How do they get away with this?

[spacecrime]

Charges were dropped against Santonio holmes, but he was ordered to give money to the COPS?

http://www.nfl.com/teams/story/PIT/9584109

Prosecutors dismissed the charge against the Steelers' first-round draft pick, but he was ordered to donate $250 to the police officers assistance trust fund. The 22-year-old Holmes had pleaded not guilty to charges that he blocked traffic and refused to obey a police order to move.

If charges were dropped, why did he have to give anything? And why to the cops? It's not even a fine. He was ordered to donate.

They arrested humdreds that weekend. At $250 a crack, that should really top off the old cops trust fund, eh? Maybe they can make it an annual event.

I think this is bogus, even if it is probably the third thing that CT and I agree on....

 

[VJCPatriot]

Because money makes the world go round and even if SH is a jerk he has a whole lot of it and plays pro sports to boot.

 

[DarrylS]

For a guy like Holmes he will get confused and not get religion, as he will probably re-offend again. IMO it would have been better for him to get some type of sanction greater than a $250 contribution, as he will take this as he is above the law. We will read about his off field law breaking exploits again.

 

[Julius]

It makes you wish we lived in a third world country where at least tha police are up front about shaking down the populace. I'd rather they cut the charade just pull out the gun and rob you like any other criminal. But then again he was arrested in Miami. When the world trade talks happened. They cordoned off the whole downtown and arrested over 500 people who seemed like they might be protesters kept them in jail for a week and then released them without pressing charges of any kind. South Florida is not part of America anymore.
As for Holmes this incident will do nothing to change who he is.

 

[sarge]

Yeah, cause those cops man, they get paid a ton for such an easy no risk job.

 

[dryheat44]

It's really not all that uncommon. Many times a judge will order the perp to donate x amount of dollars to charity in lieu of facing charges. I would have preferred the money go to the Red Cross or whatever, but some judges award the money to the offended cause (i.e. domestic violence charged dropped in exchange for 1000 donation to a shelter for battered women, which might be Holmes' next courtroom adventure), so maybe in his mind this applies. The judge and lawyers make the arrangement, not the cops.

Not to say the police aren't involved in shakedowns. My experience in the bar business tells me that they're as bad as the mob. Just an added cost of doing business. It's worse in most other countries than here.

 

[Welker83]

Police were cracking down on "reveling" down in south beach. There were something like 143 arrests in two days...all for minor charges. The project was just to put out a point of emphasis. They just want people to be more responsible, but they don't want to scare away the tourists(very important) so they allow everyone to put in a written plea and get it dropped in exchange for a small "donation"....

Basically if you were having a good time walking with friends to another bar you had a high chance of getting arrested for some crackerjack charges...

 

[Pujo]

It's technically a plea deal where the result is a "continuance without a finding" - as long as he does whatever he agreed to, charges are dropped. He didn't have to accept the deal but then he would have faced criminal charges for the original act. It's not bad in this case because it keeps the case from clogging the court, and he's rich enough to fight the charges if had really thought he was innocent. Of course poorer people sometimes take plea deals because they can't afford to effectively defend themselves in a criminal trial, but that's getting OT.

 

[edgecy]

It makes you wish we lived in a third world country where at least tha police are up front about shaking down the populace. I'd rather they cut the charade just pull out the gun and rob you like any other criminal. But then again he was arrested in Miami. When the world trade talks happened. They cordoned off the whole downtown and arrested over 500 people who seemed like they might be protesters kept them in jail for a week and then released them without pressing charges of any kind. South Florida is not part of America anymore.
As for Holmes this incident will do nothing to change who he is.

I came from a third world country, and let me tell ya, the police are even worse than the ones here. In Malaysia you have to "bribe" the police to file a police report if you were robbed, if you have a traffic violation you have to pay the police officer (not to the court or anything else) to get out of it, and if you want to get a driver license, you better have a few hundred bucks ready.

Just my experiences. I am much more grateful for the police here. Now that I am in the US, I realize how good we have it here, despite a few flaws.

 

[shmessy]

Roethlisberger, Porter, Holmes.....The Steelers may have won the SB last year but I feel pretty smug about my team.

 

[Welker83]

From what i hear down here most of the people that they caught for this were all offered very similiar deals...

 

[FreeTedWilliams]

Before accusing the Police of anything, please note that the fine, gift, whatever you wish to call it, was ordered by the JUDGE, not the Cops. If it was up to the Cops, I'm sure they would have like to see him in jail. The Police get not part of any fine, penalty, or whatever that is imposed by a court subsequent to thier arrests.

IN this case, the Judge gave him a continuance without a finding, (basically don't get in trouble for x amount of time, and we will drop the charges) this is a very common plea especially for first offenders (or the partially famous). The Judge also ordered him to make the donation. The Cops had nothing to do with it. Blame the Judge all you want.

 

[ClosingTime]

As stated before this kind of thing happens a lot. Not that it makes it right but as the saying goes "I fought the law and the law won".
I still think the press down in that area should be following up on whether the po0lice are still cracking down on J-walking and loitering and such on the many a packed night when the usual whites dominat the area. REmember, this was called a "new initiative" for the police to stop such behaivor and the inaugural weekend of this initiative just happened to be during the Hip Hop Festival. Hmmmmm...
I'm not going to crucify or defend Holmes until further evidence. REpports are that he is spending a lot of time with Hines Ward after practice, in the weight room etc and that can only be a good thing.

Roethlisberger, Porter, Holmes.....The Steelers may have won the SB last year but I feel pretty smug about my team.

And I fel pretty smug about the my team ...

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/9583935

 

[pats-blue]

Before accusing the Police of anything, please note that the fine, gift, whatever you wish to call it, was ordered by the JUDGE, not the Cops. If it was up to the Cops, I'm sure they would have like to see him in jail. The Police get not part of any fine, penalty, or whatever that is imposed by a court subsequent to thier arrests.

IN this case, the Judge gave him a continuance without a finding, (basically don't get in trouble for x amount of time, and we will drop the charges) this is a very common plea especially for first offenders (or the partially famous). The Judge also ordered him to make the donation. The Cops had nothing to do with it. Blame the Judge all you want.

Not only was it ordered by the Judge not the police department but this police assistance program is for officers seriously injured in the line of duty to help thier families make ends meet while they recover, and to help the spouses and children of officers killed in the line of duty again so they don't lose thier houses and life savings after giving thier lives to protect you and I. It is not a "shakedown" or anything like that...I'd like those here critisizing this tell that to an officers family that lost thier mom or dad that this "assistance fund" is some kind of gravey train. Way to dovetail an article about a person who repeatedly acts like he is above everyone else and make it a slam on cops....