Spring Break
Misjudgement
Nick Lilja
Issue date: 7/23/08 Section: Sports
When a defense attorney describes his or her clients as "good people" who made "an error in judgment" it's not too often that anyone agrees. People like killers, rapists and thieves have been coined, "good people" by defense attorneys.
It seems like only the clients agree.
But here in Oregon, District Attorney John Haroldson agreed with that characterization of John Wallace and Anton Maxwell. The two players had been nothing but cooperative with police thus far and the two were willing to take responsibility for their actions.
They ended up with two intermittent weeks in jail, a year of probation and 20 hours of community service.
Not bad for two guys originally charged with criminal mischief and unlawful use of a weapon - both Class C felonies. Not bad for guys who were taken into custody for shooting cans off of a neighborhood fence with a .22-caliber gun. Not bad for two guys who were dubbed monumentally stupid. It would almost sound better if alcohol were involved.
They have some good lawyers.
"With first-time offenders, we don't often let them see the inside of a jail," Judge Locke Williams told the aP. "We may be doing them a disservice. If you haven't already had a wake-up call, this will be it."
You're right Your Honor. We are doing them a disservice. But then, why only 15 days?
Consider this Your Honor, what if they would have hit someone in that house with a .22-caliber bullet? What then? What if it was a child? What if it was your child?
Understandably, the "what if" game cannot be played at every turn, but when it come to gun crimes, it's hard to turn a blind eye. The two young men can apologize, call it a mistake and plea bargain until their wallets run dry but they should spend more than two intermittent weeks in jail.
And talk about plea bargains. The typical plea bargain involves prosecutors successfully exchanging felony charges in return for guilty or no-contest pleas to misdemeanors or lesser charges.
It seems like only the clients agree.
But here in Oregon, District Attorney John Haroldson agreed with that characterization of John Wallace and Anton Maxwell. The two players had been nothing but cooperative with police thus far and the two were willing to take responsibility for their actions.
They ended up with two intermittent weeks in jail, a year of probation and 20 hours of community service.
Not bad for two guys originally charged with criminal mischief and unlawful use of a weapon - both Class C felonies. Not bad for guys who were taken into custody for shooting cans off of a neighborhood fence with a .22-caliber gun. Not bad for two guys who were dubbed monumentally stupid. It would almost sound better if alcohol were involved.
They have some good lawyers.
"With first-time offenders, we don't often let them see the inside of a jail," Judge Locke Williams told the aP. "We may be doing them a disservice. If you haven't already had a wake-up call, this will be it."
You're right Your Honor. We are doing them a disservice. But then, why only 15 days?
Consider this Your Honor, what if they would have hit someone in that house with a .22-caliber bullet? What then? What if it was a child? What if it was your child?
Understandably, the "what if" game cannot be played at every turn, but when it come to gun crimes, it's hard to turn a blind eye. The two young men can apologize, call it a mistake and plea bargain until their wallets run dry but they should spend more than two intermittent weeks in jail.
And talk about plea bargains. The typical plea bargain involves prosecutors successfully exchanging felony charges in return for guilty or no-contest pleas to misdemeanors or lesser charges.
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