(Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
He killed a man and it's hard to get around that fact.
Driving home after a night of drinking, Cleveland Browns wide receiver Donte Stallworth struck Mario Reyes, a 59-year-old construction worker who was crossing the street to catch a bus ride home in Miami, Fla., at around 7:15 a.m.
The date was March 14, yet Stallworth will be getting out of jail on July 16. Yesterday, he accepted a plea bargain with prosecutors, pleading guilty to DUI manslaughter (He had a blood-alcohol level of .126 and the legal limit in Florida is .08). He accepted a 30-day jail sentence.
Stallworth will also receive two years of house arrest, eight more years of probation, 1,000 hours of community service, and a lifelong suspended drivers license. But the main conjecture of punishment is simple: just 30 days in jail.
It is a lenient sentence, but to set the record straight, Stallworth did everything right after his tragic act of stupidity.
Immediately after the accident, Stallworth fully cooperated with police and took entire responsibility for his actions. That is something people often have a hard time doing. With athletes, it becomes even harder to face the reality of their mistakes when egos and money get involved with the route to the proper solution. But not with Stallworth.
Stallworth took the stand-up route. He admitted his mistakes. He showed genuine remorse. He also handsomely compensated the victims' family in a confidential deal.
On the flip side, Micheal Vick was given a 23-month jail sentence on December 11, 2007, for his role in a dog fighting ring.
Vick gets nearly two years in federal prison for having a hand in killing dogs, yet Stallworth gets a month in jail for killing a person? Precisely, and it makes more sense than on the surface.
Vick is a hardened criminal; Stallworth is not. Vick intentionally undermined the brutal, malicious execution of several pit bulls. If they did not perform or they were injured, they were killed. And by brutal and malicious, I mean being electrocuted, drowned or hanged to their death.
The former Atlanta Falcons quarterback did not help his case with his actions afterward either. After being temporarily released from jail leading up to the trial, Vick tested positive for marijuana. Smoking pot is illegal, but worse, it directly violated the terms of a his release.
He then lied to the judge regarding his involvement with the dog fighting ring. Saying he had minimal involvement, it was later found Vick was a main player and contributor in the illegal kennel.
Stallworth made a huge mistake and he will pay a price. Is the price too lenient? Possibly, but this incident does not show a flaw of character, just a flaw of judgment—albeit a major flaw. He has done nothing else wrong close to this magnitude.
Among the numerous crimes committed by professional athletes, Stallworth's incident rates pretty high on a scale of severity. But before the world of public opinion lambastes Stallworth the person, remember you are criticizing a guy who immediately accepted responsibility for his actions and seems to be learning a few things from the incident as well.
As published in 6/17 edition of Central Michigan Life.
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