Stillers Fans at DEFCON 1- Big Ben Accused Again (Update- No Charges Filed)

Re: Stillers Fans at DEFCON 1- Big Ben Accused Again

That is sig worthy. Tremendous stuff and very, very accurate.

 

Re: Stillers Fans at DEFCON 1- Big Ben Accused Again

They do. And I think 80 percent of the pathetic people here would have to walk around naked if there was an ordinance passed that went something like "you can't wear anything with black and gold in it"

 

Re: Stillers Fans at DEFCON 1- Big Ben Accused Again

The cop photo issue is not about presumed guilt or innocence, the accused can take a photo with whoever they want.

Its about the "appearance of impropriety" of the police officers in question. They have no guilt or innocence at stake.

What looks inappropriate is that the person who was previously fawning over that jock? Yeah, that's now the person you have to convince that there's probable cause that a crime took place. That person is also being totally objective about investigating the allegations against the person they were just deifying/worshipping.

No, that cop should have excused himself from any investigation immediately. But of course he wouldn't because he wants the OT. Simply the wrong move and now taints the whole investigation from the inception.

Its all fine until you think about that victim being your mom/sister/daughter.

 

Re: Stillers Fans at DEFCON 1- Big Ben Accused Again

Here is the thing -- according to TMZ that photo was taken 90 minutes BEFORE the incident at a different bar than where the incident occurred.

In other words, it is a non-issue.....unless the cops were supposed to have some powers to know that the guy they were taking photos with was going to leave and go to a different bar and commit sexual assault (allegedly).....

http://www.tmz.com/2010/03/12/roethlisberger-cop-photos-capital-city-earlier-time-frame-pics/

What is amazing is that the media in this town sent a gang of reporters from the two newspapers, the radio stations, the tv stations and the only one who has reported this is TMZ.

 

Re: Stillers Fans at DEFCON 1- Big Ben Accused Again

I think what qtlaw is saying is that the cop in question should have excused himself from the case when it became clear who the victim was accusing, not been psychic enough to have avoided being in the picture in the first place.

With the picture, the cop has established that he was approaching Rothlisberger like a fan the same evening as he later tried to approach him as a suspect, and while he may be perfectly able to do that, the appearance of unethical behavior is unmistakable.

 

Re: Stillers Fans at DEFCON 1- Big Ben Accused Again

But you do agree that it at least changes how meaningful the photo will be in terms of helping Roethlisberger's defense and that it should have been a more prominent part of the story being reported in the media?

 

Re: Stillers Fans at DEFCON 1- Big Ben Accused Again

Are we talking about the case or the investigation? Its two different things.

I'm addressing the investigation. Guy who takes a picture needs to excuse himself, he's already aligned himself with Roethlisberger. I'm not saying he needs to be clairvoyant, just that once the accusation is made, he needs to step aside.

As for the case, the photo is not a big deal, other than now he can show an implicit message to the jury, "hey I'm a buddy of law enforcement and they like me."

 

Re: Stillers Fans at DEFCON 1- Big Ben Accused Again

OK, why let someone from the same state investigate then? Or someone from the Midwest? Or a another white guy? The line has to be drawn somewhere. Intuitively, it feels to me like taking photos with the suspect earlier in the same evening is on the wrong side of that line. I'm confident that there are laws or ethical guidelines that would back me up on that.

 

Re: Stillers Fans at DEFCON 1- Big Ben Accused Again

OK, but what happens when your common sense and my common sense clash? Just to take a completely random example, let's say you think it's common sense that a kid STFU and let's his classmates have a prayer at high school graduation. But I think it's common sense that if someone finds the prayer offensive or objectionable, everyone should respect that.

How do we sort through that?

Answer: Law.

The problem with using "common sense" as some sort of infallible guide is that if that was the standard, nobody would have any notice about whether they were on the right or wrong side of the line, and authorities would have unacceptable amounts of discretion.

P.S. You aren't completely off your rocker here. There are serious legal scholars who argue over whether there should be "rules" or "guidelines." Justice Stevens, for example, loves guidelines. Scalia loves rules. And there's a reason that Scalia's opinions, even his dissents, are masterpieces, while Stevens will leave behind an at times indecipherable mess when he finally walks away.

 

Re: Stillers Fans at DEFCON 1- Big Ben Accused Again

Don't let the facts get in the way of your "TMZ was the only one to report it" fantasy land.
This was a breaking news story I filed, from Milledgeville, on Friday. Afterward there was a subsequent longer folo in Saturday's paper. If you want to take a shot at the "newspapers in this town" that is fine by me, but don't present false facts in an attempt to bolster your claim:

Friday, March 12, 2010
By Colin Dunlap, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. -- Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger posed for photos with some of the officers who conducted a sexual assault complaint investigation about an hour before the incident allegedly occurred.

Sgt. Jerry Blash, Det. Everett January, Lt. Willie Goddard and officer Paul Cressman -- all from the Milledgeville Police Department -- appeared in one of the photos along with Georgia College & State University public safety officer Nick Reonas.

Sgt. Blash, who was the officer initially approached by the alleged victim and wrote a police report of the incident, appears in a group shot with the others and then in a close-up shot with the quarterback.

Sgt. Blash is in uniform in both pictures.

"None of the officers were involved in the investigation after the supervisor [Lt. Goddard] did the initial report," Milledgeville police Chief Woodrow Blue said in an interview with the Post-Gazette this afternoon. "After that, it went to the detectives and we are working that with the Georgia Bureau of Investigations."

Chief Blue made a point to stress the photos were not a violation of any of his department's policies and, moreover, will not jeopardize the investigation into the happenings inside the Capital City nightclub involving Roethlisberger.

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10071/1042306-100.stm#ixzz0iIiypniT

 

Re: Stillers Fans at DEFCON 1- Big Ben Accused Again

I'm not sure if John Leguizamo was the first to tell the joke, but in an old TV special he did a bit about his father advising him never to get into fights with ugly people because they have nothing to lose.

I wonder if we could apply a version of that advice on this thread. Hmmmm

 

Re: Stillers Fans at DEFCON 1- Big Ben Accused Again

Dude, I wasn't taking a shot at anybody so you need to chill out.

I was simply saying that TMZ is leading the way in this story and that is amazing considering every media outlet in this town has sent people down there to investigate stuff.

That isn't to say they aren't doing a good job, just that there have been some important facts that TMZ has reported that others haven't, like the fact that this photo was taken at a different bar.

Perhaps, I am missing something but the only place I read about the fact that the photo was taken at a different bar was at TMZ.

That web-site, whatever you think about it, seems to lead the way in all of these kinds of stories and perhaps that has something to do with the fact that they don't need to source stories the way newspapers do.

My goodness, even when I am not looking to pick a fight, it finds me.....