Can You Catch a Ball? Then You Could be Pardoned for Murder
April 23rd, 2008 by DanYou don’t have to be 007 to get pardoned for your sins - even those with deathly consequences. In fact, you can be #15, #52, #89, … just like movie stars and rock stars, sports stars have been known to endure the lightest of knuckle-rappings. Where there is money, there is leniency. How much? The numbers below show this decade’s most legal-agile athletes.
Dany Heatley, February 2005
Sport: Forward for the Ottawa Senators, NHL
Crime: Second-degree vehicular homicide, driving too fast for conditions, failure to maintain a lane, and speeding in connection with car crash that killed teammate and friend Dan Snyder.
Potential sentence: 20 years in prison, with fines totalling $5,000 US.
Sentence received: 3 years probation, limited driving privledges, 150 speeches about the dangers of speeding.
Ray Lewis, February 2000
Sport: Linebacker for the Baltimore Ravens, NFL
Crime: Lewis and two companions were charged with the stabbing murders of Jacinth Baker and Richard Lollar. Lewis plea bargained and plead guilty for the reduced misdemeanor charge of obstruction of justice in exchange for testifying against his two companions.
Potential sentence: Life in prison.
Sentence received: 1 year probation, fined $250,000 by the NFL, and over $1,000,000 in settlements with the victims’ families.
Michael Vick, July 2007
Sport: Quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons, NFL
Crime: Operating a six-year long unlawful dog fighting venture on his property. Vic was accused of directly participating in the dog fights and the executions of dogs who lost, financing the operation and personally handling thousands of dollars in related gambling activities. Vick plea bargained and plead guilty for one charge of conspiracy to operate an interstate dog fighting ring.
Potential sentence: 5 years in prison.
Sentence received: 23 months in prison
Canadian comic Jay Malone sarcastically and hilariously berates Vick
Mark Chmura, April 2000
Sport: Tight end for the Green Bay Packers, NFL
Crime: Accused of child enticement and third degree sexual assault on the 17-year-old babysitter of his children.
Potential sentence: 40 years in prison and $200,000 in fines.
Sentence received: Found innocent of all charges.
Kobe Bryant, July 2003
Sport: Point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers, NBA
Crime: Accused of sexually assaulting a 19-year-old hotel employee.
Potential sentence: 4 years to life in prison.
Sentence received: Case dismissed.
Game on! Crimes Committed During Gameplay
Marty McSorley, February 2000
Sport: Played defenseman for the Boston Bruins, NHL
Crime: Charged with assault with a weapon when he swung his stick and hit Vancouver Canucks’ Donald Brashear in the head, resulting in a grade three concussion.
Potential sentence: 10 years in prison.
Sentence received: 18 months probation with no criminal record.
Todd Bertuzzi, March 2004
Sport: Played right wing for the Vancouver Canucks, NHL
Crime: Charged with assault causing bodily harm after sucker-punching Steve Moore during a Vancouver–Colorado game. After driving the unconscious Moore’s head into the ice, the former Avalanche center suffered from three fractured vertebrae in his neck, a grade three concussion, vertebral ligament damage, stretching of the brachial plexus nerves, and facial cuts.
Potential sentence: 10 years in prison.
Sentence received: One year probation, 80 hours of community service, with no criminal record.
And in case you were wondering, Ron Artest was never charged for what happened in the famous brawl at the Detroit vs Indiana game in 2006.
April 27th, 2008 at 4:17 am
Hehe football is clean
April 28th, 2008 at 6:33 am
Get rid of the stuff that happened in game. Every play in hockey and football is an arrestable offense in normal society.
April 29th, 2008 at 12:38 pm
I’m surprised that you added Michael Vick to this list. I would think that he is a case where the opposite is actually true - because he is a celebrity, he was punished more than others would have been.
What would have happened if it just been 4 “unknown” men operating the dog fighting ring? I highly doubt that they would have gone to jail. Maybe large fines and plenty of community service, but never jailtime.
April 30th, 2008 at 5:21 pm
Kobe bryant’s case was dismissed. But by your logic he should still be in trouble? As for ron artest who cares some dumbass threw a beer at him. Mark Chmura was found innocent after a trial. Why do these people need to be on this site? Way to sensationalize something ass.
May 1st, 2008 at 9:16 am
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May 7th, 2008 at 1:41 pm
Completely false, Artest was charged.
May 8th, 2008 at 12:34 pm
This is stupid. Innocent until proven guilty, right? Well, at least 3 of the people on this list were not charged, nor convicted of the allegations.
Why isn’t Leonard Little on here, the DE for the STL Rams? In 1998, Little crashed into and killed another motorist, Susan Gutweiler in St. Louis, MO. When tested, his blood alcohol level measured 0.19 percent, a level that exceeds the statutory level of intoxication of 0.08 in the state of Missouri. Little received 90 days in jail, four years probation and 1000 hours of community service. Now THAT is a legitimate case and conviction that should be on this website.
May 22nd, 2008 at 10:34 pm
Whoever made this page is filth. If you want to bring some sort of truth to light and criticize an unjust system make sure you aren’t compromising your own integrity by perpetuating false accusations (Bryant’s case was dismissed, at worst he seems to be nothing more than an adulterer), confusing the issue (Vick’s partners–the ones who weren’t famous athletes–got reduced sentences for testifying against him while no such plea bargain was offered to him, his sentence was much harsher because of his celebrity status), or mixing messages (McSorley and Bertuzzi were wrong but only in crossing a hazy line set by the NHL and its policy of quietly encouraging violence. Artest stepped off the court and committed an assault. The NBA was in no way complicit. The hockey incidents and the basketball incident are completely different and should not be lumped together as such. Tying them together like you have is irresponsible.). This article is a disgusting attempt to incite an emotional response in place of real reasoning. You insult your audience and make an ass of yourself. You might have actually had something here if you had decided to put some thought into it and presented an articulate argument instead of simply slapping together some shamefully flat portraits of complicated issues.
July 18th, 2008 at 11:02 pm
The maximum penalties are established with circumstances in mind to warrant them. The typical conviction in no way warrants the full possible penalty. Case in point: A few years ago I was convicted of DUI. I received a penalty of one day in jail, only 1/365th of the maximum penalty. Granted, I came off the bench on my high school basketball team many years prior in a completely different part of the state, so it must have been my athlete status that led to the clemency the judge gave me!
July 19th, 2008 at 11:26 am
Dany Heatly didn’t even deserve the charges he got. It wasn’t his fault, and they make it sound like he did it on purpose. He even asked to be traded away just to get away from the memory. I feel very bad for him still.
July 28th, 2008 at 9:06 pm
Dany Heatley has taken complete responsibility for the accident and has said there isn’t a day that goes by that Dan Snider isn’t on his mind. There are lots of young people who screw up and a wise judge will look at the total situation and the potential of the person involved before he/she makes a decision, not just read the lawbooks like a menu.
August 2nd, 2008 at 9:58 pm
“It wasn’t his fault.” Yes, Tyler, it was his fault. Speeding is a crime. He sped and lost control, it was his fault.
August 6th, 2008 at 8:05 pm
Very nice site!
http://c.1asphost.com/topfarm7/572.html