Tragedy involving a former UMass player!!

John Tate · Post by **John Tate** » Mon Aug 27, 2007 2:09 pm

Tragic and unfortunate. I feel really bad for all parties involved.

Go UMass!!

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime_f ... llage.html

Chris20 · Post by **Chris20** » Mon Aug 27, 2007 2:22 pm

ugh.....

Bub89 · Post by **Bub89** » Mon Aug 27, 2007 2:42 pm

That's awful.

Used to be VOR · Post by **Used to be VOR** » Mon Aug 27, 2007 5:08 pm

Former UMass player or not, if true he deserves every day in prison he gets.

philosopher · Post by **philosopher** » Tue Aug 28, 2007 9:38 am

"collapsed in shock...." Seems to me like a guy who can be rehabbed. He has demonstrated knowledge of right from wrong, at least partial awareness of his responsibility.

If he did the crime, he deserves the time. But for once I'd like to see someone on the lower end of the economic food chain get a break and receive justice with mercy. Let's stop reserving that for celebs, politicos, and people who can afford better lawyers than the DA's office can hire.

I'm with Tate: this is tragic for everyone involved. But vengeance isn't the way to improve matters.

Used to be VOR · Post by **Used to be VOR** » Tue Aug 28, 2007 9:42 am

Somehow if he was driving a Lincoln Aviator like the article said I doubt he was on the low end of the economic food chain.

Post by **MikeUMA** » Tue Aug 28, 2007 12:02 pm

philosopher wrote:But for once I'd like to see someone on the lower end of the economic food chain get a break and receive justice with mercy.

You know what his net worth is

Anyway, I have a mixed bag of feelings on this one. As a former Minuteman, my sympathies go out to him as he faces the legal process ahead. However, he has to be held accountable for what he did and serve the appropriate punishment.

viennafan · Post by **viennafan** » Thu Aug 30, 2007 1:45 am

Am I doing something wrong? I clicked on link got a crime page NY News but still donot know who the ex Umass player is? Can you tell me?Thx.

Chris20 · Post by **Chris20** » Thu Aug 30, 2007 6:32 am

CHris Robinson....played on the early 90's teams

Umass90 · Post by **Umass90** » Thu Aug 30, 2007 9:27 am

MikeUMA wrote:
philosopher wrote:But for once I'd like to see someone on the lower end of the economic food chain get a break and receive justice with mercy.
You know what his net worth is

While Phil MAY have jumped to the wrong conclusion about this guy's net worth, his point is well taken. If the former UMass guy had OJ or Paris Hilton $$$, or if he were a white collar criminal, he'd get a lighter sentence. It is a fact -- plain and simple.

We all know (or should have known) what Phil was getting at.

Used to be VOR · Post by **Used to be VOR** » Thu Aug 30, 2007 10:06 am

Really..... is it a fact?

The guy (if I remember the article right) killed one person and mamed another one while reportedly driving drunk in the middle of the day. I don't think anyones lawyer would have much luck getting that sentenced reduced.

Umass90 · Post by **Umass90** » Thu Aug 30, 2007 10:45 am

Used to be VOR wrote:Really..... is it a fact?

The guy (if I remember the article right) killed one person and mamed another one while reportedly driving drunk in the middle of the day. I don't think anyones lawyer would have much luck getting that sentenced reduced.

So -- let me get this straight -- you're actually going to take the position that the legal system treats rich and poor alike? Phil's point (and mine) is that money buys different access to the "justice system."

If you really believe that is not true, I've got a bridge I'd like to sell you....

Used to be VOR · Post by **Used to be VOR** » Thu Aug 30, 2007 10:54 am

In many crimes (like drug use and petty theft) it is true. But in cases like this where a person is killed under these circumstances (let alone a child) the law is pretty much equal (OJ Simpson excluded).

Umass90 · Post by **Umass90** » Thu Aug 30, 2007 11:20 am

Used to be VOR wrote:In many crimes (like drug use and petty theft) it is true. But in cases like this where a person is killed under these circumstances (let alone a child) the law is pretty much equal (OJ Simpson excluded).

As a lawyer, and based on my own personal observations of the legal system, I wholeheartedly disagree that the law is ever "pretty much equal."

Not matter what the context, those who can afford the best lawyers get the "best" outcomes.

Don't even get me started on the societal biases that cloud what conclusions jurors/judges reach.

UMass87 · Post by **UMass87** » Thu Aug 30, 2007 11:22 am

Used to be VOR wrote:In many crimes (like drug use and petty theft) it is true. But in cases like this where a person is killed under these circumstances (let alone a child) the law is pretty much equal (OJ Simpson excluded).

Actually, I believe (maybe I should look it up?) that statistics suggest that the racial/ethnic/socioeconomic status of the victim are factors in prosecution and sentencing for most crimes.

see link wrote:The authors point out that if victims are chosen randomly, victim characteristics would not affect the criminal's sentence length under an optimal system of punishment. To test this theory, they examine vehicular homicide data from the state of Alabama and the Bureau of Justice Statistics. Vehicular homicides typically involve substance abuse and reckless driving, and the victims are fairly random. Still, Glaeser and Sacerdote find that the drivers' sentences depend heavily on victim characteristics. According to their data, victims' race, age, and criminal record all determine sentence length, even in vehicular homicides. Drivers who kill black victims get substantially shorter sentences, but drivers who kill women receive significantly longer sentences.

http://www.nber.org/digest/aug00/w7676.html