a gun is a HUGE no.
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I think they are inherently dangerous. They are designed for one purpose. Large knives are also dangerous. In fact, the car itself is pretty dangerous.
Were the kids holding the guns or were they just in the car? Was it a gun rack (hey its the south)? Were the guns loaded? IDK.
Anyway, you don't see many potheads or kids who are smoking weed get violent... its not cocaine or anything. Weed doesnt make people want to waive the f*$%king gun around.
We are really stretching for facts to make this look sinister,
No we're not. I'm a life NRA member and support right to carry. But not around any judgement impairing substances. That is illegal for a VERY good reason. I don't have a problem with weed or with guns, but you don't ever mix them.
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Marcia Clark's office and her Assistant D.A.'s love of sweaty California Angel ballplayers and hatred of Al Cowens.
Never mind my intentions of calling for equal justice for the LA Dodgers...
Your blog name is no longer anything close to what I thought. Also, I wholy aggree with your stance. Simply put.
You are right. Guns, knives, and cars can* be dangerous.
Want to know what makes them more dangerous? Operating them while under the influence of a mind-altering substance.
*My guns have never - not one single time - ever fired themselves. I should take them back for a refund. Clearly something's wrong.
Funny that you say that - mine haven't ever fired themselves, either. Not even when I was cleaning them!
I was pretty surprised to see the valpo logo hanging out on this board. Are you a student or grad, or do you just enjoy the old school crusader?
sorry just saw this. a townie with a few credits there to my name, but a graduate of other places (including UM). Just always grew up rooting for Valpo. You?
This didn't happen in Baton Rouge; it happened in Monroe, which is closer to Arkansas and Mississippi than it is to Baton Rouge. It's a small town. Maybe this can be taken at face value: the kids had decent legal representation, the case was hard to prove, and a pot conviciton would rob these kids of an opportunity to improve their lives.
In all likelihood, they were smoking pot with buddies who had guns they may or may not have known about. I'm OK with this. "College kid smokes pot" isn't exactly a "man bites dog" story, nor is it worth ruining a kid's life over.
Even if that kid plays for the dirtiest program in collge football...
i'm sorry my humor obscured your geography lesson
Well that's because they were in trouble in Monroe Louisiana and not in Tuscaloosa. I can tell you that they are beyond lucky to not have the charges picked up by the DA of Monroe. The bayou state is basically 2 states. You have the Catholics that dominate the Southern Louisiana population and you have the Baptist up in the North (Monroe). The Baptist up North tend to have "dry" parishes while the South, well, we have drive-thru daquiri shops. Anyways, to get to my point, let's just say a minority in Monroe found with weed and a gun that has 0 brought up is like hitting the powerball when it was over a billion dollars. Only other explanation is the DA went to Bama.
I love A/C and I live right at the beach. This guy gets it.
just one upped Judge Persky
not even close. apples and oranges, bro...
Yes and No.
The discussion about what is appropriate punishment for various crimes, and what to do when people in positions of authority make judgments that are otherwise outside the norm (low sentence and decision not to charge) is legit I think. Compare rape to pot possession, not so much. Both perception that two sets of privileged college kids get away with the equivalent of a slap on the wrist? Close enough not to negbang.
No, he most certainly did not one-up Persky.
I should have added /s
But it probably would have been better not to go down that road at all.
Better before I saw it in writing...I'll go stand in the corner now
Start of many great stories and regrettable forum threads.
Double post wtf.
never question logic when it comes to the south.
He's elected, so he's just playing to his electorate
When the judicial system turns a blind eye to crime committed by athletes, then that is corruption. I bet Saban will suspend them for half a game against Baby Seal U., and then talk about the importance of building character and integrity.
I can appreciate the uncertainty (and practicality) of dropping the charges for burning one down in a parked car. But how can there be a determination of "insufficient evidence" w/r/t the guns. They exist or they don't. What am I missing?
And I worked (and work) pretty goddamn hard to earn a job with central HVAC. Dumbass.
He said no one took ownership of the gun, so instead of following what the law says and charging them all they're going to walk.
What about a bunch of really smart kids that get in trouble? Only if they study outside and sweat while doing calc? This is just dumb. Special privilege.
Eh, I'm not that bothered by this. They were committing nominal crimes without harming anyone, I don't have a problem with the cops/DA letting this one slide. This is a different story to me than a police department ignoring violent crimes or thefts because of football reasons.
This have happened to guys who didn't play college football?
But letting them off scott free does these kids more harm than good. Giving them probation and/or community services would serve as a deterrent and wouldn't ruin their lives. This sends the message that the law doesn't apply to you if you happen to be born with athletic gifts.
They had drugs and loaded, stolen firearms. That only gets worse if they were next to a daycare while doing it.
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Jerry Jones is apparently one of the more celebrated graduates of the Bobby Bowden Leniency Institute, where everyone is a good boy and they love their mothers.
I also like that he emphasized it with "once again", just in case there was any doubt that what followed was hot garbage.
Ha, no doubt, some of those old Bowden quotes are classic
I read this as Los Angeles prosecutor drops charges against two American league players...
These guys learn from it and don't embarass their benevolent prosecutor.
I am sure they weren't his tho...nooooo, no way!
There was weed in the car too...shhhh...don't tell TMH.
http://www.mlive.com/news/detroit/index.ssf/2016/06/former_msu_star_keith_appling.html
While I don't have much of an issue with the judge adopting a lenient stance when it comes to sentencing, I have a huge issue with letting them off scott free.
1.) I doubt this DA would have dropped these charges if these kids were garbagemen or any other profession that had "spent their adolescence and teenage years, working and sweating while we were all in the air conditioning." If your going to have this stance, you better drop these charges against any kid who worked outside, regardless if one of them is (was) going to be a top 5 pick in the 2017 NFL draft.
2.) It sets a terrible precident. It tells kids that the law doesn't apply to you if you are good at football. They should have been at least given probation or community service. That wouldn't have ruined their lives.