# UCLA Shoplifters **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 12, 2017, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ucla-shoplifters/801428 "2017-11-12T16:23:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![SanDiegoTim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85e7bf/32.png) [@SanDiegoTim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanDiegoTim)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2017, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ucla-shoplifters/801428/1 "2017-11-12T16:23:32Z")
Thus far, what I’ve heard is these three jerks were not in jail, but confined to their hotel. Now the team has returned without them and it might take a couple of weeks to resolve the issue. Assuming this to be correct, who might be paying for the hotel bill? Can’t see the Chinese picking up the tab for a stay in a nice hotel. ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2017, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ucla-shoplifters/801428/2 "2017-11-12T16:46:58Z")
It could take a lot longer than “a couple of weeks”. The best they can hope for is to be deported, but a decision of that could take months. The fact that they have not been locked up is a good sign. Isn’t Ball’s brother a big star? - maybe he can pay the bills. If they are guilty they deserve to be punished - they may find that laws in China are even tougher than those in the USA. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2017, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ucla-shoplifters/801428/3 "2017-11-12T17:27:38Z")
Links-link-link? ---
**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2017, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ucla-shoplifters/801428/4 "2017-11-12T17:41:50Z")
[UCLA basketball players, reportedly accused of shoplifting, await their fate in scenic Chinese town](http://beta.latimes.com/world/asia/la-fg-china-ucla-detainment-20171109-story.html) Basically, three players for UCLA are accused of shoplifting sunglasses from a store in China. ETA: [Let Me Google That For You](http://lmgtfy.com/?q=UCLA+shoplifting) ---
**Author:** ![Mangosteen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Mangosteen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangosteen)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2017, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ucla-shoplifters/801428/5 "2017-11-12T17:56:08Z")
And its all caught on tape. I hope, for their sake, they plead guilty and express extreme remorse when they appear in court. Chinese courts do not care who you are (or who you think you are). Any arrogance shown in the court room is dealt with swiftly and without mercy. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2017, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ucla-shoplifters/801428/6 "2017-11-12T17:58:11Z")
Arkansas had a similar embarrassing shoplifting incident just before the 2017 Belk Bowl. Profuse apologies were offered by our coach, the school, and the player. He did not play in the game. He was a senior and wouldn’t have played again anyhow. He was briefly held and released. I’m not sure what criminal proceedings occurred later. It did effect Sprinkle’s place in the NFL draft. > **[Arkansas TE sorry after Belk shoplifting incident](https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/18379196/arkansas-jeremy-sprinkle-sorry-being-suspended-belk-bowl-shoplifting)** > > Razorbacks senior tight end Jeremy Sprinkle has apologized for an incident in which he was charged with shoplifting from a Belk department store two days before his team's loss in the Belk Bowl. The UCLA players broke Chinese law and will have to face the consequences. Whatever the standard punishment may be under China’s law. They should also face potential punishment from their college and coach. They were there representing UCLA in China. Stealing from your hosts is embarrassing for all concerned. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2017, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ucla-shoplifters/801428/7 "2017-11-12T17:59:42Z")
> [@Mangosteen](#): > > And its all caught on tape. > > I hope, for their sake, they plead guilty and express extreme remorse when they appear in court. > > Chinese courts do not care who you are (or who you think you are). Any arrogance shown in the court room is dealt with swiftly and without mercy. “Who wants the liver?” ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2017, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ucla-shoplifters/801428/8 "2017-11-12T18:20:23Z")
Should UCLA by involved in these player’s defense? A UCLA student who gets picked up off campus, doesn’t get any special treatment. A student ID card means nothing. The family hires a lawyer just like anybody else. I know this was an official NCAA trip. I’m not not sure about the NCAA rules in a case like this. I’ve seen documentaries on History about Americans facing criminal charges abroad. The US Embassy offers very little support. They’ll monitor the conditions and try to ensure human rights are observed. They may have a list of local lawyers that speak English. The defendant provides his own local counsel. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2017, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ucla-shoplifters/801428/9 "2017-11-12T18:21:34Z")
Here’s my game room thread that also discusses the case. [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=841183](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=841183) One thing that the UCLA players have going for them is that there’s some money in the Ball family. It would be different if they were 3 middle class kids on the academic debate team that happened to get arrested in China. I doubt UCLA would pay for an extended stay in China. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2017, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ucla-shoplifters/801428/10 "2017-11-12T21:10:45Z")
If the NCAA and UCLA have any morals left, all three should be barred from college athletics. Maybe others contemplating this sort of behavior will give it second thoughts. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2017, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ucla-shoplifters/801428/11 "2017-11-12T21:15:26Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > Here’s my game room thread that also discusses the case. > [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=841183](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=841183) > > One thing that the UCLA players have going for them is that there’s some money in the Ball family. It would be different if they were 3 middle class kids on the academic debate team that happened to get arrested in China. I doubt UCLA would pay for an extended stay in China. Since there is another thread on this in a more appropriate forum, I’m going to close this one.