Green Justice for Athletes

I am sick of it. I am sick to my core with professional athletes who escape true justice when they break the law.

Some of these guys project such a powerful image, no one dares report their criminal behavior. A recent case in point is former Major League Baseball player Mel Hall, who dodged charges of sexual assault against young girls for years. Finally, a Texas jury found him guilty of the decade-old rape of a 12-year-old girl. At least three other females testified at trial that Hall also sexually assaulted them when they were underage. Hall has now been sentenced to 45 years in prison.

For every Michael Vick who goes to jail, there are countless other athletes who get the kid-glove treatment in court, mostly because their multimillion-dollar contracts allow them to hire the best defense attorneys. There are too many examples to fit in this space, but these athletes are drug users and dealers, child abusers and wife beaters; they commit fraud and theft; they are serial fathers who refuse to pay child support. NBA player Jason Caffey, for example, had 10 children with various women and refused to support to any of them until a court finally stepped in. The list of serious crimes by professional athletes goes on and on.

Today, let's focus on those who've committed the ultimate crime. They have killed people. What happens to them when they enter the criminal justice system? Well, I can tell you if it were you or me who had taken a life, we would likely be treated in a vastly different fashion.

Earlier this month, Cleveland Browns wide receiver Donte Stallworth pleaded guilty to killing 59-year-old Mario Reyes. After celebrating his new $4.5 million roster bonus at Miami Beach's Fontainebleau Hotel, Stallworth headed home, driving drunk, in his shiny black Bentley. It was just after 7 a.m. Reyes was hurrying to catch a bus at the end of his overnight shift as a construction crane operator. Not only was Stallworth driving with almost twice the legal blood alcohol limit, but police say he was also speeding when he smashed his car into the unsuspecting Reyes.

In court, Stallworth took full responsibility telling the judge he "will bear this burden for the rest of my life."

Behind the scenes, Stallworth's lawyer had reached a confidential financial settlement with the Reyes family and they, in turn, agreed not to file a civil suit and not to press for an aggressive prosecution.

Although Stallworth faced up to 15 years in prison, the judge sentenced him to just one month behind bars. That, my friends, is called "Green Justice" — buying your way out of legal trouble.

Stallworth's attorney quickly pointed out his client will be on house arrest for two years, probation for up to 10 years; he'll serve 1,000 hours of community service and loses his driver's license forever. Oh, and the icing on this repentance cake? The announcement that Stallworth will donate $2,500 each to Mothers Against Drunk Driving and Parents of Murdered Children. MAAD promptly told Stallworth where he could stuff his cash and scolded the NFL for its continued lenient policy on the multitude of drunk-driving players.

The Stallworth case is wrong on so many levels. It's wrong that a judge could think a one-month sentence for negligent homicide is justice. It's wrong that the prosecutor didn't stand up and say, "To hell with buying off the family! My job is to keep the public safe — no plea agreement!" And, it's shameful that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell only suspended Stallworth. Along with the Cleveland Browns, Goodell leaves open the possibility that Stallworth could soon be back at training camp, reaping the rewards of his multimillion-dollar contract.

The Stallworth case isn't unique. Former NBA star Jayson Williams has still not served one day in prison for killing his limo driver in 2002. At a booze- and drug-fueled party at his New Jersey home, William says he accidentally shot Gus Christofi. The jury deadlocked on the reckless manslaughter charge so Williams has been free on bail pending retrial. But the jury also found Williams guilty on several counts of trying to cover up the incident, including wiping down his shotgun and jumping in his chlorinated swimming pool to get rid of gunshot residue. For more than seven years, Williams has remained free.

I find all these cases of easygoing justice for athletes shocking and disgraceful. Why are they treated so differently in a system that's supposed to be equal for all? At a time when athletes are still erroneously called "heroes" and "role models" it's time for fans to demand more of these pampered, overpaid players. Having them obey the law would be a good start.

Visit Diane Dimond's official website at www.dianedimond.com for investigative reporting, polls and more. To find out more about Diane Dimond and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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