Only 30 Days for a DUI Death? NFL's Stallworth Gets Off Easy
Pity Cleveland Browns wide receiver Donte Stallworth. He just lost his driving privileges for the rest of his life.
Do you know how hard it is to find a decent chauffeur nowadays?
In what goes down as the most obscene criminal sentence in recent memory, Stallworth must spend 30 days in jail after pleading guilty to a DUI manslaughter from March.
One lousy month.
I’m still trying to get my head around it. Donte Stallworth actually killed a man – 59-year-old Mario Reyes – because he was drinking and driving one night in Miami, and he gets a single month in jail.
This is beyond outrage. It’s insane.
I’ve already heard the apologists say what Stallworth did was an accident—I’m looking at you Colin Cowherd of ESPN Radio. “It’s not like Stallworth purposely targeted this man,” Cowherd says. “It wasn’t intentional.”
Excuse me. This wasn’t an accident. An accident is unforeseen. Stallworth made the decision to drink. He made the decision to get behind the wheel of his Bentley with a .126 blood alcohol level and break the law (Florida limit is .08). And he made the decision to run a red light and break the law again, only to plow into a pedestrian walking to a bus stop so he could work his overnight shift as a crane operator.
Donte Stallworth is responsible for a man’s death.
Can you imagine how painful all this must be for the Reyes family? The killing was horrible enough. But now the man who selfishly robbed your family member’s life is told: Hey, it’s no big deal.
Seriously, how much time would Stallworth have received if he had been caught drinking and driving and nobody died? 15 days?
The Miami Herald says Stallworth will also do 1,000 hours of community service and two years under house arrest. If the guy is driving a Bentley, I’m guessing the Stallworth estate ain’t exactly San Quentin.
But really, is the light sentence Stallworth’s fault? Hell, he just accepted the deal that was offered. We should investigate the brain dead attorney who offered this outrageous plea bargain in the first place. Who wouldn’t accept 30 days when facing 4-to-15 years in prison?
Did Stallworth get off easy because he’s wealthy? An athlete? Perhaps.
But until we get serious about punishing drinking and driving what incentive is there to stop? Dodger fans who consume 16-ounce beers every inning? Have a pleasant drive home. The businesswoman who hits happy hour with her friends after work? No need to call a cab.
What’s the worst that could happen? Just ask Donte Stallworth.
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Wow Gallo got screwed FIFTY YEARS TO LIFE for doing the same damn thing Stallworth did....30 days. THAT is a frickin crime !!!
of an interstate in the middle of the night?
I don't condon the drunk driving at all, but it is amazing to me that someone in the middle of the road in the middle of the night getting run over is so amazing.
If you had bothered to read the story properly, you might have noticed that this loser drunk Stallworth RAN a red light on a city street NOT an interstate and that the pedestrain victim was crossing on the green light sober as a judge. This is a tragedy NOT an amazing event like a rainbow or the Auora Borealis! The poor guy was going to his night shift job and was scythed down by an idiotic alcoholic Football scumbag who got off basically scot free. Gee, I hope he didn't damage his Bentley!I also sincerely hope that the family sue loserman Stallworth for all he is worth in civil court, unless of course, they signed an agreement not to, which wouldn't suprise me in the least.
Gee thats a different story than NBC reported!
And for the record I am man enough to admit when I am wrong. The story that I heard originally indicated that this happened in the middle of the nite on a four lane divided highway. And that the victim had climbed a divider to get across the highway placing himself in the front of the car. SO! I was wrong!
He wasn't on an interstate, he was on a public street, and the guy he killed was a construction worker trying to catch a bus to work so he could feed his children .
On one hand: Yeah, he's rich... If you were rich, you'd get to enjoy the spoils of capitalism too.
And on the other: That's pretty telling of the government in power and what their real agenda concerns. $.
Robert Anton Wilson's comment on our legal system:
"The courts apply all criminal laws in this nation in a mild, rational and humane manner, if the defendent is rich."
This sentence is truly disgusting. This is probably the worst sentence I have ever seen.
My condolences to the victim's family.
And to the prosecutor, you should hide your face in shame every time you go out in public. How can you possibly sleep at night?
In crimes that involve drugs and/or alcohol - whent the crime is not simply possession - then for sentencing purposes, ignore the drug/alcohol component. Try this pinhead as if he killed the man while he was completely sober. See how lenient the law is for sober manslaughter. Whenever imbibing alcohol or taking other drugs, it is the responsibility of everyone to be aware of what effect the substance produces; any actions that occur during the period of inebriation are a direct result of the DECISION to alter one's mood and perceptions. Therefore a DUI-manslaughter should be considered simply manslaughter. The DUI itself can be prosecuted separately. I hold the same for domestic violence that is associated with drunkenness - consider it to be domestic violence period; NO EXCUSE of alcohol effect should be considered.
-Reverend Spith