Iverson

[valkyrie]

Originally posted by PM_Mama00
So Alan Iverson (if I'm spelling it wrong, I don't care. I have no respect for him) busts into his cousin's apartment or whatever to find his wife, and assaults some men. The police are giving him till Tuesday to turn himself in. He throws a big party, and the police are watching from outside the gates. I would LOVE to see that happen with a normal person. And in the news it says that his contract isn't guaranteed if he is charged with a felony? I would hope that he contract would be broken! Why should someone still be making millions if they are charged with a felony? I'm so sick of seeing athletes getting away with anything just because they have a contract or whatever. I don't care who they are, or what they do. OJ Simpson, WTF? I'm sure if Michael Jordan murdered someone, they woudln't care. They'd prolly come up with some excuse like "oh well he's stressed and it was an accident". Ahhh!!!! Where are the equal rights activists on this problem? Huh?

Props to KSigRC for his thoughtful response.

PM_Mama, if you think that people (and specifically black men) are never wrongly accused of crimes, I invite you to spend a day with me at my work. It happens all the time, and athletes are guaranteed the same rights under our constitution as you are. If he is charged with a crime, the state needs to prove it BEYOND A REASONABLE DOUBT, and unless and until that happens, he is PRESUMED INNOCENT.

There is a huge difference between being CHARGED with a crime and being CONVICTED of one.

The "equal rights activists" are hopefully out there protecting the rights of everyone, from famous athletes to the homeless guy sleeping in the park.

[PM_Mama00]

Originally posted by valkyrie


PM_Mama, if you think that people (and specifically black men) are never wrongly accused of crimes, I invite you to spend a day with me at my work. It happens all the time, and athletes are guaranteed the same rights under our constitution as you are. If he is charged with a crime, the state needs to prove it BEYOND A REASONABLE DOUBT, and unless and until that happens, he is PRESUMED INNOCENT.

There is a huge difference between being CHARGED with a crime and being CONVICTED of one.

The "equal rights activists" are hopefully out there protecting the rights of everyone, from famous athletes to the homeless guy sleeping in the park.

Ah yeah. Don't get the "specifically black men" comment. I named Michael Jordan because he's the most famous basketball player that I know of, and OJ Simpson for obvious reasons. Not my fault that they are coincidentally all black.

And about being wrongly accused... my ex boyfriend/good friend who I love dearly is probably going to jail next week on his birthday for something that he didn't do or had anything to do with, but there is really not a lot of evidence to prove him innocent. So yes, I do believe people can be wrongly accused.

And yeah I hope the equal rights activists are protecting everyone. My whole point of my post was to say that there are a LOT of athletes who get away with things... as well as politicians, actors/actresses, musicians, and it's sick. When any other normal Joe would get arrested for drug abuse or whatever, if he got charged/convicted he woudln't be able to work because he'd be in jail (I guess... that's how it is in my friend's case). However, a lot of famous people, like Robert Downey, Jr. are continuously released and let to work again. Or in athletes situations, play again and receive millions of dollars.

[KSig RC]

Originally posted by PM_Mama00
And about being wrongly accused... my ex boyfriend/good friend who I love dearly is probably going to jail next week on his birthday for something that he didn't do or had anything to do with, but there is really not a lot of evidence to prove him innocent. So yes, I do believe people can be wrongly accused.

Where the hell are you from, boss? This isn't how the criminal justice system is supposed to work - there is no "proving innocent," I'd have him look into that really really fast.

Originally posted by PM_Mama00
And yeah I hope the equal rights activists are protecting everyone. My whole point of my post was to say that there are a LOT of athletes who get away with things... as well as politicians, actors/actresses, musicians, and it's sick. When any other normal Joe would get arrested for drug abuse or whatever, if he got charged/convicted he woudln't be able to work because he'd be in jail (I guess... that's how it is in my friend's case). However, a lot of famous people, like Robert Downey, Jr. are continuously released and let to work again. Or in athletes situations, play again and receive millions of dollars.[/color]

uhhh . . . well, I hate to break it to ya, but first-time drug offenses aren't major crimes. AND - there are repeat offenders from every social strata . . . but celebrities are under a microscope in society, so it's much better news than when I get arrested for going back on the dope.

Bottom line: a shitload of people "get away with things", as you put it - usually it's due to OTHER PEOPLE getting them off, not themselves. Whether it be an upper-class white man paying for good lawyers, or getting off b/c a 'jury of your peers' is just that, and lets you off for no apparent reason - there's no reason to jack on a sports figure just b/c he's famous.

As a post-script - the latest from the Philly PD is that no blood was found in his wife's car - just the broken glass. The plot thins.

[valkyrie]

Originally posted by PM_Mama00


Ah yeah. Don't get the "specifically black men" comment. I named Michael Jordan because he's the most famous basketball player that I know of, and OJ Simpson for obvious reasons. Not my fault that they are coincidentally all black.

And about being wrongly accused... my ex boyfriend/good friend who I love dearly is probably going to jail next week on his birthday for something that he didn't do or had anything to do with, but there is really not a lot of evidence to prove him innocent. So yes, I do believe people can be wrongly accused.

And yeah I hope the equal rights activists are protecting everyone. My whole point of my post was to say that there are a LOT of athletes who get away with things... as well as politicians, actors/actresses, musicians, and it's sick. When any other normal Joe would get arrested for drug abuse or whatever, if he got charged/convicted he woudln't be able to work because he'd be in jail (I guess... that's how it is in my friend's case). However, a lot of famous people, like Robert Downey, Jr. are continuously released and let to work again. Or in athletes situations, play again and receive millions of dollars.

PM_Mama, since you didn't get the "black men" comment, I will explain it to you. I made the comment about black men being wrongly accused of crimes not because of Michael Jordan or Allen Iverson, but because of my work. I work as a public defender, which means I represent people charged with crimes who cannot afford to hire a private attorney. I spend day after day sitting in jail or lockup talking to my clients, most of whom are poor black men, about the charges they are facing, many of which are bogus. Every day I see how our society is doing a disservice to both the poor and minorities, as they are frequently arrested and thrown in jail on charges are based upon a bunch of crap.

I also don't think that you are qualified to comment on what happens when "any other normal Joe" gets convicted of a crime. Most people who are convicted of lesser felonies, including drug possession, weapons possession, forgery, theft, battery, etc., especially when it is a first offense, do NOT get jail time. Our jails are overcrowded as it is, and often probation is an option because we do not have the resources to be rounding up all the "average Joes" and throwing them in jail.

I'm not trying to argue with you, but as someone with experience in criminal law, I don't want people coming away from this thread with a grossly inaccurate picture of how it all works, or doesn't work as the case may be.

[PM_Mama00]

Originally posted by valkyrie


PM_Mama, since you didn't get the "black men" comment, I will explain it to you..........

I also don't think that you are qualified to comment on what happens when "any other normal Joe" gets convicted of a crime.........

I'm not trying to argue with you, but as someone with experience in criminal law, I don't want people coming away from this thread with a grossly inaccurate picture of how it all works, or doesn't work as the case may be.

Sorry, I editted out some of your post cuz I didn't want this to be a huge post.

Thank you for clearing up ur black man comment. I didn't know that is what you were talking about.

I may not be qualified to comment on the average joe, but I'm entitled to my opinion and what I've seen from my personal point of view.

Not everyone has experience in criminal law, and that is why some people's posts are helpful. If someone doesn't know about something, and they "inaccurately" say something, those GCers are there to help clear things up. But, as I said before, this is from my point of view. But thank you for your help in that. And someone mentioned something about "proving innocent". In my ex's case, it's pretty much guilty till proven innocent. I just realized for like the 100th time that he's a bastard tho, so let's not talk about that!

[moe.ron]

Originally posted by JMUduke
and diplomats...

Diplomats? Hehe, they'll be lucky if they could afford to fly Business class.

[Steeltrap]

Here's what the Philadelphia justice system decided to do w/little A.I.

Judge dismisses all but one charge against Iverson

By MICHAEL RUBINKAM
Associated Press Writer
July 29, 2002


PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- NBA All-Star Allen Iverson was cleared of all but a misdemeanor Monday at a hearing into charges he stormed into his cousin's apartment with a gun and threatened two men while looking for his wife.

Two counts of making terroristic threats were left standing after the six-hour preliminary hearing to determine whether prosecutors had enough evidence to try Iverson.

``It sounds like you had a relative looking for a relative at the house of a relative,'' Municipal Court Judge James DeLeon said.

The ruling followed testimony from Iverson's two accusers and his cousin Shaun Bowman.

Iverson, the NBA MVP in the 2000-01 season and a three-time league scoring champion, was accused of throwing his wife, Tawanna, out of their home, then barging into Bowman's apartment July 3.

The Philadelphia 76ers guard was arrested on 14 felony and misdemeanor charges, including assault, terroristic threats and weapons offenses. Iverson's uncle also was charged and he, too, now faces only the misdemeanor.

The original charges against Iverson carried a maximum sentence of more than 50 years.

He was the subject of intense local media scrutiny after the allegations surfaced. Hordes of reporters and photographers camped outside Iverson's suburbanrges.

It's not Iverson's first brush with the law.

As a teenager in 1993, he was arrested after a bowling-alley brawl and spent four months in jail in Virginia before he was granted clemency by the governor. The conviction was later overturned.

In 1997, Iverson pleaded no contest to gun possession.

He also made an unreleased rap CD in which he used derogatory terms for women and gays, and he's fought several times with 76ers coach Larry Brown.

Through it all, Iverson remains enormously popular.

His 76ers jersey is the among the league's top sellers, and Reebok last year gave Iverson a lifetime extension of his 10-year, $50 million endorsement contract.

updated at Mon Jul 29 13:54:11 2002 PT