Bad News May Be Coming For Patriots Haynesworth After Plea

[PatsFans.com Article]

Bad News May Be Coming For Patriots Haynesworth After Plea
By: Ian Logue

There was some good news and bad news on Monday regarding Patriots defensive lineman Albert Haynesworth and his pending sexual assualt case....

CLICK HERE TO READ THIS STORY​

 

[ctpatsfan77]

Bad News May Be Coming For Patriots Haynesworth After Plea
By: Ian Logue

There was some good news and bad news on Monday regarding Patriots defensive lineman Albert Haynesworth and his pending sexual assualt case....

CLICK HERE TO READ THIS STORY​

As the comments on PFT's article correctly note, there's a big difference between being a boor and being accused of rape . . . twice.

Also, one other thing to note is that "no contest" is not legally the same thing as "guilty."

 

[DefenseRules]

AWESOME! At least we only gave up a 5th round pick for the guy.

 

[Fencer]

Also, one other thing to note is that "no contest" is not legally the same thing as "guilty."

Is there any significant difference in the consequences?

 

[IllegalContact]

for the price the pats are paying in 2011, AH is not going to get cut......

they will stick with him, and by midseason, he will pay big dividends......

 

[billdog3484]

the patriots knew what they were getting into when they acquired haynesworth. i dont think there was any surprise here today and i highly doubt they will cut him based on him pleading no contest.

most times in the legal system pleading to a lower charge is the only option.

160 hrs of community service for pleading no contest to simple assault is just too good to pass up when the other option is rolling the dice and going to trial with a max of 6 months in prison.

haynesworth allegedly told the patriots he did not commit the crime. and its possible that he didnt. today's result does not change that. it was just the smartest legal option available.

trials rarely happen, and when it was decided that the prosecution was going to go forward with the case it is very likely haynesworth's legal team was hoping a similar deal was on the table originally offered a few months back.

i think there is major overreaction here.

 

[BSR]

Funny how Florio compares the incident to Rothlisberger's rape charge and not this other recent assault charge where there was no suspension issued.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

Is there any significant difference in the consequences?

IANAL, but one important difference is that you can't use a no contest plea against someone in later trials (e.g., civil trials, future criminal trials) nearly as easily as you can a guilty plea.

 

[RxJock1120]

As the comments on PFT's article correctly note, there's a big difference between being a boor and being accused of rape . . . twice.

Also, one other thing to note is that "no contest" is not legally the same thing as "guilty."

1. I doubt it makes any difference to our great commisioner!! So a 4 game suspension is not out of the question. Roger will do anything and everything screw over as many teams as possible(while leaving the Jets untouched!)

2. I believe that his guilt and plea is irrelevant to the Pats. They knew about this situation prior to trading for AH, so they must have considerred the legal ramifications of this case. Draft picks are something the Oats covet, and rarely give up just for the heck of it. The only reason AH gets cut is for performance, work ethic nothing else.

 

[BHSL2]

FWIW, the ESPN Bottom Line said (paraphrased) "league sources" say that Goodell will not issue a punishment on Haynesworth

 

[D-Money]

I hope thats true.

 

[PushnPencils]

Nolo contendere is a legal term that comes from the Latin for "I do not wish to contend." It is also referred to as a plea of no contest.
In criminal trials, and in some common law jurisdictions, it is a plea where the defendant neither admits nor disputes a charge, serving as an alternative to a pleading of guilty or not guilty.
A no-contest plea, while not technically a guilty plea, has the same immediate effect as a guilty plea, and is often offered as a part of a plea bargain.[1] In many jurisdictions a plea of nolo contendere is not a right, and carries various restrictions on its use.

 

[TriplecHamp]

I'm expecting a suspension from every bodies favorite hard-ass and Im not to upset. Make him sit out 4 weeks and return fresh against the Jets. Its not like we aren't loaded on the dline.

 

[BHSL2]

I'd like to believe The Bottom Line, concerning Haynesworth

"Haynesworth is not expected to be disciplined by commissioner Roger Goodell, sources tell ESPN's Adam Schefter"

This has flashed on my TV screen a few times now. Hopefully this holds true..

 

[VJCPatriot]

bottom line: he gets no jail time and does community service right? it's celebrity justice but these kinda cases are hard to prove anyways. sounds no worse than what big ben has been caught doing. hell didn't ben assault a minor? in any case ben's still in the league. hopefully AH puts this behind him and just doesn't put himself in a bad position anymore.

 

[Patriot_in_NY]

Nolo contendere is a legal term that comes from the Latin for "I do not wish to contend." It is also referred to as a plea of no contest.
In criminal trials, and in some common law jurisdictions, it is a plea where the defendant neither admits nor disputes a charge, serving as an alternative to a pleading of guilty or not guilty.
A no-contest plea, while not technically a guilty plea, has the same immediate effect as a guilty plea, and is often offered as a part of a plea bargain.[1] In many jurisdictions a plea of nolo contendere is not a right, and carries various restrictions on its use.

He also pleaded "nolo" to simple assult.......... which is significantly different than pleading to the original charge. It be pretty tough to suspend him for that when Edwards got nothing on a DWI last year.

 

[Gumby]

assault is a crime of violence against another person. ... assault refers to an act that causes another to apprehend an immediate harmful contact, whereas the actual contact itself is called "battery.

Generally, the essential elements of assault consist of an act intended to cause an apprehension of harmful or offensive contact that causes apprehension of such contact in the victim.

The act required for an assault must be overt. Although words alone are insufficient, they might create an assault when coupled with some action that indicates the ability to carry out the threat. A mere threat to harm is not an assault; however, a threat combined with a raised fist might be sufficient if it causes a reasonable apprehension of harm in the victim.

Intent is an essential element of assault. ..... the intent element is satisfied if it is substantially certain, to a reasonable person, that the act will cause the result. ....

In criminal law, the attempted battery type of assault requires a Specific Intent to commit battery. An intent to frighten will not suffice for this form of assault.

There can be no assault if the act does not produce a true apprehension of harm in the victim. There must be a reasonable fear of injury.

So lets be clear here. He plead 'i'm not gonna fight the accusation of" 'scaring someone.' Did Not even actually plead to touching the waitress. Let alone any components of 'sexual assault'.

If the commish suspends him for that (when you see the other stuff that gets let go) then there is something seriously wrong. (of course when it comes to Goodell - we already knew that)

so essentially his punishment boils down to: he has to be keep his nose clean for 18 mo and do 160 hours of comm svc.

Much ado about nothing is the final on this one.

It will be interesting to see if he practices right away now or is still held out. That will at least tell us if he is in shape or still has an injury etc.

 

[TheSolderKing]

FWIW, the ESPN Bottom Line said (paraphrased) "league sources" say that Goodell will not issue a punishment on Haynesworth

I saw the same thing

 

[PatsBoy12]

the patriots knew what they were getting into when they acquired haynesworth. i dont think there was any surprise here today and i highly doubt they will cut him based on him pleading no contest.

most times in the legal system pleading to a lower charge is the only option.

160 hrs of community service for pleading no contest to simple assault is just too good to pass up when the other option is rolling the dice and going to trial with a max of 6 months in prison.

haynesworth allegedly told the patriots he did not commit the crime. and its possible that he didnt. today's result does not change that. it was just the smartest legal option available.

trials rarely happen, and when it was decided that the prosecution was going to go forward with the case it is very likely haynesworth's legal team was hoping a similar deal was on the table originally offered a few months back.

i think there is major overreaction here.

I totally agree. I'm sure the Patriots vetted him completely and knew of the situation from a legal standpoint. They won't cut him.

 

[Bostonian1962]

ESPN said sources told them there will be no league action on the matter.