The Confusing Case of Plaxico Burress

Comments

1. Mark says:

   September 8, 2009 at 4:55 pm

   Trent,
   I’d like to post something about my take on all this soon, but seeing as how I’ve got my 6 oclock blueprint class to make it to, I really should book it. I would however like your take on Donte Stallworth as well. Here is a man who killed someone, had an undisclosed settlement, and will be back in the league next year. Something seems very wrong to me here. I agree the NFL is becoming a thug league as well and a one year suspension for a player charged with manslaughter while under the influence certainly doesn’t help.

   Mark
2. Las Vegas DUI Attorney says:

   September 9, 2009 at 7:32 am

   War on drugs (wink wink nudge nudge) welfare recipients (political speech vocabulary) gun control (more political speech vocabulary) are all euphemisms of policies of race. Clearly there is a direct correlation between race of receiving extreme or maximum sentences. Whites on one side receive none or trivial sentences while Blacks receive maximum or even maximum plus extraneous sentencing [ extra fines, extra probation, where none is mandated ] for the same crimes. I’m a 3L and I’ve been researching this for the past year.

   Clearly discharging a firearm and injuring yourself is blooper material. Nowhere does the action: pose a threat to others; present a public danger. Lastly, and in court practice we always do this, taking into consideration of the person on hand. Does an NFL star pose a threat to people?

   My question is, who was his lawyers. They must just be god awful. How do you lose that case.
3. Colin says:

   September 9, 2009 at 2:40 pm

   I never took you for much of a sports fan, Trent.
4. Trent says:

   September 9, 2009 at 7:39 pm

   Mark,

   I was thinking about including the Donte Stallworth case as another example, because I agree that house arrest and 30 days in jail isn’t much for a DUI that ends up killing a pedestrian.

   I think it’s another instance of sentences that really don’t cohere with many of our intuitions.

   Trent
5. Trent says:

   September 9, 2009 at 7:46 pm

   Colin,

   I’m a man of many layers.

   (I am large, I contain multitudes.)

   Trent
6. Sherrae says:

   September 10, 2009 at 10:35 am

   I agree, Plaxico sentencing is excessive. I think he should have gotten community service and a permit to carry a gun revoked for 3 months until he learns not to have in armed handgun in his pants. Does this mean his career is over? Also was it in part due to his lawyers.. seems like they missed something if Chris Brown can publicly beat a woman and only get community service..
7. Trent Teti says:

   September 10, 2009 at 2:22 pm

   Sherrae,

   I’m not sure if anyone knows if he career is over. Even if the NFL lets him play after he’s released, he’d be at least 34 years old and, perhaps more importantly, he’d have not played (and thus not been in NFL shape) for at least two years.

   People said Michael Vick would never play in the NFL again, and he was out for almost as long. But one might argue that being a wide receiver requires a straight line speed and reaction time that diminishes quickly as one ages.

   Before anyone mentions it, I know Jerry Rice played until he was 42. But that’s one of the multitude of reasons that he’s widely regarded as the best wide receiver to play the game. Another reason is that he never shot himself in the leg and never had to do two years in prison.

   About Plaxico’s lawyers, the media doesn’t really suggest that the lawyers let him down. My understanding is that the sentencing guidelines are just really harsh for Plaxico’s circumstance. Wouldn’t it be scary if his lawyers had done a good job. and it was just the system that is to blame?