Lawrence Phillips: Delay of Conviction
Former NFL running back Lawrence Phillips was back in the news today. Trying to avoid what would be potentially a 20-year prison term in the can for assault by contesting a guilty plea he made in another case, Phillips had his sentencing postponed again Thursday. This was the sixth time he'd had the sentencing delayed. What was the conviction for, you ask?
Oh yes, he was convicted of seven counts of assault with a deadly weapon. That deadly weapon was a car: in August 2005 he drove onto a field near Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, striking two boys, ages 14 and 15, and a 19-year-old man, who suffered cuts and bruises. His car narrowly missed four other people. And this was all because he was upset over losing a pickup football game with the youths.
To make things worse Phillips is trying to withdraw his 2000 guilty plea for hitting his girlfriend at the time. He claims he was coerced into pleading guilty. Looks like he got more of the bad cop in the interrogation room...
The reason for this? California's Three Strikes Law. In this game, strike three really means you're out - you get life in jail. The guilty plea from 2000 would be his first strike (the previous dragging his girlfriend down a flight of stairs doesn't count as a strike). His "taking his anger out on a bunch of kids who beat him at a pickup game in a sport he used to play professionally" crime (also defined above as assault with a deadly weapon) would make his second strike, and therefore double the maximum sentence to 20 years.
If all goes bad, Phillips could soon be facing his third strike. On top of all of these, he's also awaiting trial on charges he struck his live-in girlfriend in San Diego and strangled her into unconsciousness in 2005. I just hope it wasn't the same girlfriend as the 2000 incident.
This is just another example of a promising athlete squandering a career (and life) by foolish actions. It's one thing not to make it as an athlete. It's a hard thing to do, and few really make it. But it's another thing not to make it as a person. That's inexcusable.
Phillips is using a public defender for all of these cases...and let's just say he'll be getting his money's worth.
8 comments:
If only you knew Lawrence. You can never believe all of what you here in the news... can you? Not every one is perfect. He has a lot of wonderful qualities and I wish people would stop focusing on only the bad. Especially when you all don't really know the first thing about him.
I'm sure Hitler's friends liked him too
if you were left for dead as a kid what would you do in your life?USELESS.THAT IS MY OLD NICKNAME FROM LP CRAZY BUT KOOL A PERSON IF YOU KNOW HIM.
well if you really dont know a person you shouldnt make a negative comment, lawrence came from a place most couldnt handle, we all know how hard it is to make it in pro sports, he did it, so before you run your mouth ask yourself who you really are, what are you really about, yeah, it is what it is, and it aint what it aint
be real, the man is nuts and needs help, he has had plenty of chances to get it but doesn't, anger management is out there for a reason, no matter where you came from or whatever you went through , if you have been in as much trouble as he has you would seek help or have it forced on you ...and now it looks like he will have no choice..nice friends he has.
For all you guys who want facts and not media rumor, Lawrence Phillips has a website that has been up for a year. You really should read the website if you want to know what the media knows but refuses to report! The website gives many verifiable details which you will never see in mainstream media. Supporters sent out a news release regarding a favorable ruling by California Supreme Court in April 2008 regarding Lawrence but the media refused to acknowledge it. Although California's Attorney General tried to stop it, the California Supreme Court ruling on Lawrence's appeal related to the case prosecution is trying to invoke a "strike" sentencing on has been allowed to continue. You have to get to this website if you want the truth: www.lawrencephillips.info
Lawrence Phillips is just one more violent sociopath protected by criminal enablers like Tom Osborne because he's an economic profit center in the NFL.
Leave his violent carcass for the crows and move on.
Who cares whether or not "If you only know Lawrence Phillips" or "We don't know what its like to be where he came from"? Bottom line: He doesn't know "Right" from "Wrong". So, you're saying its "Ok" for L.P. to assault women, hit people w/ his car, and do other stuff that is unlawful? You're a real CLOWN then...fool!
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