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Police/Legal Blotter (stop breaking the law, asshole!)

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Prosecutors from the LA District Attorney's Office have declined to file sexual assault charges against Trojan cornerback Eric Wright, citing insufficient evidence. Wright had been arrested on suspicion of rape in March during USC spring drills.

Prosecutors from the LA District Attorney's Office have declined to file sexual assault charges against Trojan cornerback Eric Wright, citing insufficient evidence. Wright had been arrested on suspicion of rape in March during USC spring drills.
"Basically, we came here today prepared to deny the allegations and commence our defense. And, for whatever reasons, the district attorney has decided not to proceed with the case, and for that we are grateful," defense attorney Carmen Trutanich told reporters outside court. "He (Wright) has been attending classes and looking forward to the time that he can rejoin his teammates.”

According to ABC news in Los Angeles, the DA's Office also decided not to charge him in connection with the drug Ecstasy, which was allegedly found in his room.

In a charge evaluation worksheet, Deputy District Attorney Christi Frey wrote that an 18-year-old fellow USC student who met Wright at a party was "intoxicated" that night. The woman alleged that he placed a blue pill that he said was ecstasy in her mouth when she left the party, and claimed that he "forcibly raped her in his apartment," according to the document.

The woman's "urine tested positive for MDMA (from ecstasy), and police found 136 pills in suspect's room that matched victim's description of the pill suspect gave her. These pills also tested positive for MDMA," Frey wrote. The case was referred to another prosecutor for possible filing of drug charges, but she, too, rejected the case due to insufficient evidence.

"A necessary witness who can establish furnishing and dominion and control of the drugs recovered is uncooperative and unwilling to testify because to do so would be injurious to their mental health," Deputy District Attorney Patricia Wilkinson wrote in her charge evaluation worksheet. "Without the testimony, there is insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the drugs belong to the defendant in light of the fact that the apartment in which they were found is occupied by the defendant and another individual," she wrote.

It is unclear at this point what the status is for Wright in terms of a potential return to the team as USC Student Affairs is still reviewing the situation.
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136 X pills in his crib, chemically matching the drug in her system and matching her description of what he gave her, and no charges will be fired.....

Is this USC or Miami?
 
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USC getting some bad press from SI.com.
Flying solo

Problems grow during USC off-season

Posted: Friday April 22, 2005 1:01PM - written by Arash Markazi
You know that feeling you get when a couple of members of your favorite band start coming out with solo records? They're not officially done, but everyone knows it's a matter of time before things come crashing down and they break up. I'm starting to get that same feeling about the USC football team.

First, you had half the coaching staff, including offensive coordinator Norm Chow, leave the team in the off-season. Then you had starting cornerback Eric Wright getting arrested for allegedly raping someone at a frat party attended by 10-15 other players. Although charges were dropped, it's never a good sign to have your starting cornerback sitting out of spring ball because of legal problems.

More news trickled out of 'SC last week. There was a fight between receiver Steve Smith and tight end Dominique Byrd over money Smith owed Byrd that resulted in Byrd getting a broken jaw. The scuffle took place in the players' apartment after the two were playing video games and resulted in this classic exchange that would put any Jean-Claude Van Damme script to shame.

SMITH: You know Byrd ... I really don't want to fight you.
BYRD: Nah, we've got to.

(Smith swings and breaks Byrd's jaw)

While head coach Pete Carroll has been optimistic his team can overcome the losses and turmoil, it may be easier said than done. As spring practice wrapped up last week there were serious doubts that Byrd, running back LenDale White and defensive linemen Frostee Rucker and Manuel Wright would be academically eligible to play this season and they were all listed at or near the bottom of their position lists on the end-of-spring depth chart. Carroll went so far as to say, "It's going to be a challenge to get all the guys back," and Wright has already explored the option of entering the NFL supplemental draft.

With the actual NFL draft taking place this weekend, you have to wonder if Matt Leinart wishes he would have skipped all this drama and taken the guaranteed money that would have come with being the No. 1 pick. Apparently, all Leinart needed was a promise from a team holding a top pick that he would be their guy and he would have been in New York this weekend.

• Cock Fighting -- Southern Cal isn't the only USC having problems off the field this off-season. Two South Carolina football players were arrested last Sunday and charged with marijuana possession, raising the total number of Gamecocks arrested since the end of last season to 11. This came on the heels of coach Steve Spurrier poking fun at Tennessee for having more off the field problems than his squad. Isn't that like Carrot Top poking fun at Pauley Shore for having more box office flops?
 
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This sad story speaks for itself.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/football/ncaa/04/22/bc.fbc.missouri.jackson.ap/index.html

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Darrell Jackson, a freshman who withdrew from classes at Missouri and left the football team in August, pleaded guilty Friday to five counts of statutory sodomy.

Jackson, 19, admitted in St. Louis County Circuit Court that he had molested a child five times from August 2000 to April 2004. The child was 8 years old when the molestation began, STLtoday.com, the Web site of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, reported.

Judge Larry Kendrick set sentencing for June 9. He allowed Jackson to remain free on bond and warned him to stay out of trouble.

Friends of the victim's family organized an effort to heighten awareness about what it calls "the quiet, hushed epidemic of child sexual abuse in our community." Campaign organizers said the media should focus on the abuse of children instead of publicizing the athleticism of defendants such as Jackson.

The quarterback from Webster Groves was considered perhaps the best player in the 2004 recruiting class from the St. Louis area.
 
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Cocks' Smith enters guilty plea

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/football/ncaa/04/27/bc.fbc.scarolina.smith.ap/index.html

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) -- Suspended South Carolina receiver David Smith has pleaded guilty to breaking into his former girlfriend's home and damaging a police car, prosecutor Donnie Myers said Wednesday.

Smith, 20, of Union was sentenced Tuesday to one year of probation and ordered to pay $550 for kicking out the window of a Cayce patrol car. He was arrested March 15 on several charges in the small town across the Congaree River from Columbia.
"I think this is a good resolution to the case," Myers said. "It should serve as an example to other young people that actions such as those committed by Smith result in consequences. These convictions will follow him the rest of his life."

Smith pleaded guilty to third-degree burglary and malicious injury to personal property. The judge suspended the five-year sentence to one year of probation as long as Smith stays out of trouble. Smith still must stand trial May 19 on a criminal domestic violence charge.

"I think it was very helpful for us to get such a good deal," said Neal Lourie, Smith's attorney. "He's ready to move on with his life. Everybody said this was completely out of character for David."

Smith's Union High School football coach, Rep. Mike Anthony, D-Union, and others came to his defense during a bond hearing just days after his arrest.

Myers said he refused to dismiss all the charges because Smith was cited in November for trespassing at the apartment complex.

Kendra Betsill, the mother of Smith's 2-year-old child, said she didn't want to press charges. "She said she was mother of his son, they still had a son to think about and she said she has had been through enough," Myers said.

According to investigators and warrants, Smith broke out a window at Betsill's apartment when she didn't answer the door. He chased another man out of the building and assaulted him before confronting Betsill. Investigators said Smith choked Betsill.

When police put Smith in a patrol car, he kicked out a window, causing hundreds of dollars in damage, Myers said.

The prosecutor said Smith has been taking anger management classes as he was ordered to do at his bond hearing.

Smith has been indefinitely suspended from the South Carolina football team, but his attorney said he hopes to play at another school next season. Smith had one catch last season -- a 5-yard touchdown pass in a 48-14 loss at Florida.

He was one of 11 current or former Gamecock football players who have been arrested on charges ranging from possession of marijuana to grand larceny since the end of last season.
 
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I think it makes sense to have a policy with set guidelines.

Oregon St. gets tough with discipline

CORVALLIS, Ore. (AP) -- In response to several high-profile criminal cases involving its football players, Oregon State has drafted a new disciplinary policy for student-athletes.

Athletic director Bob De Carolis presented it on Friday at Gill Coliseum. It includes immediate suspension for felony charges.
"There are certain norms of behavior you have to adhere to," De Carolis said. "If you don't, you know what's going to happen."

Oregon State had come under fire for failing to act swiftly and decisively after recent student arrests.

The draft policy targets five violations: driving under the influence, minor in possession of alcohol, possession of a controlled substance, physical assault and sexual offenses.

The penalties range in severity. For driving under the influence, there is a minimum suspension from 10 percent of the team's games or competitions for the first offense. A basketball player, for instance, would miss three games.

An athlete charged with felony sexual assault would be immediately suspended. For a misdemeanor charge, a 30 percent suspension and counseling would be imposed.

All first offenses involve suspensions, and players face dismissal on most first or second offenses if they plead guilty or no contest, or are convicted.

"While not every charge is listed, the overriding principle is that in the event of a felony charge a student athlete will be immediately suspended from all athletic activity until the legal process runs its course," the draft states.

De Carolis said the policy included minimum punishments; circumstances would contribute to further action.

"At the end of the day, we think this is fair and that it will send a message," he said.

State Sen. Rick Metsger, D-Welches, earlier this month introduced a bill that would prohibit players charged with certain crimes from stepping on the field. The Senate Education Committee delayed a vote because of the university's campaign to revamp its policies.

Metsger said Friday that the legislation had been shelved in light of the draft proposal, which lawmakers saw on Thursday. It is expected that the new rules will be official by mid-June.

"They have stepped up and addressed the issues that sparked our legislation. That makes the bill itself unnecessary, which is the best possible outcome," Metsger said.

Earlier this month, sophomore defensive lineman Joe Rudulph pleaded guilty to assaulting an Oregon National Guardsman on leave from Iraq. He was sentenced to 10 days in jail.

In March, defensive lineman Ben Siegert was arrested for driving while intoxicated after allegedly speeding with a 200-pound ram sheep in the back of his pickup.

Siegert pleaded no contest, and was ordered to complete alcohol treatment, pay court fees and appear before a victims impact panel.

And two players -- running back Jimtavis Walker and long snapper Star Paddock -- were arrested Feb. 11 for assaulting a taxi driver and offering to pay a $20 fare with marijuana.

De Carolis said it had not been determined whether those students would face penalties based on the new policy.

The school also said the disciplinary policy requires student-athletes to attend programs on such topics as addictive behavior, relationships and sexual responsibility, and diversity.

Athletic officials will work with coaches to create conformity for team rules, De Carolis said.

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Link

Clemson Football Player Shot, Wounded In Parking Lot

Player Recovering From Gunshot Wound In Leg

<text id="txt_posted"></text>
<!--startindex-->CLEMSON, S.C. -- An unknown male fired about 10 shots at a Clemson University football player Sunday morning in the parking lot of a Waffle
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House, said officials. Corey Groover, 22, was taken to Anderson Area Medical Center, where he was treated for a gunshot wound to the leg. Groover is listed as a defensive tackle who played in a mainly backup role last season."As the party was breaking up, from all that we can find out, everyone came to the Waffle House and the suspect showed up there and apparently this is just some aftermath from an altercation that took place at the party," said Clemson Police Chief Jimmy Dixon. <table align="right" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tbody><tr><td>
</td></tr></tbody> </table> Investigators said the man they think fired the shots and other potential suspects left in two vehicles.The first is a white SUV with designer rims, and the other is a gray or silver Honda with a custom spoiler, three designer rims and one non-matching rim.Anyone with information is asked to contact the Clemson City Police Department.
 
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Wisconsin has suspended Stanley from the team following his arrest.

Badgers' Stanley arrested at party

MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- Wisconsin tailback Booker Stanley was among those arrested during the annual Mifflin Street Block Party in Madison, police said Sunday.

City police said Stanley was picked up on charges of battery, disorderly conduct and resisting or obstructing an officer during the party Saturday in a neighborhood near campus. He was released on a $950 bail. His initial court appearance has not yet been scheduled.

University officials were still gathering information on the incident Sunday, said Justin Doherty, director of athletic communications.

The party drew a crowd estimated at 20,000 at its peak, and police said there were more than 200 arrests, most for underage drinking or possession of open containers of alcohol.

Stanley, 22, a former star at Whitefish Bay High School, could face an indefinite suspension under Wisconsin's student-athlete discipline policy.

He ran for 350 yards and two touchdowns and caught 18 passes for 146 yards and another score last season.

Two other Badger players have been arrested this year.

Gino Cruse, a freshman defensive tackle from Phoenix, faces charges of disorderly conduct and criminal damage to property stemming from a Feb. 6 incident.

Marcus Randle El, a freshman wide receiver from Markham, Ill., faces disorderly conduct charges over a March 7 incident in his dorm room.

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I love that stoops isn't sure whether players started the fight.

The Oklahoma Daily
OU football player linked to fight

Police recordings indicate involvement of Adrian Peterson.

Sara Ganus and Christopher Terbrueggen - DAILY STAFF WRITERS

May 04, 2005


<!-- end bylineDateBox --> Two men and one woman were injured April 23 after several fights broke out around 4 a.m. at Denny's Restaurant involving a group of men, including Adrian Peterson, OU freshman running back, according to 911 police calls and a police radio traffic recording.
The participants were suspected of using alcohol, according to a police report.
After witnesses declined to comment, The Daily obtained a copy of the two 911 calls made from Denny's, 2535 W. Main St., and a recording of the radio traffic between the Norman Police Department and a squad car at the time of the fight.
Norman police received calls about a man whose forehead was cut and needed stitches, another who had Tabasco sauce and glass in his eye and a woman who was cut with glass. None of the victims could be identified.
Peterson was a passenger in a car that was pulled over around the time of the fight, according to the radio traffic recording. Norman police pulled the car over at Ed Noble Parkway and Main Street after receiving information that Peterson "apparently started the fight."
A Norman communication officer, who handles 911 calls, told the officer who pulled the car over that one of the suspects involved in the fight may have had a knife.
Two Denny's employees made the calls reporting the fight, saying a group of men were throwing plates, brooms and bottles of Tabasco and swinging brooms.
"They're using brooms, throwing plates--there's all kinds of things that happened so far. Please hurry," an employee, who identified himself as Roger, said to a 911 communication officer.
Roger reported 13 men--12 against one--were involved in a fight before another broke out.
"It's coming right now, another fight's coming right now," he said. "Hurry. Hurry now."
Denny's Manager Mike Beckham also made a call reporting a fight involving five men in the restaurant and asking for emergency assistance at the time of the fight. Beckham said those involved in the fight were throwing bottles and ashtrays and swinging brooms.
"I don't know if [the victim] got hit with a piece of glass or a broomstick or what," Beckham told the 911 communication officer.
While Beckham was wiping the victim's head to control the bleeding, he told the communication officer that half of the participants left the scene and two more people were injured.
Beckham reported the man who had Tabasco sauce and glass in his eye and the woman who was cut.
OU football head coach Bob Stoops said he was aware of the incident; he has talked to the players about it; and their understanding is that the incident may have been instigated by other people, according to Kenny Mossman, associate athletic director for media relations.
Nishant Patel, a business sophomore who is a clerk at Quality Inn, 100 SW 26th Drive, located across from Denny's, said that in the beginning, about three police cars arrived at Denny's and that three minutes later, three more arrived.
Emergency Medical Services and the Norman Fire Department also showed up, Patel said.
No one was put into an ambulance or a police car, he said.
On April 28--five days after the incident--Beckham said he was in the back of Denny's when the fight broke out.
"It wasn't anything really major," he said.
Beckham said four or five people were involved and that he wasn't sure whether any of them were OU football players.
"I'm not from around here, but somebody said there was a football player," he said.
Beckham also said he thought the Denny's owner and Stoops had talked about the incident.
Norman Police Lt. Tom Easley said no arrests were made and that the incident was recorded as malicious injury and destruction of property, or vandalism.
"None of the parties were arrested because no one wanted to pursue charges, and it didn't occur in our presence," Easley said. "It was a misdemeanor incident."
Easley said all parties were interviewed and released at the scene.
One employee reported damage to a glass brick, according to a police report. Easley said the brick, part of a wall that separates the restaurant's smoking and non-smoking sections, had about $100 worth of damage.
<script type="text/javascript"> <!-- begin hiding function displayFeedbackForm(obj) { _POPUP_FEATURES = 'toolbar=no, location=no, directories=no, status=no, menubar=no, scrollbars=yes, resizable=yes, copyhistory=no, width=455, height=500'; link_popup(obj); } // end hiding --> </script> <script type="text/javascript"> <!-- begin hiding function displayFeedback(obj) { displayFeedbackForm(obj); } // end hiding --></script>Reza Ghanaati, one of Denny's owners, said he would not press charges against anyone and said he had talked to Stoops but would not comment about it.
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throwing plates, bottles, emt needed "None of the parties were arrested because no one wanted to pursue charges, and it didn't occur in our presence," Easley said. "It was a misdemeanor incident." way to go adrian, nothing like a return to the good ol days in norman.
 
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