Former New York Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress — who caught the game-winning pass in Super Bowl XLII, ending New England’s chance at a perfect season — pleaded guilty on Thursday to a weapons charge and agreed to a two-year prison term. The charge stems from an incident in which Burress accidentally shot himself in the leg in a New York City nightclub.
Kudos to district attorney who set out to make an example out of Burress — hopefully it’ll make other star athletes think before they act — but at the same time, it makes me question the U.S. judicial system as a whole.
Donte Stallworth, who struck and killed a 59-year-old man in Miami on March 14, pleaded guilty to DUI manslaughter, a second-degree felony, for which he received a whopping 30 days in jail. He served just 24.
I can see where the punishment fits the crime in the Burress case, considering he put several lives — including his own — in danger. But why can Stallworth, who was suspended for the entire 2009 season by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, essentially walk away with a minimal jail sentence after committing a heinous crime, one that if you or I committed, would come with a hefty penalty?
If you’re a capitalist, the answer is simple: Money. The family of Mario Reyes reached an undisclosed settlement with Stallworth, who signed a seven-year, $35 million contract in 2008. He earned a $4.5 million roster-signing bonus the night before the crash.
Ah, the United States of America. Where money can’t buy you love, but it can go a long way in keeping you out of jail.
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Kind of like why Michael Jackson never ended up in jail?
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