Dennard pleads Not Guilty

[supafly]

I hope this guy brings some swagger and toughness to our "high character" secondary. And i really couldn't give a **** about his character with our recent success of drafting CBs.

I'm going to have to be completely honest and say that I agree with you 100%.

At this point I don't know if we can really stick too much of a negative label on him anyway; but even if that were the case, as long as he can put that past him and play his position the way we need, I'm all for it.

I think it's the players who tend to be locker room cancers who you need to worry about more, and I don't see the relationship to Dennard with his actions.

 

[ausbacker]

I'm going to have to be completely honest and say that I agree with you 100%.

At this point I don't know if we can really stick too much of a negative label on him anyway; but even if that were the case, as long as he can put that past him and play his position the way we need, I'm all for it.

I think it's the players who tend to be locker room cancers who you need to worry about more, and I don't see the relationship to Dennard with his actions.

The Patriots need some nastiness from the linebackers and secondary. Not thuggery but nastiness.

 

[shmessy]

Not a fan of bringing bad apples into the Pats. Gotta say Dennard isn't one of my favorite Patriots and probably never will be.

That said, he will likely plead the case down to a misdemeanor. Look at Kendrick Ellis from the Jets. He beat a guy to a bloody pulp and only got 45 days in jail and a misdemeanor. What Dennard did was not nearly as bad. He is likely to get a slap on the wrist.

I hope for his and the Pats' sake that this was an isolated incident and he is more of a victim of circumstances rather than a bad egg. I am a little leary of him, but knowing it was an off duty cop involved in the incident does change things a bit. Still not excusable if Dennard is at fault, but a little less bad.

He got into an altercation with someone NOT in a police uniform.

Call out an international tribunal at the Hague.

Larry Bird and Paul Pierce, amongst others, were not stains on their teams.

 

[UK_Pat37]

It does seem pathetic that he has been arraigned on charges of assaulting a police officer who wasn't on duty or in a uniform...but that's the police for you. They're the same everywhere. Always on a power trip...from what my American friends say out there, it's ten times worse than it is here..and here it's bad enough with some people. All depends on the cop you get I guess.

He got into an on field scuffle once with Alshon Jeffery but I loved it...we lack aggression in that area of the field and this guy will bring it. He's always loud, you know he's there, he can hit and he is probably the best guy out of this year's draft class when it comes to being able to press and knock his man off his route. Over aggression can be a concern but that gets coached out of you soon enough.

 

[patchick]

I hope this guy brings some swagger and toughness to our "high character" secondary. And i really couldn't give a **** about his character with our recent success of drafting CBs.

I've always tried to distinguish between question marks on "personal character" and "football character." "Personal character" is about risk: is this guy going to flame out? Get suspended? Etc. "Football character" is a predictor of on-field success: is this guy going to put in the work to achieve his full potential? Be a positive locker room influence, and make the players around him better?

There have been a lot of comparisons between Dennard and Kenrick Ellis, based on outstanding criminal charges. But Ellis was also perpetually out of shape and in his coaches' doghouse in college, getting kicked off of one team and suspended from the next. IMO that's the bigger red flag for a successful NFL career.

 

[JoeSixPat]

Totally agree with your statement. I'm in Omaha, 50 miles from Lincoln, and this was the first time I've ever heard of Dennard being in trouble while at college. Believe me, the Huskers are the only thing we have around here, so when something happens it makes the news quickly.

By all indications this incident was an aberration.

I think Belichick is taking Bo Pelini's word on Dennard's true character. I pegged Dennard as my dark horse pick as a long term impact player early on - with the one caveat that he's able to avoid jail time over this (unfortunately I think they tend to be ultra harsh in assaults on police officers.)

"That isn't who he is, that's never been who he is, and that's not going to be who he is in the future," Nebraska coach Bo Pelini said. "And I put my reputation, and I put everything I stand for as a football coach behind that young man.

"He is a tremendous young man, and one who you want not only representing you as a football player, but the type of kid you want in your community, the type of kid you want representing your organization," Pelini continued.

"For four years, I didn't have a problem with that young man in any way. He did things exactly how we asked him to do them here, and the way we handle our kids, we don't make it easy on the kids in our program. We hold them to high standards every single day."

If he can stay out of prison, I think this guy is gonna be good - good player and good character. I know I'm pulling for him!

Hopefully the judge is willing to listen to evidence of this kid's true nature.

New England Patriots draft pick Alfonzo Dennard has his supporters - ESPN Boston

If everyone hasn't read this it's a must read before commenting on his character.

 

[tobias funke]

another judge might care

but you hit a cop

you're going in

 

[randomk1]

another judge might care

but you hit a cop

you're going in

It's not his fault.

 

[PatsDeb]

Could Supafly or others w/ knowledge of legal proceedings explain: is submitting a Not Guilty
plea SOP before agreeing to a lesser misdemeanor charge? I kinda ass-umed that a deal
would've been reached before the hearing today. Maybe I'm reading too much into it.

Yes, that would be SOP if the parties hadn't had time to work things out yet. Now they have until whatever trial date the Court set (or final pretrial hearing if that particular court operates that way) to work something out. Where he had the unfortunate "luck" to shove a police officer (off duty or not), the "victim" may have more of a say as to what happens in this case than in others. They may also be trying to let Dennard get established in his new home/job, and if he is able to stay out of trouble for a while, it will be easier to let him go with a slap on the wrist. Unless they are offering something really good up front, it is smart of his lawyer to let some time elapse between the offense and the trial date/plea hearing, provided he is confident his client can stay out of trouble.

 

[Joker]

another judge might care

but you hit a cop

you're going in

yeah...OK, Good Will Hunting...(gotta wake up pretty early in the a.m. to bamboozle the ol' Joker)

 

[Kontradiction]

except everyone knew Dennard had a reputation for doing that type of crap, and Alshon had a reputation for being one of the best sportsmen in all of college football. I wonder if Dennard had the guts to apologize yet, or if he is too much a coward.

I take it you're a fan of the '****s?

 

[UK_Pat37]

except everyone knew Dennard had a reputation for doing that type of crap, and Alshon had a reputation for being one of the best sportsmen in all of college football. I wonder if Dennard had the guts to apologize yet, or if he is too much a coward.

Don't talk crap....

 

[BrickPat]

another judge might care

but you hit a cop

you're going in

As a cop who has been hit more times than Kim Kardashian I can assure you that doing so does not equate to serving jail time (absent a horrific record).

 

[captain stone]

Thanks Ty, Fly & Deb for the follow-up; I feel a little better now.

 

[goheels22002]

Yes, that would be SOP if the parties hadn't had time to work things out yet. Now they have until whatever trial date the Court set (or final pretrial hearing if that particular court operates that way) to work something out. Where he had the unfortunate "luck" to shove a police officer (off duty or not), the "victim" may have more of a say as to what happens in this case than in others. They may also be trying to let Dennard get established in his new home/job, and if he is able to stay out of trouble for a while, it will be easier to let him go with a slap on the wrist. Unless they are offering something really good up front, it is smart of his lawyer to let some time elapse between the offense and the trial date/plea hearing, provided he is confident his client can stay out of trouble.

Please read the police report from the Lincoln, NE Journal Star: Image : Alfonzo Dennard

I agree with everything except for the "unfortunate "luck" to shove a police officer (off duty or not),..."

Dennard punched another 22-year-old and then went at it with the police. No "luck" involved here.

According to the quotes from the police report, Dennard punched a police officer in the jaw. It took four cops - including the one in civilian clothes that he punched - to subdue him. The guy was out of control, just as he was in front of 50,000 people in the Capital One Bowl. He's in hot water and has issues with his temper.

You are absolutely correct that his punishment depends a lot on how far the police officer he punched wants to take this. Dennard is now in another state and is on the threshold of a professional career. If he keeps his nose clean between now and the date of the trial, it could just go away with a fine and terms of probation including not punching any more police officers. Something even Dennard can probably adhere to.

How did the Bengals pass on this guy?

 

[Clonamery]

Please read the police report from the Lincoln, NE Journal Star: Image : Alfonzo Dennard

I agree with everything except for the "unfortunate "luck" to shove a police officer (off duty or not),..."

Dennard punched another 22-year-old and then went at it with the police. No "luck" involved here.

According to the quotes from the police report, Dennard punched a police officer in the jaw. It took four cops - including the one in civilian clothes that he punched - to subdue him. The guy was out of control, just as he was in front of 50,000 people in the Capital One Bowl. He's in hot water and has issues with his temper.

You are absolutely correct that his punishment depends a lot on how far the police officer he punched wants to take this. Dennard is now in another state and is on the threshold of a professional career. If he keeps his nose clean between now and the date of the trial, it could just go away with a fine and terms of probation including not punching any more police officers. Something even Dennard can probably adhere to.

How did the Bengals pass on this guy?

What's your point, that a Police report is written by the Police?

 

[JR4]

Maybe Dennard gets a prison term. If he does, he may contribute very
little this year. But next year he'll be ready with some solid training this year.
If he does as well as some think, even if it's next year, then isn't that
seventh round pick still a steal?

 

[Guimond3434]

Maybe Dennard gets a prison term. If he does, he may contribute very
little this year. But next year he'll be ready with some solid training this year.
If he does as well as some think, even if it's next year, then isn't that
seventh round pick still a steal?

Dennard isn't going to get any prison time. You don't get prison time for punching a cop and causing a scene. Nobody was killed, or stabbed, or put in the hospital. Nobody was robbed or had their life threatened. If anything, he'll get sentenced to 30-days of community service, pay a fine, and have to take an anger management class. This isn't an offense that warrants jail time.

Chances are though, the charges will be dropped. It will be settled out of court, and we'll never hear about it ever again. That's what ALWAYS happens in cases like this.

I think people are simply over-blowing this story. Too many hens are clucking in the chicken-coop.

 

[zeroakuma]

You can get jail time for assault and battery.

 

[Ron Sellers]

You can get jail time for assault and battery.

That is true -- but it's not really the point.

What would be more relevant would be the answer to what percentage of those arrested for A&B do jail time for a first offense that did not result in injuries?