Sporting News wastes no time calling Ray Lewis a murderer

[Passarino]

http://aol.sportingnews.com/nfl/stor...-lb-retirement

" His legacy immediately became the day’s hot conversational topic. Was Lewis the greatest linebacker ever? The greatest player ever?

Oh yeah, did he also get away with murder? "

[durango46]

ESPN wrote a piece on Ray also...After reading it I decided to check out what people were saying.
The conversation that followed was so anti-Ray Lewis and filled with so much hatred for him I couldn't continue reading the posts..

wow......




http://espn.go.com/nfl/conversations...etiring-season

[44Defense]

What is interesting to me and shows me how great he was is that even after the Atlanta incident many still believe he is one of the greatest defensive players of all time. This validates him even more in my book.

[OriginalColtsFan]

Haters hate.

[baltimoreron]

Anyone making accusations should check out the law in GA at the time. He was never accused of murdering anyone and the most any witness ever accused him of was throwing a punch during the melee. This was later recanted on the stand, under oath.

Anyone stating anything other than the above does not know what they are talking about.

Like OCF said - haters hate.

[bmore_ken]

Haters hate.

Never were truer words ever spoken

[Peej7245]

Living in Atlanta, I have friends in the ATLPD. One of them was around when this tragedy took place. I also was in LE in the Midwest a LLLOOOOOONNNNNGGGGG time ago so I have lived the job too.

The PD had to charge the highest profile person present, and most times they (or any PD) will go for the highest charge regardless of the ability to get a conviction - but often as a club to be used.

They reduced the charge when it became crystal clear that they could not get a conviction on the higher charge, but had spent too much time and resources just to let him go...

Anyone who accuses Ray Lewis of murder is a hateful liar! Anyone who accuses Ray of bad judgment (loyalty to his "homeboys" who had no loyalty to Ray) is correct.

However, his off-field activities since then have more than made up for that horrible crime of - get this - being loyal to your friends no matter how little they deserve that loyalty!

[Fang]

Anyone making accusations should check out the law in GA at the time. He was never accused of murdering anyone and the most any witness ever accused him of was throwing a punch during the melee. This was later recanted on the stand, under oath.

Anyone stating anything other than the above does not know what they are talking about.

Like OCF said - haters hate.

Agreed. Like most Ravens fans I followed the trial and news reports pretty closely. At most Ray was guilty of obstruction and making bad choices for which he paid his debt with jail time. People who say anything else are ignorant of the facts.

[baltimoreron]

Living in Atlanta, I have friends in the ATLPD. One of them was around when this tragedy took place. I also was in LE in the Midwest a LLLOOOOOONNNNNGGGGG time ago so I have lived the job too.

The PD had to charge the highest profile person present, and most times they (or any PD) will go for the highest charge regardless of the ability to get a conviction - but often as a club to be used.

They reduced the charge when it became crystal clear that they could not get a conviction on the higher charge, but had spent too much time and resources just to let him go...

Anyone who accuses Ray Lewis of murder is a hateful liar! Anyone who accuses Ray of bad judgment (loyalty to his "homeboys" who had no loyalty to Ray) is correct.

However, his off-field activities since then have more than made up for that horrible crime of - get this - being loyal to your friends no matter how little they deserve that loyalty!

Very well said.

[ms maggie]

Agreed. Like most Ravens fans I followed the trial and news reports pretty closely. At most Ray was guilty of obstruction and making bad choices for which he paid his debt with jail time. People who say anything else are ignorant of the facts.

Agree, think he was a bystander but panicked as he was on the scene and hanging with these questionable characters.

[HAIL2BNG]

Oh come on, there are questions about those murders that still linger. Who has their limo shot 14 times and don't call the police? Usually people guilty of something. His friends got off because they left the scene the took evidence with them. They were acquitted over a self defense claim. Who really knows.

The idea that they had to charge the highest profile person with the highest charge by someone who claims to be former law enforcement is nothing short of ignorant.

I don't believe Lewis killed anyone but he certainly obstructed justice. He also has become a model citizen, father and leader by all accounts. That doesn't erase what happened but it should certainly put it in the past.

[NCBirdfan]

Why is it that when Ray Lewis mentions retiring that these tabloids have to bring up questionable accusations from the past? Lewis was convicted for obstruction by being at the wrong place at the wrong time and hanging out with the wrong people. He did his time for his lack of judgement years ago. By all accounts he has been a model citizen ever since.

There have been other players that retired with shaded or questionable pasts. When he is inducted to the HOF, are Brett Favre's "pictures of himself" that he sent to a woman when he played for the Jets going to be front page news?

We always hear about Sebastian Janikowski's kicking game. Do we ever hear about his exploits (and believe me there are many - including bar fights, drinking and driving, reckless driving, bribing a police officer, evidence tampering and possession of a drug best known as "the date rape drug") off the field? Should we?

[Peej7245]

Oh come on, there are questions about those murders that still linger. Who has their limo shot 14 times and don't call the police? Usually people guilty of something. His friends got off because they left the scene the took evidence with them. They were acquitted over a self defense claim. Who really knows.

Welcome to real life! This tragedy took place in during a confused, violent melee and the participants had little trust of the police, etc...so unknowns will abound! Please do not confuse what is known with what was reported or, worse, with what was rumored to "have happened".

Who has their limo shot 24 times and doesn't call the police??? Usually people guilty of something??? Wow! You must get so tired of being judge and jury...

The idea that they had to charge the highest profile person with the highest charge by someone who claims to be former law enforcement is nothing short of ignorant.

The idea is way short of ignorant1 Actually, your comment is the one based on ignorance...the charging strategy you dismiss so cavalierly is one that any LEO will tell you is a standard as well as a smart practice. I was in law enforcement, but not that type. However, coming from a family of cops, I can tell you that many of my relatives who earned their gold shields did and still do use that strategy when appropriate.

...That doesn't erase what happened but it should certainly put it in the past.

It IS in the past so there is no need for us to put it there. Furthermore, he has paid for it.

Now for the perspective.....Rae Carruth killed his girlfriend, was convicted of that murder and will be paying for that crime with a lifelong stay as a guest of the North Carolina Corrections System.

[HAIL2BNG]

Charging someone who is not guilty of a crime like murder is hardly a standard practice. I guess my family of cops and federal agents use more discretion before putting a person on trial for their lives.

[Peej7245]

Charging someone who is not guilty of a crime like murder is hardly a standard practice. I guess my family of cops and federal agents use more discretion before putting a person on trial for their lives.

Charging someone who is not guilty of a crime, you say?

Does your family of cops and federal agents know (by some magic) that a person is not guilty even before they start investigating?

As you might have missed, or I might not have been clear enough, the objective of an investigative team is to 1) determine what happened; 2) figure out who did what; 3) understand motives for each; 2) gather any and all evidence.

Investigators have to use any or all tools that they can legally apply, including pressure. Since it is illegal to use physical means to extract information from someone invoved (and in the case of a guy like Ray Lewis, I wouldn't want to try it even if it were legal!), other legal tools have been made available...including the practice of bringing a higher charge if a trained investigator believes it might shake some information loose.

Finally, are you a cop? If not, go ask one of your relatives - not a beat cop, but an investigator like a detective - before you try to put down my family or other families of cops.

If you are a cop, at least ask a detective before you offer your comments or criticisms.

[HAIL2BNG]

Listen, you're the one who thinks cops just charge someone with the worst crime possible for their jollies. The Leos I know are better at their jobs.

[NCBirdfan]

Sometimes overzealous prosecutors go after the high-profile names to get attention during a campaign year too. Remember the Duke lacrosse case? The prosecutor went over the top there to make a name for himself. What happened next?

[Peej7245]

Listen, you're the one who thinks cops just charge someone with the worst crime possible for their jollies. The Leos I know are better at their jobs.

So now you know what is in my mind? Please tell all of us how you do that so we won't have to waste time on communicating with each other!

You obviously did not understand my explanation nor do you have a real clue, despite your protestations to the contrary, how investigations work. No experienced detective I have ever met would ever charge someone just "for their jollies" (as you put it)!

First, charging someone just "for their jollies" (as you put it) would run the real risk of getting that detective's case thrown out of court with prejudice, possibly with sanctions against the detective, and would negate many hours spent building a case.

Second, and more critical then any other, charging someone just "for their jollies" (as you put it) would trash that detective's credibility - thus no prosecutor or DA would be willing to give that detective any leeway in the future. [Remember, it is not the detective that wins or loses in court but the prosecuting attorney!]

Third, and maybe I should have pointed this out to you, in most jurisdictions, no investigating detective can bring a charge against a suspect. The detective technically presents the case to another party (usually, but not always, the prosecutor or DA), and it is that person's job and discretion to determine if the case as presented can be proven or is just a case of the detective charging someone just "for their jollies" (as you put it).

Also, if the detective feels a charge for a greater crime will get better information without violating the suspect's rights, he or she presents that case. It is the other party (usually, but not always, the prosecutor or DA) who makes the decision as to if the greater charge is legally warranted or if it is just being done "for jollies".

Checks and balances, my friend, exist in most walks of life.

[Peej7245]

Sometimes overzealous prosecutors go after the high-profile names to get attention during a campaign year too. Remember the Duke lacrosse case? The prosecutor went over the top there to make a name for himself. What happened next?

That's too true. However, in most normal cases, the prosecutor has to determine if he or she can win a case in court. Niphong failed to analyze that situation in trying to make a name for himself. He did make that name, but not quite the one he planned on making!

[HAIL2BNG]

Living in Atlanta, I have friends in the ATLPD. One of them was around when this tragedy took place. I also was in LE in the Midwest a LLLOOOOOONNNNNGGGGG time ago so I have lived the job too.

The PD had to charge the highest profile person present, and most times they (or any PD) will go for the highest charge regardless of the ability to get a conviction - but often as a club to be used.

I'd recommend not writing this if you mean something else. I didn't make up anything. I know exactly how investigations work. It's not rocket science.