Richmond Suing

[IAA Fan]

Cannot agree on criminal rights. Punishment is for justice; it is a punitive measure, not a method of invalidation ... the crime still occurred. I have right to live in a society without fear of being robbed and when someone breaks into my house, they robbed me of not only my belongings (or worse), but my right to live that way; I will never get it back. SO why should the criminal have rights? Then again, as I said, the punishment in this case was slight, so I feel the judge must have considered the severity of the offense (or he needs disbarred). Look at that idiot father of Ron Goldman and OJ. He sued for the Heisman trophy and won, in a civil court with a fixed settlement; yet the judge awards him a priceless gift. So does this mean OJ did not win it? Clearly we made a mistake in telling Richmond he cannot play, no one with any sense of fairness would disagree. I question why he was allowed to enroll in the first place. However, yes it is something we allow so things went the way they have. So if we allow him to enroll. we must allow him on the team, a$$uming he qualifies.

[penguinpower]

not defending him but he was a minor at the time.  Where are the liberals?  can't he be rehabilitated?  was his frontal cortex developed enough? 

To me it is about rights.  He has them period.  served his time as a minor.  done.  regardless of what we think.

[go guins]

Cannot agree on criminal rights. Punishment is for justice; it is a punitive measure, not a method of invalidation ... the crime still occurred. I have right to live in a society without fear of being robbed and when someone breaks into my house, they robbed me of not only my belongings (or worse), but my right to live that way; I will never get it back. SO why should the criminal have rights? Then again, as I said, the punishment in this case was slight, so I feel the judge must have considered the severity of the offense (or he needs disbarred). Look at that idiot father of Ron Goldman and OJ. He sued for the Heisman trophy and won, in a civil court with a fixed settlement; yet the judge awards him a priceless gift. So does this mean OJ did not win it? Clearly we made a mistake in telling Richmond he cannot play, no one with any sense of fairness would disagree. I question why he was allowed to enroll in the first place. However, yes it is something we allow so things went the way they have. So if we allow him to enroll. we must allow him on the team, a$$uming he qualifies.

Let's be clear on this. You are advocating 100% background checks on all students, faculty and staff.  No former criminals (I a$$ume you would place a limit on what, felonies?) can be admitted or allowed on campus? 
This gets a little tricky as many juvenile offenses are expunged upon reaching majority age, and there was no crime even though there WAS a crime.  In addition you have examples like this:
“Randy is convicted of a$$ault with a deadly weapon. State law provides that the offense is punishable by up to one year in jail or up to five years in prison. The judge sentences Randy to four months in jail, three years of probation, and 200 hours of community service. The sentence makes the conviction a misdemeanor.”  Now this guy had an a$$ault conviction but a misdemeanor conviction, does he get in?  If some misdemeanors get in and some don’t then what?  Anarchy?
You will make -0- people on the campus safer, as anybody can just walk on campus and as we all know, YSU isn’t located in the best of places, plus you will raise the budget for legal and background fees by millions.
All this restriction stuff sounds good, but isn’t fair and doesn’t work.  YSU’s mistake in this was bowing to the mob and baring play following an on-line petition, which is blatantly unfair to Richmond.

[IAA Fan]

Go, the sentence is not what makes that a misdemeanor, it is the charge. This is why many states try capitol crimes as murder 2 ...as they are concerned that 1) They may not meet the burden of proof, or 2) the jury may not impose the death penalty & a criminal can go free because of this. Laws are not so strict anymore and many states have allowed juries and judges the leeway to find them guilty of a lesser sentence; this is what you are probably referring to.

As to everything else you said, I pretty much say "yes" including that Richmond should play. Absolutely all university student submissions should be thoroughly scrutinized. Has nothing to do with the rights of the convicted, but the rights of fellows students & parents (aka victims and potential victims).

[go guins]

This still seems like a football story, just 1AA doesn't agree with Bo:
I, for one am proud of our coach:
CLEVELAND (AP) — Youngstown State football coach Bo Pelini says a player convicted of rape as a teen has earned a second chance by staying disciplined, focused and out of trouble.

Ma'lik Richmond will be allowed to remain on the team's active roster after settling a lawsuit Monday against the school, which told him he wouldn't be allowed to play this season after he made the team.

Richmond was 16 in 2013 when he and a Steubenville High School teammate were convicted of sexually a$$aulting a 16-year-old girl during an alcohol-fueled party. Richmond served about 10 months in a juvenile prison in a case that garnered international attention through social media and included allegations of a cover-up to protect a storied high school football team.

Pelini told The a$$ociated Press on Tuesday that he gave Richmond a chance after hearing him accept responsibility for his conviction.

"I didn't make this decision lightly," Pelini said. "He was extremely remorseful. I saw a young man who was desperately wanting to better his life and those of the people around him."

Pelini said Richmond stood out from other 21-year-olds because of his focus, discipline and maturity.

Richmond was released in January 2014 and attended colleges in West Virginia and Pennsylvania before transferring to Youngstown State in the fall of 2016 as a sophomore.

Richmond and his legal guardians spoke with Pelini and YSU President Jim Tressel about joining the team after he enrolled. Pelini researched Richmond's past before meeting him, then said he made no promises and told Richmond he'd have to earn good grades and stay out of trouble to be on the team.

"He stuck with it," Pelini said. "He went over and above. He knew he had no room for error."

Richmond began practicing with the team as a defensive end after Youngstown State's loss in the Football Championship Subdivision title game in January. Pelini said Richmond, a walk-on player with no scholarship, showed talent but was a "work in progress."

When The Youngstown Vindicator wrote a story in August noting that Richmond was on the team, a student circulated a petition calling for the school to bar Richmond from playing football. Youngstown State subsequently sent a university-wide email that said Richmond could continue to practice but could not be on the active roster this season and would lose a year of eligibility.

Richmond quit the team after learning of the email and went home to Steubenville, prompting Pelini, another coach, and three teammates to visit him and convince him to return to school.

Pelini said he told Richmond during the visit: "'You need to get your butt back to campus and trust that things are gonna work out. You can't walk away from school, you've come this far. It's time to stick it out.'"

It was a mistake not to publicize Richmond's place on the team or address concerns earlier, Pelini said.

"I'm not stupid," Pelini said. "I understand that the opportunity to be a part of the team raises questions."

Richmond returned to school. Less than two weeks later, he was in cla$$ when he learned his father, 51-year-old Nathaniel Richmond, was killed when he shot a judge in a courthouse parking lot and a probation officer returned fire. Pelini said it was another blow to Richmond, whose often-absent father was becoming more involved in his life.

Richmond grew up in a troubled home. He began living off-and-on with his youth football coach, Greg Agresta and Agresta's wife, Jennifer, when he was 8. They became his legal guardians and mentored him as college coaches began recruiting him in high school.

Pelini said Richmond's rape conviction and the intense public attention sharpened Richmond's focus and determination to rise above his past.

"He's been through a lot," Pelini said. "It makes you grow up in a hurry."

The day after Richmond's lawsuit was filed, a federal judge ruled that Richmond could play for Youngstown State. He got on the field during the second half of a blowout win against Central Connecticut State on Sept. 16, but didn't play Saturday in a 19-7 win over South Dakota State.

"He really puts his nose to the grindstone and brings it every day," Pelini said. "He understands the scrutiny that goes with this story, that with his background, he can't make another mistake."

[IAA Fan]

I do agree with it, do not support it. Again it nothing to do with the fact that a rapist (I already acknowledged that this was more than questionable in this case) should not be allowed to attend public school. When placed against each other, the rights of a society are far greater than the rights of the individual.

[go guins]

I do agree with it, do not support it. Again it nothing to do with the fact that a rapist (I already acknowledged that this was more than questionable in this case) should not be allowed to attend public school. When placed against each other, the rights of a society are far greater than the rights of the individual.

I don't want to argue with you, but the point of the whole history of the USA is the rights of the individual vs the rights of the mob. It’s what makes the USA different.  Nazi Germany or Japan or current North Korea were/are where the rights of the individual were insignificant to the mob/rulers.   
Fortunately we don't believe crime is a life sentence.  While many go back and do the crime again, many see the light and turn their lives around.  My shop manager is a former Mansfield convict for drugs.  He is clean and a taxpayer we can all be proud of.  Got to give them a chance if you want to be a Christian and an American.