Vick and Burress' Sentencing Has Me Steamed

[cjwct]

I just saw that Burress dropped his "not guilty" plea, pled "guilty" for family reasons and was sentenced to 2 years . . . 2 years for shooting yourself with a non-registered, concealed gun ??? Similarly, Vick got 2 years for bankrolling and allegedly (still allegedly, correct?) dog fighting, animal cruelty, and allegedly killing dogs?

Listen, I am the biggest supporter of calling today's athlete's pre-Madonna's (let's not forget that only 50 years ago Brooklyn Dodgers' players who lost the World Series had to take winter jobs to pay bills and support their family) but aren't these sentences a little too much?

Let me finish before the attacks begin . .. to me, Vick and Burress are fall guys in which the courts and media are trying to send a message; however, the question remains, who is listening? Dog fighting is a culture in this country and many, many people own, carry and use illegal firearms. Where are those people? Why are they not brought into court on a daily basis and sentenced? Since Vick's arrest, I have been anxiously awaiting for pictures and video of Federal raids on dog-fighting compounds across the country, yet there has been only a few raids and no major arrests in that culture.

I guess my problem is this: why aren't we using Vick and Burress in a joint effort with newly created tasks force that goes after getting guns off the streets, closing dog-fighting rings and such.

 

[Juan]

Former NY Giants receiver Plaxico Burress pleads guilty to weapons possession, agrees to two-year prison term - NJ.com

 

[thowe21]

I just saw that Burress dropped his "not guilty" plea, pled "guilty" for family reasons and was sentenced to 2 years . . . 2 years for shooting yourself with a non-registered, concealed gun ??? Similarly, Vick got 2 years for bankrolling and allegedly (still allegedly, correct?) dog fighting, animal cruelty, and allegedly killing dogs?

Listen, I am the biggest supporter of calling today's athlete's pre-Madonna's (let's not forget that only 50 years ago Brooklyn Dodgers' players who lost the World Series had to take winter jobs to pay bills and support their family) but aren't these sentences a little too much?

Let me finish before the attacks begin . .. to me, Vick and Burress are fall guys in which the courts and media are trying to send a message; however, the question remains, who is listening? Dog fighting is a culture in this country and many, many people own, carry and use illegal firearms. Where are those people? Why are they not brought into court on a daily basis and sentenced? Since Vick's arrest, I have been anxiously awaiting for pictures and video of Federal raids on dog-fighting compounds across the country, yet there has been only a few raids and no major arrests in that culture.

I guess my problem is this: why aren't we using Vick and Burress in a joint effort with newly created tasks force that goes after getting guns off the streets, closing dog-fighting rings and such.

:up:up:up:up

 

[meStevo]

What do you propose, the government steps in and regulates state laws to be far and equitable balanced against not only laws of other states, but against the severity of other crimes? (This isn't generally allowed btw, states rights are still a big deal)

New York is the definition of a massive metropolis, absent tough gun laws, it would be a huge problem. Plaxico getting off with a slap on the wrist would be special treatment and not set an example.

Do you think there's not already an anti-firearms task force in NY? Between customs and the size of the city, surely there's a specialization within the force(s) there. Same goes for the dog fighting thing, it happened in an area of the country where its one of those things that does still happen. Good luck finding that kind of thing here in Vegas. Surely there's a number of programs in the south (in addition to activist groups) with their goals set on ending dog fighting in general.

I don't think the problem here is the disparity in sentences, just a disparity in perception. These convictions accomplish what you're talking about, they make these topics more prevalent in the news and their sentences are a deterrence to participating in a dog fight/carrying a illegal weapon. I'm certain there have been more arrests related to both of these types of activities, I am not sure why you think they need to have been put in the news, too many people die every day for the news people to care, they've got a body count to cover. Also, where did you look, or were you waiting for it to pop up on your local news?

http://www.fbi.gov/page2/july09/dogfighting_070909.html

http://www.whas11.com/topstories/stories/whas11-topstories-090810-dog-fighting-paoli.ce890471.html

http://www.suntimes.com/news/24-7/1708021,w-dog-fight-arrest-080909.article

It's a little harder to find news of 'man arrested with gun in NY' in a city of 20 million people, unless you're stupid and a celebrity it's not news.

Vick was convicted, there's no more allegedly btw.

 

[vurbano]

There should have been a special sentence and charge for Burress. Something like a 1 year dumba@@ charge. I mean what a duma@@ Shoot yourself with your own gun? while carrying it illegally? I don't think he had any criminal intent like Vick did so I disagree with the 2 years. I also disagree with making an example of someone. I think that 2 years for being a dumba@@ is too much.

 

[anders5189]

There should have been a special sentence and charge for Burress. Something like a 1 year dumba@@ charge. I mean what a duma@@ Shoot yourself with your own gun? while carrying it illegally? I don't think he had any criminal intent like Vick did so I disagree with the 2 years. I also disagree with making an example of someone. I think that 2 years for being a dumba@@ is too much.

Exactly. They should have just made him walk around Times Square with a sandwich board that says "I'm a dumbass!"

 

[vurbano]

Burress is also unfortunate he did it in a communist state/city. In the south I think the judge would have laughed and called him a dumba@@

 

[anders5189]

Burress is also unfortunate he did it in a communist state/city. In the south I think the judge would have laughed and called him a dumba@@

In LA he'd have walked. When was the last time anyone got convicted of anything out there?

 

[meStevo]

There should have been a special sentence and charge for Burress. Something like a 1 year dumba@@ charge. I mean what a duma@@ Shoot yourself with your own gun? while carrying it illegally? I don't think he had any criminal intent like Vick did so I disagree with the 2 years. I also disagree with making an example of someone. I think that 2 years for being a dumba@@ is too much.

He could have gotten up to 15 years in jail, is why he suddenly plead guilty. By avoiding trail he's getting a 'deal' at 2 years.

Per ESPN people charged under this law typically face at least 1 year via plea, and up to at least the maximum minimum of 3.5 years.

Plaxico was treated like any other person. He just had more people watching the outcome than an ordinary person. Not sure how it got to trial either way, the bullet is still in his leg, not sure what there is to argue in front of a judge/jury.

Plaxico will serve 2 years (as little as 20 months) and then probably be suspended a year after he's out, his career is probably over, he'll be 35 when he's able to play again (assuming suspension guess is correct)

 

[vurbano]

Yeah NY is one liberal uptight place.

 

[vurbano]

Per ESPN people charged under this law typically face at least 1 year via plea, and up to at least the maximum minimum of 3.5 years.

Plaxico was treated like any other person.

Apaprently not like a "typical" person. I would think that higher sentences would be handed to those who the judge though had some bad intentions. Not for a boob who had a gun go off and shoot him. 2 years is ridiculous

 

[meStevo]

Yeah NY is one liberal uptight place.

Really is irrelevant though. The law existed, he's stupid for breaking it (breaking 'them', actually, since he was carrying and then also discharged).

 

[vurbano]

The 2 years is all because the mayor called for him to get 3.5 years. For a mayor to be influencing a court seems highly inappropriate to me. Burress should file an appeal because after the mayor influenced the sentence.

 

[Ramy]

I do think 2 years is way too much too, but the law is the law up there.

 

[meStevo]

The 2 years is all because the mayor called for him to get 3.5 years. For a mayor to be influencing a court seems highly inappropriate to me. Burress should file an appeal because after the mayor influenced the sentence.

Except that's not what happened. For going to trial he was going to get a minimum of 3.5 years. Via plea, he will only serve 2, which is in the middle of what normally happens to people under this law (1-3.5 years)

The law is minimum 3.5 years. Not the mayor holding a presser to decree some divine judgement on the case.

 

[anders5189]

I do think 2 years is way too much too, but the law is the law up there.

Too bad they don't enforce like that for real criminals.

 

[HD MM]

The law is the law. NYC just happens to have a strict gun law in place. Every state is different. This isn't New York's fault. It's Plex's for not being a more educated gun owner.

The point here is that it's the individual's fault and no one else's. If Plex would've reviewed the gun laws or went to one of the many seminars the NFL puts on for it's players, educating them of such laws, this wouldn't be an issue. Sure it was an accident and sure he ended up hurting only himself, but like I said: The law is the law and he broke it when he decided to carry a concealed, unliscened weapon into a public bar in NYC. He has no one but himself to blame.

 

[Ramy]

Too bad they don't enforce like that for real criminals.

Yep. :up

 

[david1314]

The law is the law. NYC just happens to have a strict gun law in place. Every state is different. This isn't New York's fault. It's Plex's for not being a more educated gun owner.

The point here is that it's the individual's fault and no one else's. If Plex would've reviewed the gun laws or went to one of the many seminars the NFL puts on for it's players, educating them of such laws, this wouldn't be an issue. Sure it was an accident and sure he ended up hurting only himself, but like I said: The law is the law and he broke it when he decided to carry a concealed, unliscened weapon into a public bar in NYC. He has no one but himself to blame.

Spot on take.:up

Better learn the laws of individual states when you decide to carry an unlawful firearm within.

If you can't be bothered to learn yourself, then a man of Plax's means can have someone reserch it for him.

If he or anyone else can't be troubled to those lengths, then you get exactly what you deserve.

 

[meStevo]

The fact that it was unlawful to carry that weapon in any state at the time (his license had recently expired) just puts a exclamation point on how stupid he was. That doesn't earn you leniency when dealing with a deadly weapon, and rightfully so.

His plea and length of sentence is appropriate for the crime.