Lacrosse ugliness at U.Va.

Football seems to invite a lot of men that kill the mothers of their children.
Especially in the NFL.

Well, ok, just Rae Carruth...depending on what you believe about happened in Brentwood.

 

Let's remember that lacrosse is one of the most populous teams in college sports. Football's the only one that's obviously larger in roster size. Track may be. I'd be willing to bet you that any football and lacrosse team has at least one player with alcohol/violence issues. This guy is clearly more of a deviant than most, but let's not assume that UVa is absolutely the worst offender in the universe.

 

As I feared, some individuals and their followers are enjoying this unspeakable tragedy. All hail the Internet and its ability to empower Everyman.

http://sportsonmymind.com/2010/05/07/how-and-why-lt-and-jamarcus-russell-become-more-important-than-murder-nfl-gms-lying-and-super-bowl-coaches-stealing-narcotics/

 

Virginia has an honor code that extends beyond examinations.

 

A code that originated when a student shot a professor to death.

http://www.virginia.edu/uvatours/shorthistory/code.html

 

LAX also seems to have a lot less diversity that many other sports.

 

Tantamount to a blood oath with some people on campus.

-- "Tell your friend not to get cute down there, the Marines at Guantanamo are fanatical."
-- "Fanatical about what?"
-- "About being Marines."

 

Here's the thing about the Honor System, which says you get tossed for the first violation. All freshmen (first-year students, as they are called) support the single-sanction system it because they think it's their obligation to do so. They're terrified that they'll get in trouble if they suggest it might be a bit unforgiving and harsh, etc. By the time they're ready to graduate, a pretty solid percentage of the populace thinks the system is too harsh.

 

All eight should be kicked out according to the honor code but I guess it does not apply to LAX players.

 

I finally got to talk to Criminal Lawyer Lugs about this case yesterday, and I learned two things I didn't realize:

1) "I went to beat the shit out of her and accidently killed her" is not a defense for first degree murder. "I pushed her in the heat of the moment, and she accidently hit her head on the wall" would be.

2) Voluntary intoxication is never a defense for murder. In other words, if he tries to act like he was so drunk he blacked out and didn't know what he was doing - that's not a defense.

 

Interesting. Sure makes that kicked in door a key piece of evidence then, a smoking gun per se, in terms of the intent to harm her.

 

Just a hunch, but I think the "I didn't mean to kill her" claim doesn't quite square with stealing her computer and trying to ditch it. (Not to mention not calling anyone for help if she "slipped and hit her head. Five times."