jamar smith update

[bravesonly]

just heard it on the score (sports radio station in chicago), can't find it reported anywhere on the internet yet but they said its just scrolling across the updates now, he's going to jail for 2 weeks, sentenced to 100 hours community service and i believe it was an $850 fine.

 

[tornado]

Yes, even with the plea bargain, and the other charge dropped (failure to report the accident), he will spend 2 weeks in jail.
He also gets 2 YEARS of probation, mandated random drug and alcohol testing, and serve 100 hours of community service, pay roughly $1,000 in fines, and complete 75 hours of substance abuse treatment. Smith must also attend a panel discussion for the victim's of DUI.
Smith's driver's license will also be revoked for at least 18 months.
Smith will not be eligible for good behavior time nor will he be able to serve his sentence on home confinement.
The maximum sentence Smith could have received for the DUI, a Class 4 felony, was a fine up to $25,000 and one to 12 years in prison, so he did get off easy, but

WOW--- this judge did a number on Jamar more than expected.


http://media.www.dailyillini.com/me...layer.Jamar.Smith.Taken.To.Jail-2907689.shtml
http://www.news-gazette.com/news/lo...nd_two_weeks_in_county_jail_after_guilty_plea

 

[cpacmel]

http://www.news-gazette.com/news/lo...nd_two_weeks_in_county_jail_after_guilty_plea

 

[houstontxbrave]

Just an opinion but this person drives drunk, nearly fatially injuries a person, leaves that person without explanation for a long period of time and does not report this accident and receives only 2 weeks of jail time... sorry but that is a complete crock and if he were not a basketball player at the University of Illinois but was a construction worker in Champaign County that person would not receive such a light joke of a sentence.

The punishment does not fit the crime.

 

[VromanFan]

Just an opinion but this person drives drunk, nearly fatially injuries a person, leaves that person without explanation for a long period of time and does not report this accident and receives only 2 weeks of jail time... sorry but that is a complete crock and if he were not a basketball player at the University of Illinois but was a construction worker in Champaign County that person would not receive such a light joke of a sentence.

The punishment does not fit the crime.

You very well may be right regarding your opinion on the sentence. But the Illinois newspaper quoted the prosecutor who said the sentence was typical for a first time offender for this type of crime. I have some experience in this area of work and I would tend to agree. I've seen cases like this where there was no jail time at all.

Again, I'm not saying its right or wrong but I don't see any indications that he got a special deal because he was an athlete.

 

[houstontxbrave]

Vroman,

Just wondering since you said you have experience in this area.

If a person were to be legally drunk, cause an accident, drive away from said accident with a person in the car who is injuried and, returns to his/her home and leaves the injuried person and, not report the accident.

Would you expect this person to receive a sentence of 2 weeks in county jail?

Yes the DA said this was a typical sentence for a first time offender, but is that typical first time offender someone who is stopped by the police and flunks a road test or is this a typical sentence for a person who caused an accident and injuried another and failed to report the accident?

I really have a hard time believing that if a person did exactly what Smith did would only receive the typical punishment for a first time offender.

 

[VromanFan]

Vroman,

Just wondering since you said you have experience in this area.

If a person were to be legally drunk, cause an accident, drive away from said accident with a person in the car who is injuried and, returns to his/her home and leaves the injuried person and, not report the accident.

Would you expect this person to receive a sentence of 2 weeks in county jail?

Yes the DA said this was a typical sentence for a first time offender, but is that typical first time offender someone who is stopped by the police and flunks a road test or is this a typical sentence for a person who caused an accident and injuried another and failed to report the accident?

I really have a hard time believing that if a person did exactly what Smith did would only receive the typical punishment for a first time offender.

Well first off his sentence is not just two weeks in jail. He is now a convicted felon and he will be for the rest of his life. He also has to comply with all the probation requirements for two years. If he screws anything up there's a good chance he would be resentenced to prison. I'm not underselling losing your liberty for two weeks. But a felony conviction affects a person in many serious ways...

I agree with you in the sense that the incident was unusual and there were aggravating circumstances. The other side of the coin is that the victim in the case is not permanently injured (I think) and I'm sure the victim was OK with the sentence (I'm assuming). Hypothetically, if a victim of a DUI crash recieved serious brain damage....the charge would still be the same (since with no death it can't be reckless homicide). So the facts could have been much worse for Smith had Carlwell been more gravely injured...

Please keep in my mind I'm not saying the punishment was appropriate...I'm just not surprised by it. In my experience, which is in Chicago-area jurisdictions, I find that sentence to be somewhat typical for a first time felon. Maybe the sentence is light by Champaign County standards, I just don't know what those standards are. But again, every case is dependant on the specific facts.

Keep in mind that judges and prosecutors and defense attorneys deal with cases like this on a daily basis, and also murder, rapes, robberies, the whole ball of wax. A case like Smith's is just not that unusual (sadly).

 

[tornado]

Much of the Illinois message boards are showing posters who are amazed that since it was a first time offense, a guy with a squeaky clean prior record, that the prosecutor should have allowed Jamar to plea bargain for a misdemeanor, just getting probation alone.
In other words, Houston, much of the Illini nation thinks the penalty is too harsh on such a nice guy.

 

[bert notorius]

The legal system has done its work. We can all acknowledge that the system is not fair. Fortunately JS was born in America. He will be allowed to keep both hands, eyes, and whatever. This is all academic. What the carnivores are really interested in is what will Weber say........

 

[houstontxbrave]

Much of the Illinois message boards are showing posters who are amazed that since it was a first time offense, a guy with a squeaky clean prior record, that the prosecutor should have allowed Jamar to plea bargain for a misdemeanor, just getting probation alone.
In other words, Houston, much of the Illini nation thinks the penalty is too harsh on such a nice guy.

I would guess some of these same Chief Nation backers were also some who believed that Smith Grandfather was right when he stated Smith was actually a hero in this situation.

 

[chitownBUB]

In this story Jamar says

"Since the accident I have become a better person.
My goals are to obtain my college degree, speak to teens and schools all over Champaign-Urbana
and Peoria about my experience so they can learn from my mistake"
http://illinoishomepage.net/content/fulltext/?cid=6157

But do young teens actually learn from such an example? I really doubt it.
Or do they see a guy who partied, was horribly irresponsible, nearly killed someone, tried to run away and hide, and yet was welcomed back on his team, was virtually undisciplined by the Illini, kept his scholarship, is going to play next year, and ends up overall with a very light punishment?
Do young people essentially see that he did exactly what he's telling people not to do and essentially got away with it.

It's like rehabbed druggie ex-jocks and stars (like Conseco & Schwarzenegger) telling kids not to drink and do drugs,
when what the kids actually see is how famous and wealthy those guys got by doing erxactly what they now say not to do?

 

[bert notorius]

Would JS have listened to JS lecture about the evils of drugs & alcohol? Would you? Most teenagers don't and that's what got him in trouble. I know. I got one. JS's response is exactly what society expects to hear. Nobody ever buys it but no other response is acceptable. But like I said, nobody really cares about the legal stuff. Lady justice is blind (or at least blindfolded) while Weber & Guenther are not.

 

[MacabreMob]

I honestly hope JS lives up to his words and wish him the best in life.

His example can be learned by young teens if he expresses and can convey from his heart about his experience.

Sadly, like Chitown suggests, young adults probably feel invincible and outside of getting caught from the law... 'it won't happen to me' attitude.

As for maybe being considered a carnivore, I don't care what BAM has to say. Yes, yes - words do mean things. But so do actions.

I am content watching and listening to all the proceedings at UIUC with an evil (macabre) smile.

 

[bert notorius]

I honestly hope JS lives up to his words and wish him the best in life.

His example can be learned by young teens if he expresses and can convey from his heart about his experience.

Sadly, like Chitown suggests, young adults probably feel invincible and outside of getting caught from the law... 'it won't happen to me' attitude.

As for maybe being considered a carnivore, I don't care what BAM has to say. Yes, yes - words do mean things. But so do actions.

I am content watching and listening to all the proceedings at UIUC with an evil (macabre) smile.

Oh, I didn't mean you, MMob. :wink:

 

[BradleyBrave]

I am just going to play Devil's Advocate here...not saying I want him, but would we be bashing Jamar if Jim Les thought he truly had a change of heart and character (like Matt Salley did) and wanted to be a Brave?

We've had guys with some serious baggage (most recently Matt Salley), and taken the stance that the BU 'family' atmosphere would take these guys and put them in a position to succeed (which I agree with). I just don't think we should put this guy under the bus when, if/when Illinois sends him on his way he doesn't look to the hometown school for assistance. It might happen. Hopefully it doesn't.

 

[tornado]

MMob, I am more than a bit puzzled why nobody
(not the enforcement agencies, not Bruce Weber or the Illini,
and not even the families of those injured or going to jail)
ever once seemed to move at all on trying to find out where
the liquor came from. Nobody seemed to check into how and
why all those underage athletes were partying on a weeknight,
when not only was school in session, but the players were
WARNED by the coaching staff to stay in and stay off the
roads because a snow storm was coming.

Maybe some people don't care, but the events as they
affected Jamar, Carlwell, the team, and the community
ultimately are fallout of whose party it was, whose apartment it
was in, and who supplied or bought the booze.

I smell a coverup and I smell a wash here. Could the
apartment been one of the coach's or some other important person?
Could the liquor have been supplied by someone that Weber
absolutely doesn't want their identity connected with all this?

Has anyone got an explanation why all this was covered up?

 

[MacabreMob]

MMob, I am more than a bit puzzled why nobody
(not the enforcement agencies, not Bruce Weber or the Illini,
and not even the families of those injured or going to jail)
ever once seemed to move at all on trying to find out where
the liquor came from. Nobody seemed to check into how and
why all those underage athletes were partying on a weeknight,
when not only was school in session, but the players were
WARNED by the coaching staff to stay in and stay off the
roads because a snow storm was coming.

Maybe some people don't care, but the events as they
affected Jamar, Carlwell, the team, and the community
ultimately are fallout of whose party it was, whose apartment it
was in, and who supplied or bought the booze.

I smell a coverup and I smell a wash here. Could the
apartment been one of the coach's or some other important person?
Could the liquor have been supplied by someone that Weber
absolutely doesn't want their identity connected with all this?

Has anyone got an explanation why all this was covered up?

I agree with you completely T.

I think it is a direct reflection on the type of program being run down at UIUC.

But for fear this turns into a personal attack on me (or Bradley fans being anti-Illini), I'd rather their words/actions (and lack thereof) speak for themselves.

 

[MacabreMob]

I am just going to play Devil's Advocate here...not saying I want him, but would we be bashing Jamar if Jim Les thought he truly had a change of heart and character (like Matt Salley did) and wanted to be a Brave?

We've had guys with some serious baggage (most recently Matt Salley), and taken the stance that the BU 'family' atmosphere would take these guys and put them in a position to succeed (which I agree with). I just don't think we should put this guy under the bus when, if/when Illinois sends him on his way he doesn't look to the hometown school for assistance. It might happen. Hopefully it doesn't.

BB - I musta missed the scoop on Salley (or maybe conveniently forgot about it :-o ), but I honestly don't know what you are talking about. Could you PM or email me the info you are referring to?

 

[VromanFan]

I am just going to play Devil's Advocate here...not saying I want him, but would we be bashing Jamar if Jim Les thought he truly had a change of heart and character (like Matt Salley did) and wanted to be a Brave?

We've had guys with some serious baggage (most recently Matt Salley), and taken the stance that the BU 'family' atmosphere would take these guys and put them in a position to succeed (which I agree with). I just don't think we should put this guy under the bus when, if/when Illinois sends him on his way he doesn't look to the hometown school for assistance. It might happen. Hopefully it doesn't.

I'll draw a bright line here. I don't want Bradley University giving athletic schlorships to convicted felons. Period.

Just my two cents.

 

[BradleyBrave]

I am just going to play Devil's Advocate here...not saying I want him, but would we be bashing Jamar if Jim Les thought he truly had a change of heart and character (like Matt Salley did) and wanted to be a Brave?

We've had guys with some serious baggage (most recently Matt Salley), and taken the stance that the BU 'family' atmosphere would take these guys and put them in a position to succeed (which I agree with). I just don't think we should put this guy under the bus when, if/when Illinois sends him on his way he doesn't look to the hometown school for assistance. It might happen. Hopefully it doesn't.

I'll draw a bright line here. I don't want Bradley University giving athletic schlorships to convicted felons. Period.

Just my two cents.

I agree. Methinks if Jamar is jettisoned from U of I, he'll find a soft landing at DePaul, ISU, or SIU.