Mel Hall the Rapist
I am sick of it. I am sick to my core with professional athletes who escape true justice when they break the law.
Some of these guys project such a powerful image no one dares report their criminal behavior. A recent case in point is former major league baseball player Mel Hall who dodged charges of sexual assault against young girls for years. Finally, a Texas jury found him guilty of the decade old rape of a 12 year old girl. At least 3 other females testified at trial that Hall also sexually assaulted them when they were underage. Hall has now been sentenced to 45 years in prison.
For every Michael Vick who goes to jail there are countless other athletes who get the kid-glove treatment in court
Michael Vick
mostly because their multi-million dollar contracts allow them to hire the best defense attorneys. There are too many examples to fit in this space but these athletes are drug users and dealers, child abusers, wife beaters, they commit fraud and theft, they are serial fathers who refuse to pay child support. NBA player Jason Caffey, for example, had 10 children with various women and refused to support to any of them until a court finally stepped in. The list of serious crimes by professional athletes goes on and on.
Today, let’s focus on those who’ve committed the ultimate crime. They have killed people. What happens to them when they enter the criminal justice system? Well, I can tell you if it were you or me who had taken a life we would likely be treated in a vastly different fashion.
Donte Stallworth with Attorney
Earlier this month Cleveland Browns wide receiver Donte Stallworth pleaded guilty to killing 56 year old Mario Reyes. After celebrating his new 4.5 million dollar roster bonus at Miami Beach’s Fontainebleau Hotel, Stallworth headed home, driving drunk, in his shiny black Bentley. It was just after 7 am. Reyes was hurrying to catch a bus at the end of his overnight shift as a construction crane operator. Not only was Stallworth driving with almost twice the legal blood alcohol limit, police say he was also speeding when he smashed his car into the unsuspecting Reyes.
In court Stallworth took full responsibility telling the judge he, “will bear this burden for the rest of my life.”
Behind the scenes Stallworth’s lawyer had reached a confidential financial settlement with the Reyes family and they, in turn, agreed not to file a civil suit and not to press for an aggressive prosecution. Although Stallworth faced up to 15 years in prison, the judge sentenced him to just one month behind bars. That, my friends, is called “Green Justice” – buying your way out of legal trouble.
Stallworth’s attorney quickly pointed out his client will be on house arrest for two years, probation for up to 10 years, he’ll serve one thousand hours of community service and he loses his driver’s license forever. Oh, and the icing on this repentance cake? The announcement that Stallworth will donate $2,500 each to Mothers Against Drunk Driving and Parents of Murdered Children. MAAD promptly told Stallworth where he could stuff his cash and scolded the NFL for its continued lenient policy on the multitude of drunk driving players.
The Stallworth case is wrong on so many levels. It’s wrong that a judge could think a one month sentence for negligent homicide is justice. It’s wrong that the prosecutor didn’t stand up and say, “To hell with buying off the family! My job is to keep the public safe – no plea agreement!” And, it’s shameful that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell only suspended
NFL Commish Goodell
Stallworth. Along with the Cleveland Browns, Goodell leaves open the possibility that Stallworth could soon be back at training camp, reaping the rewards of his multi-million dollar contract.
The Stallworth case isn’t unique. Former NBA star Jason Williams has still not served one day in prison for killing his limo driver in 2002. At a booze and drug fueled party at his New Jersey home William says he accidentally shot Gus Christofi. The jury deadlocked on the reckless manslaughter charge so Williams has been free on bail pending re-trial. But the jury also found Williams guilty on several counts of trying to cover up the incident, including wiping down his shotgun and jumping in his chlorinated swimming pool to get rid of gunshot residue. For more than 7 years Williams has remained free.
I find all these cases of easy going justice for athletes shocking and disgraceful. Why are they treated so differently in a system that’s supposed to be equal for all? At a time when athletes are still erroneously called “heroes” and “role models” it’s time for fans to demand more of these pampered, overpaid players. Obeying the law would be a good start.
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Dianne, how can you be so upset over bums that mostly come from the slums of our nations large cities,
that have extreamly poor educations. — When the fat cats in Washington DC don;t pay their taxes, a large percentage commit adultery probably at least a couple times a month. Take bribes, and spend multiplied Trillions of dollars of our money with no responsibility what so ever? We've got a mentally
retarded speaker of the house that doesn't know her butt from a hole in the ground. A vice President falls into the same catagory. — Johnny Shelton
Mr. Shelton obviously wanted to ignore the premise of your column and complain about politicians morals. Our Declaration of Independence says that we are all created equal, and we all know that society shifts that scale of equality. Too often the only way to restore that equality is through the protection of laws. Theodore Roosevelt wrote that "Justice consists not in being neutral between right and wrong, but in finding out what is right and upholding it, wherever found, against the wrong."
When justice is not evenly applied, with no exception to social, celebrity or political status it becomes an insult to any American that wants to believe in our justice system, and an injustice to those serving stiffer penalties for the same offense, the only exception would be in the case of repeat offenders who should get stiffer sentences.
ABQ Journal Reader Don D. writes:
"I agree completely with your comments, if anything, you were too kind to these creeps. Stallworth is just the latest and most visible athlete to buy his way out of legal difficulties. The news is full of college football players abusing or raping their dates or worse yet, uninvolved women. What usually happens is that the alumnis either pressure the police/district attorneys and/or pay the victim off to keep their beloved athlete on the playing field. Pretty nauseating and even worse that a so called institute of higher learning would tolerate this sickening behavior. The colleges and universities tolerance of the laughable educational performance of their athletic team members is bad enough but pales to insignificant when compared to their acceptance of criminal behavior.
I am amazed when blue collar workers go to see baseball games, pay for the outrageous parking fees, ticket prices, programs and food only to see someone like Alex Rodriguez making $300K for a double header, maybe 5-6X what they do in a year and they're comfortable with it all. I bet they think some board certified doctor with 4 yrs of college, 4 yrs of med school and 4-6 yrs of followon training charges too much for an office visit.
This nonsense is certainly not limited to athletes. In addition to Chappaquiddick, where it is obvious that the Kennedy money bought off the victim's family, Teddy has been involved in more than one incident in the past where he laid his blubbery carcass on top of some unwilling Washington DC waitress. He escaped sexual assault charges on several occasions, probably again, applying the salve of money to the victim.
In Hollywood, we have the sickening spectacle of judges letting celebrities off with pathetically mild judgments that would have you or I in serious difficulty. Robert Downey Jr. comes to mind. He's been into so many rehab sessions that he should have been thrown in prison long ago yet when he gets out of his comfortable treatment facility, the sycophants in Hollywood welcome him home with open arms and another lucrative contract. Wonder if the judges ask for his autograph after the exceptionally lenient sentencing? "
ABQ Reader Gary M writes;
" very overdue and perceptive article. Thanks!
Now, how about pursuing this topic further? The problems with athletes behavior, their expectations of special treatment and their assumption of privilege, begin very early in their lives. Professional basketball scouts are building resumes of 6th grade players, football scouts are watching junior highschool players and some highschools "recruit" athletes with inducements and special treatment.
An analysis and critique of this emphasis on athletics instead of education in schools and our society is overdue.
Thanks again for an excellent article."
ABQ Journal Steve C. writes:
"Good Morning,
I just read your article in the Albuquerque Journal entitled: "Lawbreaking Athletes Get Unfair Breaks." You are so correct. However no one seems to put blame on the owners of the clubs that continue to employ these thugs and criminals. If the owners immediately fired these criminals and no other club picked them up, they would be broke in no time. Then they would become ordinary criminals who could not afford fancy lawyers and therefore would probably serve due time. So, the owners need to share a big part of this problem. Owners care only about winning-at any cost."