7th Inning Stretch with Scott Fragale - Not So Deep Thoughts: Not quite murder, but pretty damn close

Not So Deep Thoughts: Not quite murder, but pretty damn close
Posted by Tuff Stuff

I read with disbelief how Donte Stallworth received a 30-day jail sentence after pleading guilty to DUI manslaughter. While I'll admit I'm no Johnny Cochran, I'm pretty sure DUI manslaughter translates into Stallworth killing a man with his car while he was legally drunk. And while I'm not sure what the normal sentence (Stallworth was facing 15 years in prison before reaching a plea) is for somebody who commits murder, I'm fairly certain it's a bit longer stay than 30 days.

Apparently, Stallworth was given a lighter sentence because (according to his lawyer) "He acted like a man. He remained at the scene. He cooperated fully."

Good to know. I'm sure the family of the man who he killed are very appreciative that Stallworth stepped up and did the right thing after killing the man they loved. Unfortunately, it took killing a man to make him start doing the right thing. If only he would have done the right thing before the tragic accident occurred. If only Stallworth would have stopped drinking earlier that night. If only Stallworth would have "acted like a man" and drank responsibly. If only Stallworth would've hired a driver to take him home with the $4.5 million signing bonus he received the day before the crash. If only.

Stallworth's sentence is actually only 24 days in jail, two years of house arrest, eight years of probation and 1,000 hours of community service so maybe justice was served afterall. And don't forget the NFL still has to levy it's punishment. My guess is commissioner Roger Goodell will hand down a three-game suspension and by October, just seven months after the tragedy occurred, Stallworth will return to the life he had before the "accident." Unfortunately Reyes won't be able to do the same.

I remember when I was a kid, I got 60 hours of community service for carving my initials into some playground equipment. If only I had "acted like a man, remained at the scene and cooperated fully," maybe my sentence would've been reduced to a minute of pulling weeds at the neighborhood church instead of the 60 hours I served. I suppose that's what I deserved for making my money cutting lawns instead of playing professional football.

Because the grieving family wanted to "bring closure to this emotional and tragic event," Stallworth was able to reach a confidential financial settlement to avoid a potential lawsuit from the family of 59-year-old Mario Reyes, the man Stallworth killed. Stallworth was covered by two separate insurance policies, a car insurance policy and a $5 million umbrella policy that have undoubtedly been transferred directly into the Reyes family account and serve as protection for Stallworth from a future lawsuit from the family.

So there you have it. Man gets drunk, decides to drive despite the numerous options to avoid doing so and ends up taking the life of an innocent man. Little more than three weeks after receiving his sentence, man resumes his life in the NFL where he'll take in $5 million for the season while the family of the victim mourns for a lifetime. What a country.

Wednesday, June 17, 2009 3:33:34 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)

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