The
Chicago Tribune reports that the Bears are interested in signing Plaxico Burress, who "has a June 15 hearing stemming from felony gun charges." That is a bit of an understatement. Yet, the NFL community -- and not just fans -- seem rather blind to the reality that Plaxico faces gun charges with a mandatory minimum sentence and the prosecutors do not appear interested in granting him grace, and so he is going to serve some real jail time. Who he signs with is rather beside the point. As sentencing law expert Doug Berman has
observed:
Given that New York state prosecutors seem disinclined to let Burress plead to anything that does not include at least a year in prison, I find it strange (and perhaps telling) that NFL teams and reporters still do not seem to fully realize that Burress could end up spending as much if not more time behind bars as Vick has simply for possessing a gun in the wrong place and the wrong time.
The Chicago Tribune reports that the Bears are interested in signing Plaxico Burress, who "has a June 15 hearing stemming from felony gun charges." That is a bit of an understatement. Yet, the NFL community -- and not just fans -- seem rather blind to the reality that Plaxico faces gun charges with a mandatory minimum sentence and the prosecutors do not appear interested in granting him grace, and so he is going to serve some real jail time. Who he signs with is rather beside the point. As sentencing law expert Doug Berman has observed:
I'd vote for jury nullification. Having an illegal firearm and shooting one's self is punishment enough.
ReplyDeleteMoreover, is the fact that the Constitution gives us the right to own guns, and yet in NYC, you can go to jail for it!
ReplyDeleteDoug Berman seems to think that firing a gun in a public place is just a matter of having a gun and being in the wrong place. Please, have him tell us where are you not to fire guns in public. As to the constitution, it only gives us the right to own guns but the carry provisions are controlled by local law so long as it does unreasonably prohibit carrying.
ReplyDeleteLet him rot in prison. Hope his career is over too. These celebrity athletes continue to get bolder and bolder and push the limits of the law further and further. The system needs to start treating these childish celebrities like all the rest of us.
ReplyDeleteA year in prison for this crap? He was stupid, yes, but did he hurt anyone but himself? You get less prison time than that for actually assaulting someone!
ReplyDelete