Redskins Safety Sean Taylor Now Faces 46 Years on (1 Viewer)

[Boltman]

His story keeps getting better....

Jan 27, 11:47 AM (ET)

MIAMI (AP) - Washington Redskins safety Sean Taylor faces up to 46 years in prison after two additional assault charges were filed against him Friday.

Michael Grieco, an assistant state attorney, said the charges reflect Taylor's alleged threatening of three people with a gun in an armed confrontation over an all-terrain vehicle on June 1.

Taylor, 22, now faces three counts of aggravated assault, each of which carries a minimum sentence of three years and a maximum of 15 years in prison. He also faces one misdemeanor battery charge that carries a potential one-year prison term.

Trial is scheduled to begin March 20 for Taylor, a former University of Miami star who signed a seven-year, $18-million contract after being drafted by the Redskins in 2004. He has six interceptions and 120 tackles in his two seasons.

Taylor's attorney, Edward Carhart, said the additional charges surprised him.

"The state has had this case since June and now they're filing these added charges? It's bizarre," Carhart said.

Taylor has pleaded not guilty and remains free on $16,500 bond.

The Redskins lost to the Seattle Seahawks two weeks ago in the NFC playoffs. In a playoff victory against Tampa Bay, Taylor was ejected after spitting in the face of Buccaneers running back Michael Pittman. Earlier in that game, he ran a fumble back for a touchdown.

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[fridayfrenzy]

THUG

 

[The Man With No Name]

He will get off. Didn't kill anyone like Leonard Little.

 

[stbugs]

It would not surprise me in the least if the DAs added these two after the spitting incident. Call me crazy, but they probably left them out before thinking that it might be too tough to convict before, but maybe a little easier since Taylor is now considered to be "out of control" even on the field.Also, they might have added it so that Taylor will now almost be forced to plea bargain. After the spitting incident, Taylor's lawyers might think it more wise to not even try going to trial. Based on OJ/Kobe/The Beretta Guy/Most Celebs, Taylor might have been Ok going to trial for the one charge, but not 3.

 

[joffer]

I hate headlines like this."He faces 46 years!!!!!".......although there's about a 0.000000000000001% chance of that happening.

 

[BoulderBob]

Looks like they are going to try and make an example out of Taylor. He better have a damn good lawyer...

 

[Johnny Ice]

He better have a damn good lawyer...

Well he only has millions to spend on one.

 

[Mr. Vegas]

What happens to Him when He spits on someone in jail?Does He become a punk,or the Man?

 

[MagicMan]

What happens to Him when He spits on someone in jail?

Does He become a punk,or the Man?

He becomes a dead man

 

[fruity pebbles]

big fine, community service

 

[jbz]

considering the fact that the guys pressing charges against Taylor are criminals themselves, I have a hard time seeing this ever making it to court. It's basically Taylor's word against their word. Funny that the rich, famous guy was the one with the charges filed against him when there was a whole group of people with Taylor. He's an idiot for being involved in this, but it sure sounds like some thugs looking for a pay day and some DAs looking for a big case for their resume to me.

 

[cstu]

I want to hear from the FBG legal experts who were on here telling us how Jamal Lewis was going to be locked up for a really long time because the feds don't mess around while a few of us maintained that wealth and fame would earn him a slap on the wrist. Nothing to see here.

Exactly, if the Feds couldn't get serious jail time on a charge that they get almost everybody on I doubt charges like this will result in anything more than probation and community service.

 

[fatness]

This is just the prosecution adding a bunch of charges to try to scare a plea bargain out of him so they won't have to prosecute him and convince a judge or jury he's guilty.

 

[DoctorDetroit]

His story keeps getting better....

Jan 27, 11:47 AM (ET)

MIAMI (AP) - Washington Redskins safety Sean Taylor faces up to 46 years in prison after two additional assault charges were filed against him Friday.

Michael Grieco, an assistant state attorney, said the charges reflect Taylor's alleged threatening of three people with a gun in an armed confrontation over an all-terrain vehicle on June 1.

Taylor, 22, now faces three counts of aggravated assault, each of which carries a minimum sentence of three years and a maximum of 15 years in prison. He also faces one misdemeanor battery charge that carries a potential one-year prison term.

Trial is scheduled to begin March 20 for Taylor, a former University of Miami star who signed a seven-year, $18-million contract after being drafted by the Redskins in 2004. He has six interceptions and 120 tackles in his two seasons.

Taylor's attorney, Edward Carhart, said the additional charges surprised him.

"The state has had this case since June and now they're filing these added charges? It's bizarre," Carhart said.

Taylor has pleaded not guilty and remains free on $16,500 bond.

The Redskins lost to the Seattle Seahawks two weeks ago in the NFC playoffs. In a playoff victory against Tampa Bay, Taylor was ejected after spitting in the face of Buccaneers running back Michael Pittman. Earlier in that game, he ran a fumble back for a touchdown.

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Here is what is important here.

 

[BigRed]

How much time did Ray Lewis spend in jail again? Regardless of guilt, LOL @ him getting anything more than a slap on the wrist. You realize you're talking about a pro ball player right?

 

[nittanylion]

This is just the prosecution adding a bunch of charges to try to scare a plea bargain out of him so they won't have to prosecute him and convince a judge or jury he's guilty.

According to the local media, this appears to be what's going on. The feeling appears to be that part of the reason the State was so willing to postpone the case may have something to do with the State's case being relatively weak on the original charge. What's going on now is likely the 'bargaining' stage between the State and Taylor's defense council. Apparently, the newly filed charges have no mandatory sentancing guidelines like the 'brandishing' charge that was originally filed, which carries a mandatory minimum sentance. The Asst Dist Attorney prosecuting the case, by nature, wants to get a conviction. It's what he's in business for. What he gets the conviction for is not as important. These new charges offer Taylor's camp a compromise which could allow both sides 'options' to get what they want. ADA gets conviction for a lesser offense, in return for Taylor getting a proverbial slap on the wrist compared to the penalties he might face if the case, and the original charges, goes to court.

Plea bargain saves time, saves money, and most importantly, saves 'face' for both sides.

 

[Jimmy James]

This is just the prosecution adding a bunch of charges to try to scare a plea bargain out of him so they won't have to prosecute him and convince a judge or jury he's guilty.

According to the local media, this appears to be what's going on. The feeling appears to be that part of the reason the State was so willing to postpone the case may have something to do with the State's case being relatively weak on the original charge. What's going on now is likely the 'bargaining' stage between the State and Taylor's defense council. Apparently, the newly filed charges have no mandatory sentancing guidelines like the 'brandishing' charge that was originally filed, which carries a mandatory minimum sentance. The Asst Dist Attorney prosecuting the case, by nature, wants to get a conviction. It's what he's in business for. What he gets the conviction for is not as important. These new charges offer Taylor's camp a compromise which could allow both sides 'options' to get what they want. ADA gets conviction for a lesser offense, in return for Taylor getting a proverbial slap on the wrist compared to the penalties he might face if the case, and the original charges, goes to court.

Plea bargain saves time, saves money, and most importantly, saves 'face' for both sides.

We have two winners here. The only quarrel I have is with the part in bold. I don't know the prosecutor involved or how the office is run, but those motives don't ring true.

A prosecutor owes a duty to the public to see that justice is done. Justice in this case involves getting as much jail time as possible for Taylor in light of the facts involved. That does almost certainly mean that a plea agreement will be utilized. It is true that the specific statute under which Taylor is convicted doesn't matter, but the fact that there is a conviction and that there are consequences are vitally important to serve the societal goals that the prosecutor works to uphold. Taylor needs to serve as example to the community. He needs to feel the sting of punishment to the extent you can make any millionaire feel it. With any luck, it will teach him not to go pulling guns on people in the future.

ETA: The question in my mind is whether Taylor will get a harsher sentence than Marcus Vick gets. I have them both pegged for a couple of months of jail time to be served during the offseason, allowing them both to join their teams for training camp.

 

[ChrisCooleyFan]

He will get off. Didn't kill anyone like Leonard Little.

Little arrested twice for DUI, my wife hates Little, as well as Taylor...

 

[ChrisCooleyFan]

What happens to Him when He spits on someone in jail?

Does He become a punk,or the Man?

He becomes Shawna

 

[psychobillies]

I am not sure what the big deal is. Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't he pull a gun against some guys who had just stolen his 4 wheeler? If I'm on my property and someone attempts to take my 4 wheelers you can bet your ### they'll at least SEE one of my guns.

 

[redman]

This is just the prosecution adding a bunch of charges to try to scare a plea bargain out of him so they won't have to prosecute him and convince a judge or jury he's guilty.

According to the local media, this appears to be what's going on. The feeling appears to be that part of the reason the State was so willing to postpone the case may have something to do with the State's case being relatively weak on the original charge. What's going on now is likely the 'bargaining' stage between the State and Taylor's defense council. Apparently, the newly filed charges have no mandatory sentancing guidelines like the 'brandishing' charge that was originally filed, which carries a mandatory minimum sentance. The Asst Dist Attorney prosecuting the case, by nature, wants to get a conviction. It's what he's in business for. What he gets the conviction for is not as important. These new charges offer Taylor's camp a compromise which could allow both sides 'options' to get what they want. ADA gets conviction for a lesser offense, in return for Taylor getting a proverbial slap on the wrist compared to the penalties he might face if the case, and the original charges, goes to court.

Plea bargain saves time, saves money, and most importantly, saves 'face' for both sides.

We have two winners here. The only quarrel I have is with the part in bold. I don't know the prosecutor involved or how the office is run, but those motives don't ring true.

A prosecutor owes a duty to the public to see that justice is done. Justice in this case involves getting as much jail time as possible for Taylor in light of the facts involved. That does almost certainly mean that a plea agreement will be utilized. It is true that the specific statute under which Taylor is convicted doesn't matter, but the fact that there is a conviction and that there are consequences are vitally important to serve the societal goals that the prosecutor works to uphold. Taylor needs to serve as example to the community. He needs to feel the sting of punishment to the extent you can make any millionaire feel it. With any luck, it will teach him not to go pulling guns on people in the future.

ETA: The question in my mind is whether Taylor will get a harsher sentence than Marcus Vick gets. I have them both pegged for a couple of months of jail time to be served during the offseason, allowing them both to join their teams for training camp.

Gotta disagree with your reasoning here. I agree that that's the way that the system should work, and I even agree that that's the way that many if not most DA's go about their jobs, but all bets are off in "celebrity" cases. There's too much media coverage for people to ignore their appearance in the public eye given the outcome of the case. You saw that in L.A. with the OJ case, you saw in in Atlanta with the Ray Lewis case, and you saw it in Eagle, CO with the Kobe Bryant case.

Even in those varied locales, each time the DA either outright ignored a weak case in favor of plunging headlong towards trial only be undercut by teh weakness of their evidence (at trial, in the case of Lewis or right before trial in Kobe's case) or failed to recognize big problems in their ability to convict despite their evidence (OJ).

I think nittany lion has gotten as close as anyone in accurately guaging what's going on here.

 

[wdh76]

I am not sure what the big deal is. Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't he pull a gun against some guys who had just stolen his 4 wheeler?

If I'm on my property and someone attempts to take my 4 wheelers you can bet your ### they'll at least SEE one of my guns.

I might be wrong, but we was on their property trying to get them back.

 

[redman]

I am not sure what the big deal is.  Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't he pull a gun against some guys who had just stolen his 4 wheeler? 

If I'm on my property and someone attempts to take my 4 wheelers you can bet your ### they'll at least SEE one of my guns.

I might be wrong, but we was on their property trying to get them back.

Yeah, he went and sought them out to confront them. I thought I'd read somewhere that they'd shot at him or his house earlier in the day though.

 

[Jimmy James]

Gotta disagree with your reasoning here. I agree that that's the way that the system should work, and I even agree that that's the way that many if not most DA's go about their jobs, but all bets are off in "celebrity" cases.

That's not the way it should work (which you just said, I know). It's my hope that the folks working the Taylor case know this and are dealing with this in the same way the Virginia prosecutors who have handled Marcus Vick handle those cases. This type of case needs to be handled by an assistant who is just seasoned enough to know how to handle a case that draws publicity. The moment that the political arm of the office takes on the case, it's going to get screwed up.

There's too much media coverage for people to ignore their appearance in the public eye given the outcome of the case. You saw that in L.A. with the OJ case, you saw in in Atlanta with the Ray Lewis case, and you saw it in Eagle, CO with the Kobe Bryant case.

I totally agree. There are big lessons to learn from the way those cases worked out.

Even in those varied locales, each time the DA either outright ignored a weak case in favor of plunging headlong towards trial only be undercut by teh weakness of their evidence (at trial, in the case of Lewis or right before trial in Kobe's case) or failed to recognize big problems in their ability to convict despite their evidence (OJ).

I think nittany lion has gotten as close as anyone in accurately guaging what's going on here.

As I said, I do agree with the bulk of what nittany lion said. He's right on. I have to imagine that Taylor will take a jury if it goes to trial and that things will go very bad for the prosecution. By the accounts I have read, the case is weak. It will serve everybody's interests to see Taylor locked up for a little while instead of seeing him walk or spend a three year stretch of time in a Florida prison.

 

[cosmonaut]

This is just the prosecution adding a bunch of charges to try to scare a plea bargain out of him so they won't have to prosecute him and convince a judge or jury he's guilty.

According to the local media, this appears to be what's going on. The feeling appears to be that part of the reason the State was so willing to postpone the case may have something to do with the State's case being relatively weak on the original charge. What's going on now is likely the 'bargaining' stage between the State and Taylor's defense council. Apparently, the newly filed charges have no mandatory sentancing guidelines like the 'brandishing' charge that was originally filed, which carries a mandatory minimum sentance. The Asst Dist Attorney prosecuting the case, by nature, wants to get a conviction. It's what he's in business for. What he gets the conviction for is not as important. These new charges offer Taylor's camp a compromise which could allow both sides 'options' to get what they want. ADA gets conviction for a lesser offense, in return for Taylor getting a proverbial slap on the wrist compared to the penalties he might face if the case, and the original charges, goes to court.

Plea bargain saves time, saves money, and most importantly, saves 'face' for both sides.

I agree with your take. I disagree slightly with how you portray the ADA's job here. It's not always about a conviction.The defense could also be negotiating over the actual type of charge to plead to. I had a case with a defendant (who did make it to the NFL) who decided against pleading to simple misdemeanor assault without injury, not because the penalty was more than a slap on the wrist, but partially because it would impact his ability to own firearms under federal law.

In that case we went to trial and the State lost.

 

[cosmonaut]

Gotta disagree with your reasoning here.  I agree that that's the way that the system should work, and I even agree that that's the way that many if not most DA's go about their jobs, but all bets are off in "celebrity" cases.

That's not the way it should work (which you just said, I know). It's my hope that the folks working the Taylor case know this and are dealing with this in the same way the Virginia prosecutors who have handled Marcus Vick handle those cases. This type of case needs to be handled by an assistant who is just seasoned enough to know how to handle a case that draws publicity. The moment that the political arm of the office takes on the case, it's going to get screwed up.

There's too much media coverage for people to ignore their appearance in the public eye given the outcome of the case.  You saw that in L.A. with the OJ case, you saw in in Atlanta with the Ray Lewis case, and you saw it in Eagle, CO with the Kobe Bryant case.

I totally agree. There are big lessons to learn from the way those cases worked out.

Even in those varied locales, each time the DA either outright ignored a weak case in favor of plunging headlong towards trial only be undercut by teh weakness of their evidence (at trial, in the case of Lewis or right before trial in Kobe's case) or failed to recognize big problems in their ability to convict despite their evidence (OJ). 

I think nittany lion has gotten as close as anyone in accurately guaging what's going on here.

As I said, I do agree with the bulk of what nittany lion said. He's right on. I have to imagine that Taylor will take a jury if it goes to trial and that things will go very bad for the prosecution. By the accounts I have read, the case is weak. It will serve everybody's interests to see Taylor locked up for a little while instead of seeing him walk or spend a three year stretch of time in a Florida prison.

Criminal Justice Shark swimming here.

 

[redman]

The bottom line here for me as a Redskins fan about Taylor is this.First, he's a phenomenal talent. Phenomenal. He is as uniquely gifted at his position athletically as Michael Vick is at his position. That's not an exaggeration. He's just beginning to lock into what his responsibilities are at his position, and he has yet to reach his potential, however he's already on the short list of elite FS's in the game today. He may end up being recognized as the best of all time at his position. This is not me as a 'Skins homer writing this, it's just the truth. If you're not buying it, go watch some 'Skins games and just watch him move in coverage and tackle. Second, as gifted and mature as he is as a FS (spitting aside), he's equally immature as a person. IMHO after watching him for two years as a NFL player, the biggest obstacle to his success as a player will be what he does off the field, not what he does on it. He'd better grow up fast and view this firearm incident as a big time wake up call because he won't get a second chance on this sort of thing. He could end up as an athletic tragedy on par with Mike Tyson (though he certainly doesn't share the stature) if he doesn't change his ways, and I'd be really bummed about that as a 'Skins fan.

 

[fatness]

I am not sure what the big deal is. Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't he pull a gun against some guys who had just stolen his 4 wheeler?

He is accused of doing that, but no gun of his was recovered. There was someone posting here awhile back saying Taylor was driving around with a gun looking for people, but there has been nothing in any media reports I've seen saying that was the case. Just internet gossip, and you know how that is ------ the story you hear depends on the opinion the person telling it has of the person in the story.

According to the local media, this appears to be what's going on. The feeling appears to be that part of the reason the State was so willing to postpone the case may have something to do with the State's case being relatively weak on the original charge.

They tried to get Taylor and his attorney to agree to a plea bargain early; this is the second attempt at it. Their earlier offer of a plea bargain included mandatory prison time, so obviously Taylor and his attorney rejected it. The prosecution also agreed to several postponements, which I'm guessing means they'll have trouble proving their case.Really, if the original plea bargain offer had not included mandatory jail time, I think this would already be done in court. But with Taylor being high-profile, and Florida liking to appear as a hardass state, I suppose public opinion would have opposed a no-prison-time sentence. So they go for extended prison time to try to extract a plea bargain this time around, while their case may still not be strong enough to prove any law was broken beyond a reasonable doubt. Public opinion sometimes makes prosecutors do odd things in Florida it seems.

Just my 2 cents.