# Star HS basketball star recruit collapses in despair when he is sentenced to 3 years in prison **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 23, 2012, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-hs-basketball-star-recruit-collapses-in-despair-when-he-is-sentenced-to-3-years-in-prison/632350 "2012-08-23T04:05:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-hs-basketball-star-recruit-collapses-in-despair-when-he-is-sentenced-to-3-years-in-prison/632350/81 "2012-08-24T15:12:55Z")
No sympathy here. He seems like a typical self-entitled athlete-thug, who for once got called on his brutality and collapsed in shock that he - _he_ - would have to actually suffer punishment for a crime. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-hs-basketball-star-recruit-collapses-in-despair-when-he-is-sentenced-to-3-years-in-prison/632350/82 "2012-08-24T15:32:01Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > No sympathy here. He seems like a typical self-entitled athlete-thug, who for once got called on his brutality and collapsed in shock that he - _he_ - would have to actually suffer punishment for a crime. Exactly. For once his Golden Ticket didn’t get him out of his own shit. ---
**Author:** ![Spud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spud/32/347_2.png) [@Spud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spud)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-hs-basketball-star-recruit-collapses-in-despair-when-he-is-sentenced-to-3-years-in-prison/632350/83 "2012-08-24T15:52:26Z")
I find it interesting that many people here seem to be saying that it is such a shame that athletes/famous people think they should be treated differently, so we need to make an example and treat him/them with the harshest punishment possible… in essence treating them differently. I’m not saying this is what happened here… the guy did a despicable thing. Just commenting on the tone of some of the comments. ---
**Author:** ![Deeg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/deeg/32/2955_2.png) [@Deeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deeg)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-hs-basketball-star-recruit-collapses-in-despair-when-he-is-sentenced-to-3-years-in-prison/632350/84 "2012-08-24T16:00:38Z")
I’m leaning with Mosier on this one.\* It seems like 6 months to a year would have been more appropriate. I don’t consider myself soft on crime but one thing that I think about is what happens after he gets out? Three years likely kills any chance he has for an athletic scholarship and then what does he do? I don’t have much sympathy for him but we (society) may end up with a young male with no real job prospects, which means we’ll likely have to deal with him again later. A shorter sentence hopefully teaches him a lesson but still leaves him with an opportunity to be productive. - - This assumes that he didn’t show major contempt for the court, which may be an invalid assumption given what some people have mentioned. ---
**Author:** ![beagledave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6de8d8/32.png) [@beagledave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beagledave)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-hs-basketball-star-recruit-collapses-in-despair-when-he-is-sentenced-to-3-years-in-prison/632350/85 "2012-08-24T16:05:25Z")
> [@Deeg](#): > > I’m leaning with Mosier on this one.\* It seems like 6 months to a year would have been more appropriate. I don’t consider myself soft on crime but one thing that I think about is what happens after he gets out? Three years likely kills any chance he has for an athletic scholarship and then what does he do? I don’t have much sympathy for him but we (society) may end up with a young male with no real job prospects, which means we’ll likely have to deal with him again later. > > A shorter sentence hopefully teaches him a lesson but still leaves him with an opportunity to be productive. > > - > - This assumes that he didn’t show major contempt for the court, which may be an invalid assumption given what some people have mentioned. So if it was a highly educated man with a PhD who committed this crime, THEN it would be OK to jail him for a longer period of time because he would have more “real job prospects”? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-hs-basketball-star-recruit-collapses-in-despair-when-he-is-sentenced-to-3-years-in-prison/632350/86 "2012-08-24T16:08:53Z")
> [@Spud](#): > > I find it interesting that many people here seem to be saying that it is such a shame that athletes/famous people think they should be treated differently, so we need to make an example and treat him/them with the harshest punishment possible… in essence treating them differently. > > I’m not saying this is what happened here… the guy did a despicable thing. Just commenting on the tone of some of the comments. I don’t recall anyone in this thread saying that at all. Are YOU reading that into the ‘tone’ of comments? If so, this says more about what you think and imply than anything anyone else said and meant. Some of us are just saying, as I did earlier, that whether or not he is an athlete should have zero bearing on the situation. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-hs-basketball-star-recruit-collapses-in-despair-when-he-is-sentenced-to-3-years-in-prison/632350/87 "2012-08-24T16:18:50Z")
> [@Deeg](#): > > I’m leaning with Mosier on this one.\* It seems like 6 months to a year would have been more appropriate. I don’t consider myself soft on crime but one thing that I think about is what happens after he gets out? Three years likely kills any chance he has for an athletic scholarship and then what does he do? I don’t have much sympathy for him but we (society) may end up with a young male with no real job prospects, which means we’ll likely have to deal with him again later. As noted above, the judge will have the opportunity to review his sentence in 180 days and consider whether to adjust it, and he’ll also be able to apply for a reduced sentence. Maybe he’ll be able to prove that he’s decided that terrorizing and beating a woman is a Very Bad Idea by that point. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-hs-basketball-star-recruit-collapses-in-despair-when-he-is-sentenced-to-3-years-in-prison/632350/88 "2012-08-24T16:22:45Z")
> [@Mosier](#): > > The point I was trying to make is that the punishment doesn’t seem to fit the crimes, to me. He beat someone up and made threats against them. Yes, its a serious crime, but worthy of jail? According to everyone that knows him, this is not a pattern of behavior that we needed to remove him from society for their protection. I don’t know if you’re basing it on schoolyard tussles or what you see on TV, but “beating someone up” can be far more dangerous than you seem to want to admit. Unlike what you see on TV, a hard enough blow to the head can cause concussions/closed head injuries or worse. He sucker-punched her right in the side of the head, then (according to the article) kicked her in the head four more times. That’s not “beating someone up,” that’s assault with intent to do great bodily harm. > [@](#): > > It was a guy who lost control of himself If an adult has that little control over himself, who knows what kind of “mistake” he’ll make next? ---
**Author:** ![Spud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spud/32/347_2.png) [@Spud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spud)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-hs-basketball-star-recruit-collapses-in-despair-when-he-is-sentenced-to-3-years-in-prison/632350/89 "2012-08-24T16:46:03Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > I don’t recall anyone in this thread saying that at all. Are YOU reading that into the ‘tone’ of comments? If so, this says more about what you think and imply than anything anyone else said and meant. You could very well be right. I have three kids who are all very talented athletes. They have worked very hard for what they have accomplished. They are also all very good kids (all are honor students and do volunteer/community service). I got my feeling from… From post #2 “His talent can rot with him. Sports are far, far, far, far away from being important when it comes to the actions of an individual who harasses, threatens, and beats a young girl. “ From post $4 “Criminal athletes are becoming all too common. We just had three Razorback football players busted for burglary. It’s sad that student athletes would even think about doing something like this. It wasn’t that long ago that people looked up to athletes. Not anymore.” From post #12 (didn’t even realize this, but this is you) “I saw criminal thugs getting away with beatings, drugs, thefts and shit that would have any other student thrown out and put in jail. All because they were “athletes”. At a school where not a goddamned one of them was ever going to play professionally.” Just sounds like a bit of bias to me… I don’t think someone would be selected for the jury if any of these were said during the selection process. I’m not defending this punk… he should get exactly what any other person who did the same crime would get. The fact that he is an athlete shouldn’t even be part of this discussion. Let’s say a minority crack dealer did this… would anyone be outraged with the sentence? If the white valedictorian and president of the chess club did the same… would people be outraged? I have my own opinions on which would be more controversial… but in theory justice is supposed to be blind. The comment about athletes not being looked up to anymore particularly hit me. Yes, there are some athletes who do terrible things… for every one that does so, there are probably hundreds of non-athletes that do the same. Does this mean there are no “normal” people who can be looked up to? There are also many more athletes who do great things for people… Peyton Manning has a Children’s hospital, Gary Bracket runs camps for kids with Cancer (just two examples of athletes in my town who have directly impacted my kids). They seem to have a harder time getting the front page headlines for their deeds than the ones who do bad things do. Once again… this kid did a terrible thing. Would it have merited a post if a “regular” kid got three years for assault? > [@](#): > > Some of us are just saying, as I did earlier, that whether or not he is an athlete should have zero bearing on the situation. So, apparently we agree. ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-hs-basketball-star-recruit-collapses-in-despair-when-he-is-sentenced-to-3-years-in-prison/632350/90 "2012-08-24T17:07:12Z")
He is not a great athlete. Great athletes are able to act as amabassadors for their sport and those that they represent, act as an inspiration to others, and embody human dignity in their great achievements. They also do some stuff with balls and running and the like, but it’s te whole story that makes a great athelete great. This young man is a shitty athlete, whose actions reflect poorly on the coaches, teammates, friends, family and insitutitions that nurtured him. He may be very good at basketball, but as a member of a team, school, or nation, he’s proven himself a poor investment. So why cry about his lost potential as a “great athlete?” He wasn’t one to begin with. > [@Deeg](#): > > I don’t consider myself soft on crime but one thing that I think about is what happens after he gets out? Three years likely kills any chance he has for an athletic scholarship and then what does he do? I don’t have much sympathy for him but we (society) may end up with a young male with no real job prospects, which means we’ll likely have to deal with him again later. Get a job (and maybe take out student loans) like the rest of us who had our chances of an atheletic scholarship “killed” by not being great atheletes? Athletics is _never_ a sure bet. A star athelete can get injured or otherwise put out of the game at any time. If he has no back up plan and hasn’t built up any skills, that’s his own problem, and frankly it’s one that would have almost certainly bit him in the ass at some point. Athletes are notorious for squandering their earnings and ending up broke and in legal trouble. Frankly, it’s probably better for someone with such poor impulse control and judgement to hit rock bottom now while he’s still young enough to one day build a normal life, rather than hitting it older with kids involved and millions of dollars in his pocket to build a serious drug habit, multi-million dollar debt, etc. The world is not experiencing a critical shortage of decent basketball players. His atheletic scholarship will bump someone into college who has great potential _and_ can refrain from kicking teenage girls in the head in apartment lobbys. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-hs-basketball-star-recruit-collapses-in-despair-when-he-is-sentenced-to-3-years-in-prison/632350/91 "2012-08-24T17:21:01Z")
I’m in his town, I feel safer. To those of you who think it was just a simple beating, a few years ago a classmate of mine got into an argument in a little league parking lot with an older man. He punched him. The older man fell over, hit his head on a rock, and died. You have no idea what a simple punch can do thrown in anger. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-hs-basketball-star-recruit-collapses-in-despair-when-he-is-sentenced-to-3-years-in-prison/632350/92 "2012-08-24T17:48:32Z")
> [@Mosier](#): > > Anyone who beats their girlfriend has made a mistake. Do you think it’s NOT a mistake for a man to beat his girlfriend? “Mistake” is too harsh. Nowadays it’s preferable to say he made _bad choices_. :rolleyes: Speaking of “bad choices”, things turned out better for a local college athlete who was [busted for assault and domestic violence](http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/blog/eye-on-college-football/19523113). For those who are into alleged racial injustice, you may note that the white athlete in the above case was sentenced to only 18 months probation after the charges were knocked down to a misdemeanor, and that after initially piously announcing that his actions violated the “core values” of the Ohio State football program, his coach (Urban Meyer) has now reinstated him on the team (though he’ll be suspended for all of two games, which just happen to be against lower-echelon teams). So much for “core values”, which actually reflect “we gotta win football games”. This case may not be directly comparable to the one in northern Ohio, seeing as how the injuries to the complainant were supposedly minor and didn’t involve being kicked in the head repeatedly or threatened afterwards, plus she recanted her story later (though how do you “recant” arm injuries?) :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![newcomer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e5b9ba/32.png) [@newcomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/newcomer)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-hs-basketball-star-recruit-collapses-in-despair-when-he-is-sentenced-to-3-years-in-prison/632350/93 "2012-08-24T18:00:09Z")
Prior to beating there was this: > [@tesseract](#): > > She had a restraining order on him. After brutally attacking her, he sent her threatening text and voice messages saying he should have done something worse to her. Um…let me see if I feel sorry for him…yeah, nope. Then beating. And then this: > [@Mosier](#): > > The girl it DID happen to advocated for him. So, there’s that… … the question really is - any sympathy for her? I get that he is a psycho who has no qualms about attacking a woman but… WTH it means “she advocated for him”? At what point would she not do that? Perhaps if in coma? Screwed up both ways. ---
**Author:** ![Hbns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hbns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hbns)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-hs-basketball-star-recruit-collapses-in-despair-when-he-is-sentenced-to-3-years-in-prison/632350/94 "2012-08-24T19:15:05Z")
> [@even\_sven](#): > > He is not a great athlete. Great athletes are able to act as amabassadors for their sport and those that they represent, act as an inspiration to others, and embody human dignity in their great achievements. Guys like Lance Armstrong right? ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-hs-basketball-star-recruit-collapses-in-despair-when-he-is-sentenced-to-3-years-in-prison/632350/95 "2012-08-24T19:16:51Z")
> [@Mosier](#): > > There are lots of signs for psychopathy. I didn’t say anything about him being a psychopath. > [@](#): > > He deserves to be punished, but three years is just too much. That’s all I’m saying. And I think it’s on the light side. > [@](#): > > You want to punish him for crimes you’re sure he’ll commit later, “before he kills or cripples someone.” But that’s not how it works, and thankfully so. Isn’t it? I thought that was the entire point behind incarceration as a punishment: to remove criminals from society so they can’t continue to harm it. > [@newcomer](#): > > I get that he is a psycho who has no qualms about attacking a woman but… WTH it means “she advocated for him”? At what point would she not do that? Perhaps if in coma? I know a guy who recently had to fly back home to attend the murder trial of his sister’s abusive husband. Seems that the bro-in-law had finally murdered his wife - in front of their children, no less. Among the character witnesses for the defense were the wife’s parents. They’re of the opinion that if their daughter hadn’t been such a bad wife, her husband wouldn’t have had to kill her. Of course, if she hadn’t been killed, the wife would likely have agreed. At least, that’s what she said every other time he beat the shit out of her. It was behavior she learned by example, from watching her own parents interact. Anyway, point is I don’t put a whole lot of stock into character witnesses in these sorts of situations, particularly if its coming from the victim. ---
**Author:** ![Taomist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Taomist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taomist)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-hs-basketball-star-recruit-collapses-in-despair-when-he-is-sentenced-to-3-years-in-prison/632350/96 "2012-08-24T20:07:18Z")
There were 3 charges, each with it’s own time. The 3 years is serving them concurrently. That didn’t HAVE to go that way. He could easily have served them consecutively. I’m most in shock that he thought for even a minute that it wasn’t going to come down to this. Not in shock at HIM, as people who abuse other people usually DO think they can get away with it, but at those around him assuring him that his worth as a basketball player was higher than that as a decent human being. Lesson learned, maybe? By him: perhaps. By those around him? THOSE are the ones I’m pissed at. They should have taught him better. ---
**Author:** ![Nzinga\_Seated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5ac83/32.png) [@Nzinga\_Seated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nzinga_Seated)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-hs-basketball-star-recruit-collapses-in-despair-when-he-is-sentenced-to-3-years-in-prison/632350/97 "2012-08-24T21:13:59Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > I wonder if the only reason the victim ‘forgave’ him is in the hopes of a nice payoff down the road. Ugh. She certainly doesn’t seem to deserve this random nasty accusation. Says more about your character that you conjured this idea up than it does about her character, which as far as I can tell seems to be guilty only of being naive and misguided. Just, ugh. I often have lots of sympathy for black men caught up in the U.S. judicial system, because I believe the system is racist. However. This is a clear cut case of someone doing something horrid, having a chance to get his shit together, and deciding to be more horrid instead. Fuck that. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-hs-basketball-star-recruit-collapses-in-despair-when-he-is-sentenced-to-3-years-in-prison/632350/98 "2012-08-24T22:58:54Z")
> [@newcomer](#): > > I get that he is a psycho who has no qualms about attacking a woman but… WTH it means “she advocated for him”? At what point would she not do that? Perhaps if in coma? People in relationships are pretty notorious for oscillating between recognizing he (or she) is abusing them and between acts of irrational loyalty to their abuser. That’s why domestic violence calls are considered extra dangerous by cops I understand; it’s about the only time where they have to worry about the _victim_ of the crime suddenly attacking them. ---
**Author:** ![Farmer\_Jane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Farmer\_Jane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Farmer_Jane)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2012, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-hs-basketball-star-recruit-collapses-in-despair-when-he-is-sentenced-to-3-years-in-prison/632350/99 "2012-08-25T00:08:06Z")
> [@Mosier](#): > > Anyone who beats their girlfriend has made a mistake. Do you think it’s NOT a mistake for a man to beat his girlfriend? > > What you just did is to try to make it seem like I said something I didn’t say. I never said he mistakenly beat his girlfriend. I said he made a mistake, by committing a terrible crime. If you want to debate me, debate the argument I make, not the argument you wish I made. Don’t bother. Since the kid - yes, kid - beat his girlfriend, it’s better for society to make sure he amounts to nothing and gets a harsh sentence. > [@Lukeinva](#): > > No. The legal system probably got it right. Gives the guy time to reflect and rebuild and rededicate himself to the future he wanted to pursue. Hopefully in a less violent way. He’ll be on probation for five years. Do you not know what prison does to a young teenage boy?! ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2012, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-hs-basketball-star-recruit-collapses-in-despair-when-he-is-sentenced-to-3-years-in-prison/632350/100 "2012-08-25T01:01:23Z")
> [@Deeg](#): > > I don’t have much sympathy for him but we (society) may end up with a young male with no real job prospects, which means we’ll likely have to deal with him again later. Oh lawd. I’m about to channel **december**. This post smells of the Soft Bigotry of Low Expectations. For all we know, this kid might be from a solidly middle-class family with connections in the community. He might have an uncle or cousin ready to give him a job the moment he gets out. He might find Jesus in jail and decide–after getting out–to become a minister. Or maybe a teacher–public schools might not take an ex-felon, but maybe a private school in need of a basketball coach will. Maybe he’ll get into a job program or–wait for it–_go to college_. Sure, none of the above might happen. But not everyone who gets out of jail winds up going right back in. As long as society continues to think that spending time in jail “ruins” someone forever, we will continue to have a recidivism problem. As for the guy? The video certainly wrenches the heart. It’s clear he expected mercy and it was not forthcoming. He didn’t exhibit mercy either, though. So maybe some jail time will learn him. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-hs-basketball-star-recruit-collapses-in-despair-when-he-is-sentenced-to-3-years-in-prison/632350.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-hs-basketball-star-recruit-collapses-in-despair-when-he-is-sentenced-to-3-years-in-prison/632350.md?page=6)