Silly Justice System-Plaxico Burress out of Jail after 2 years after shooting himself

[fustercluck]

Was going to post this in OT but i guess it makes more sense in this forum.

It always pissed me off that they put a guy in Jail 2 years for shooting himself in the leg. Obviously he's a dope, but shooting yourself should be just about enough punishment. If you really want to teach a lesson, 3 months in jail...but come on, 2 years? That's just retarded.

Meanwhile, another NFL player, Dante Stallworth got drunk and killed a Pedestrian while driving. He pled guilty to DUI and second degree manslaughter and spent....30 days in prison. What de fook.

Those two jail sentences should have been switched. Two years for Stallworth and 30 days + 1000 hours of community service for Plaxico. Silly justice system.

Am I right or Am I right?

 

[HamburgerBoy]

Doing a quick Wikipedia browse on the Plaxico dude, I don't think he should have had jail time at all. Thank the gun-grabbing commie liberals of the Tri-State area once again.

 

[MotF Bane]

Two years would not be enough for Stallworth; thirty days is an atrocity.

 

[GoPackGo]

Killing someone while driving drunk has never been treated as a serious offense...especially if you are rich celebrity.

 

[Perknose]

It always pissed me off that they put a guy in Jail 2 years for shooting himself in the leg.

That's not why he was jailed. Stop pretending otherwise.

Burress was indicted on two counts of criminal possession of a weapon and one count of reckless endangerment. He faced a minimum sentence of 3½ years if convicted at trial.

The bullet narrowly missed a nightclub security guard who was standing inches away, prosecutors said. [ Hence the reckless endangerment charge.]

The gun was not licensed in New York or in New Jersey, where Burress lived. His license to carry a concealed weapon in the state of Florida had expired in May 2008.

 

[werepossum]

Was going to post this in OT but i guess it makes more sense in this forum.

It always pissed me off that they put a guy in Jail 2 years for shooting himself in the leg. Obviously he's a dope, but shooting yourself should be just about enough punishment. If you really want to teach a lesson, 3 months in jail...but come on, 2 years? That's just retarded.

Meanwhile, another NFL player, Dante Stallworth got drunk and killed a Pedestrian while driving. He pled guilty to DUI and second degree manslaughter and spent....30 days in prison. What de fook.

Those two jail sentences should have been switched. Two years for Stallworth and 30 days + 1000 hours of community service for Plaxico. Silly justice system.

Am I right or Am I right?

You are exactly right. The proper Plaxico sentence would have sixty hours of community service, going around to schools and saying "Don't be a dumb ass like me, don't carry a gun and shoot yourself in the leg." Killing someone while driving drunk should be a mandatory 10 years in prison, minimum.

 

[Jaskalas]

That's not why he was jailed. Stop pretending otherwise.

Burress was indicted on two counts of criminal possession of a weapon and one count of reckless endangerment. He faced a minimum sentence of 3½ years if convicted at trial.

The bullet narrowly missed a nightclub security guard who was standing inches away, prosecutors said. [ Hence the reckless endangerment charge.]

The gun was not licensed in New York or in New Jersey, where Burress lived. His license to carry a concealed weapon in the state of Florida had expired in May 2008.

Thank you for bringing facts to the topic. A jail sentence for that is not unreasonable.

 

[brencat]

That's not why he was jailed. Stop pretending otherwise.

Burress was indicted on two counts of criminal possession of a weapon and one count of reckless endangerment. He faced a minimum sentence of 3½ years if convicted at trial.

The bullet narrowly missed a nightclub security guard who was standing inches away, prosecutors said. [ Hence the reckless endangerment charge.]

The gun was not licensed in New York or in New Jersey, where Burress lived. His license to carry a concealed weapon in the state of Florida had expired in May 2008.

Exactly. I am a fierce defender of 2nd amendment rights, but as a lawfully abiding gun owner, I am appauled at the thinking of Burress...going into a nightclub with a weapon to 'act cool and play gangsta' with a bullet in the chamber (wtf?!!) and the weapon cocked and locked. I mean are you kidding me?? It is by pure luck he only shot himself and didn't kill someone else when the gun went off, as Perknose indicated.

Even the thought of leaving my guns in the car when coming back from the range to stop at the grocery store to pick up a couple things is completely alien to me (and also illegal to do in NJ. You must go to and from the range when transporting guns, with no stops).

 

[Fear No Evil]

Exactly. I am a fierce defender of 2nd amendment rights, but as a lawfully abiding gun owner, I am appauled at the thinking of Burress...going into a nightclub with a weapon to 'act cool and play gangsta' with a bullet in the chamber (wtf?!!) and the weapon cocked and locked. I mean are you kidding me?? It is by pure luck he only shot himself and didn't kill someone else when the gun went off, as Perknose indicated.

Even the thought of leaving my guns in the car when coming back from the range to stop at the grocery store to pick up a couple things is completely alien to me (and also illegal to do in NJ. You must go to and from the range when transporting guns, with no stops).

You are shocked about carrying a gun with a round in the chamber and cocked and locked? Do you have any idea how guns work? My carry weapon is cocked and locked with a round in the chamber 100% of the time I am carrying it or its in my home for self defense purposes.

Its pretty sad that NJ's laws prevent you from using a gun to defend yourself. Are you allowed to have a loaded weapon in your house in NJ or do you have to ask the criminal to wait while you load up a magazine, slap it in the gun, and rack the slide to chamber a bullet?

 

[Brovane]

That's not why he was jailed. Stop pretending otherwise.

Burress was indicted on two counts of criminal possession of a weapon and one count of reckless endangerment. He faced a minimum sentence of 3½ years if convicted at trial.

The bullet narrowly missed a nightclub security guard who was standing inches away, prosecutors said. [ Hence the reckless endangerment charge.]

The gun was not licensed in New York or in New Jersey, where Burress lived. His license to carry a concealed weapon in the state of Florida had expired in May 2008.

Why was there two counts of criminal possesion? Did he have two guns?

 

[sactoking]

Am I right or Am I right?

You're wrong. Burress' gun was unregistered. The gun was loaded. The safety was off. It was improperly holstered (in his sweatpants waistband). He did not have a concealed carry permit. He entered a crowded nightclub. There is NOTHING in that scenario that says he was the victim of a justice system gone awry. The public safety law was very clear in the matter and he was a complete dumbshit and is very fortunate he didn't injure/kill someone.

Comparing with the Stallworth incident doesn't work, they were different jurisdictions. Stallworth drove drunk and his punishment (30 days, community service, loss of license) was commensurate with a first-time DUI offense. Stallworth's attorney, the DA, and the victim's family all felt that the DUI did not contribute to the fatality. The victim stepped out into the street, not at a crosswalk, at night, in dark clothing, directly in front of Stallworth's vehicle.

 

[woolfe9999]

Comparing with the Stallworth incident doesn't work, they were different jurisdictions. Stallworth drove drunk and his punishment (30 days, community service, loss of license) was commensurate with a first-time DUI offense. Stallworth's attorney, the DA, and the victim's family all felt that the DUI did not contribute to the fatality. The victim stepped out into the street, not at a crosswalk, at night, in dark clothing, directly in front of Stallworth's vehicle.

That's reasonable to consider as a mitigating factor. However, a sentence that light conveys the wrong message to potential drunk drivers. They should know that if they drive drunk and kill someone, they're going down for at least a year no matter what. If the drunk driving had actually been the cause of it, I'd think 5-10 years would be appropriate.

 

[brencat]

You are shocked about carrying a gun with a round in the chamber and cocked and locked? Do you have any idea how guns work? My carry weapon is cocked and locked with a round in the chamber 100% of the time I am carrying it or its in my home for self defense purposes.

Its pretty sad that NJ's laws prevent you from using a gun to defend yourself. Are you allowed to have a loaded weapon in your house in NJ or do you have to ask the criminal to wait while you load up a magazine, slap it in the gun, and rack the slide to chamber a bullet?

LOL. Consider yourself lucky you live in a gun friendly state. The only thing that has really changed about NJ laws in 30+ years is that the all-Dem govt when Corzine was governor passed a 1 handgun per month law. Also if you are caught with an illegal gun, it is treated as though you had committed a crime with it (fvcking stupid and unfair). No change to the unlimited rifles and shotguns policies.

I do keep a loaded firearm in the house for self-defense, but do not chamber a round so yes, I will need to ask the criminal to wait 1 extra second...