Report: Signee Kalvaraz Bessent Arrested

[Auctoritas 2,828]

I always laugh at the pot v. speeding argument. The first violates the criminal law. The second violates traffic laws. In most places, you don't go to criminal court to contest a ticket, and you don't go to traffic court to plead not guilty. They are not equivalent violations. In the eyes of the law (which, in a democratic society, actually means the eyesof the general citizenry), speeding is closer to jay walking than it is to smoking weed; possession of weed is closer to possession of crack than it is to speeding (same guideline section, different subpart).

It's a fine theoretical argument, but it's nonsense when actually reviewing the law.

Thank you master of the obvious.

I was simply commenting that speeding semantically disqualifies you from being a law abiding citizan. It also kills a crapload of people every year.anyone who has ever sped excessively has greatly endangered the lives of all around more than any pot smoker most likely ever will. That is a fact.

Perhaps, perhaps not. What about the downstream effects of drug production and distribution, and what do we classify as "endangering lives?" I'm not strictly speaking of the drug war in this country, but Latin American drug gangs at one point were the main source of marijuana in this country before they switched to meth (and now, iPhones, of all things...).

Just saying "That is a fact" is actually just your opinion until the data gets crunched. That being said, you're still probably correct, but I would not be surprised if the difference was closer than many would think.

(Philosophical and hypothetic discussion only, I am not actually asking for evidence.)

[Mikey 16,641]

The article I read said 202 grams which is in the half pound range and that's one hell of a night if you are going with personal use. The big deal is the gun. I ran hard in my past and never found it necessary to carry a gun. For me the gun indicates the he is - at best - a gangster wanna be and while he may be the greatest kid in the world I am sick of this crap at Auburn and would be in favor of giving someone who gives a damn, and is less likely to shoot someone, his scholarship.

How do you know it was his? He was the passenger, right? How do you know it wasn't in the glove box or under the driver's seat? I for one have never checked either places when I get into a friend's car. Have you?

The article I read said 202 grams which is in the half pound range and that's one hell of a night if you are going with personal use. The big deal is the gun. I ran hard in my past and never found it necessary to carry a gun. For me the gun indicates the he is - at best - a gangster wanna be and while he may be the greatest kid in the world I am sick of this crap at Auburn and would be in favor of giving someone who gives a damn, and is less likely to shoot someone, his scholarship.

How do you know it was his? He was the passenger, right? How do you know it wasn't in the glove box or under the driver's seat? I for one have never checked either places when I get into a friend's car. Have you?

I have tended to know my friends well enough to know if they had a half pound of weed under the seat. I deal a fair bit with law enforcement officers (a career of listening to lies) and this sounds like a typical case of everyone saying "I don't know how it got there." As I said in my post this may be the best kid in the world but the Auburn football program is not about fixing problem kids, it's about football. As a university Auburn has a responsibility to protect the students and employees to the best of their ability. I have seen, up close, what guns wielded by young misguided men do. Have you?

The gun being in the car may not even be a criminal offense. Right now we have absolutely NO idea if Bessent even knew the (possibly legal) gun was there. You never rode around with guys in high school without checking under the seats and grilling them about the car's contents before climbing in? I never asked such things. Secondly, had some friend told me there was whiskey/pot/a gun in the car I'd have climbed in anyway.

Some of us are making a mountain out of what is most likely a mole hill. We have to assume that the Auburn staff did due diligence and background checks before they even recruited the guy. They definitely talked to high school coaches and guidance counselors. Had this kid had a prior record we wouldn't have signed him. With no prior record and unless unusual facts come to light, he'll be in class at Auburn University in early June and that's how it should be.

[keesler 5,925]

Eagle Eye 7,

Just because we gave 2nd chances to Cam and Nick means we should give 2nd chances to every criminal. I hope not. Don't kid yourself either. Auburn gave 2nd chances to Cam and Nick because they could help us just as much or more than we could help them.

Those two players also had a chance to cool their heels and get their ish straight in Juco. Juco helped them mature in many ways prior playing for AU.

[gAUlf 1]

Eagle Eye 7,

Just because we gave 2nd chances to Cam and Nick means we should give 2nd chances to every criminal. I hope not. Don't kid yourself either. Auburn gave 2nd chances to Cam and Nick because they could help us just as much or more than we could help them.

A little harsh to call someone a criminal before they have been convicted don't ya think? I always wonder why people troll. I mean why would you want literally hundreds of people who are reading this to believe you are stupid? NVM. I'll stop feeding you now.

[tiger88 934]

I always laugh at the pot v. speeding argument. The first violates the criminal law. The second violates traffic laws. In most places, you don't go to criminal court to contest a ticket, and you don't go to traffic court to plead not guilty. They are not equivalent violations. In the eyes of the law (which, in a democratic society, actually means the eyesof the general citizenry), speeding is closer to jay walking than it is to smoking weed; possession of weed is closer to possession of crack than it is to speeding (same guideline section, different subpart).

It's a fine theoretical argument, but it's nonsense when actually reviewing the law.

Thank you master of the obvious.

I was simply commenting that speeding semantically disqualifies you from being a law abiding citizan. It also kills a crapload of people every year.anyone who has ever sped excessively has greatly endangered the lives of all around more than any pot smoker most likely ever will. That is a fact.

Perhaps, perhaps not. What about the downstream effects of drug production and distribution, and what do we classify as "endangering lives?" I'm not strictly speaking of the drug war in this country, but Latin American drug gangs at one point were the main source of marijuana in this country before they switched to meth (and now, iPhones, of all things...).

Just saying "That is a fact" is actually just your opinion until the data gets crunched. That being said, you're still probably correct, but I would not be surprised if the difference was closer than many would think.

(Philosophical and hypothetic discussion only, I am not actually asking for evidence.)

It is worth mentioning here that most of the collateral damae from marijuana consumption happens because it has been made illegal by the PTB, even though it is arguably safer than many legal substances.

Speeding just flat out kills. Legalize it and the results are the same.

[rbrigby 0]

I always laugh at the pot v. speeding argument. The first violates the criminal law. The second violates traffic laws. In most places, you don't go to criminal court to contest a ticket, and you don't go to traffic court to plead not guilty. They are not equivalent violations. In the eyes of the law (which, in a democratic society, actually means the eyesof the general citizenry), speeding is closer to jay walking than it is to smoking weed; possession of weed is closer to possession of crack than it is to speeding (same guideline section, different subpart).

It's a fine theoretical argument, but it's nonsense when actually reviewing the law.

Thank you master of the obvious.

I was simply commenting that speeding semantically disqualifies you from being a law abiding citizan. It also kills a crapload of people every year.anyone who has ever sped excessively has greatly endangered the lives of all around more than any pot smoker most likely ever will. That is a fact.

I would argue that the decriminalization of "pot" is coming and the only hold up is how do governments control production (I've heard it fairly easy to grow) to ensure taxation and how do they handle people driving while under the influence of its affects. The only argument that can be made against your "pot" isn't dangerous statement is that like with alcohol, many idiots partake and then drive or partake while driving, thus causing a very unsafe condition for themselves and the unknowing public in the vicinity. I think if a test can be developed to determine if someone is under the influence of "pot" currently vs yesterday, we will see decriminalization in most states. I'm not sure Alabama will follow, we are the state where dry counties remain and the State itself is the sole legal distributer of all alcohol (beer, wine, and liquoir....my brother is a Sergent with the ABC so I do know this for a fact). With that being said, KB screwed up badly. Hope he is found to be an innocent, unknowing victim in this matter but if not, I don't see Gus putting up with this kind of behavior. I think Gus saw what drugs and guns did to Auburn just a few short years ago and will not allow it to taint and infect his program like Chiz allowed. Oh well, the truth will be discovered, hope KB all the best and I know AU will play football in the fall with or without him. WDE

[trout54 55]

can this thread be renamed "marijuana debate"? Like a fool, I continue to come back hoping to hear more news on the KB situation. lol

[homersapien 11,393]

Bro, they do like having an open and shut case, and having scales along with that all but eliminates any reasonable doubts should this go to a jury trial.

I agree. The scales make it look worse, even if they aren't required for a distribution charge. If I were a juror, I would hesitate to go with distribution charge simply based on the quantity.

For example, people who grow their own may possess a relatively large quantity after harvest, but that doesn't necessarily mean they intend to sell it.

[Auctoritas 2,828]

Actually, rbrigby brings up an interesting side note, in regards to alcohol and the ABC office. I don't have it immediately on hand, but I just came across a study done in a major journal (I can't remember which one) that found that not only did states with ABC have fewer alcohol-related traffic injuries than states with free market stores, but they also found that when states or counties switched from ABC to free market, the same accident rate went up some drastic number, I want to say 40% or something ridiculous like that. I'll see if I can find it. Not incredibly relevant to KB, but interesting nonetheless.

[homersapien 11,393]

A regular smoker can go through 1/2 ounce a week. A normal upstanding citizen who smokes is taking a risk every single time they travel to purchase from a dealer. Would be happy to entertain you with that argument in court. That's a 6 month supply, instead of driving into bad neighborhoods and travelling with stuff in the car on a more regular basis.

It has NOTHING to do with this case, just pointing it out.

What????

1/2 ounce of ganja maybe. Certainly not bud. (Unless you are talking about industrial hemp.)

[homersapien 11,393]

Unfortunately , he is a black kid and will suffer under the legal system down south. The prisons are clogged with black drug offenders in Alabama. The white kids are from affluent families and can hire a good lawyer and send the kid to a rehab program, like Bradford. The legal system is a racist tool. Time to legalize marijuana and open up the rehab programs to all children, regardless of ability to pay. Also, all children should be afforded free and effective legal representation. Stop sending people to prison for drug offenses. He should definitely be sent to rehab and given another chance at Auburn.

Wow. So if he was up north and busted with that much weed they would have given him a warning? And no rich white kids up there either? Want to know how to keep black ( or white) drug offenders out of jail? Stop selling the stuff. Liberal much?

So you deny there is race or wealth bias in drug sentencing?

[homersapien 11,393]

Let's see, in Colorado you can legally buy 2 ounces of marijuana at a time. They had 202 grams of marijuana in the car, or a little over 7 ounces. 454 grams in a pound, or a little less than a half a pound. There were 4 people in the car, so they could have each bought 2 ounces a piece in Colorado legally , or eight ounces total. In Colorado, this would be entirely legal. This is a silly law in Florida. Time to go play for Colorado or Colorado State. The South is never going to change.

My brother got picked up at Parker's

Got him a ride in a new Crown Vic

They said that he was movin' on a federal level

But they couldn't really make it stick

Take it from me....

We ain't never gonna change

We ain't doin' nothin' wrong

We ain't never gonna change

So, shut your mouth and play along

[homersapien 11,393]

Without knowing the facts of the matter, it's a tough call to make. At first glance we have a kid that at minimum was riding in a car with a decent amount of weed present and a gun onboard, the possible drug dealers were exceeding the speed limit enough to attract a cops attention. And the cops obviously smelled something in the car which lead to a search and further landed the dudes in the pokey. Does Bessent have character flaws? My father (God rest his soul) always told me "You are known by the company you keep."

IMO, the kid hasn't done one thing for AU football except get our name attached to his in this whole unfortunate mess.

Not exactly. He obviously said he smelled something. We'll never know if he actually did.

[leglessdan 1,934]

This thread has gone off the deep end

[Tiger 8,829]

Am I the only person old enough to remember Robert Baker? I cant exactly remember what he was dealing, but he was dealing some kind of drugs. I know he got a rather lengthy prison sentence

Hard (crack) and soft (powder cocaine)

LOL I actually did a song with Robert Baker like 7 years ago...well let's just say his football career had more promise than a career in music.

[TheBlueVue 177]

As a former regular smoker, your first point is bogus. Snoop Dogg would have trouble doing that.

Yup...

Not only that, but a "regular smoker" is also most likely a connoisseur and would want to change things up or at least cycle fresh batches of weed. The thought of buying 300+ grams at a time for personal use is absurd. The "safety" reasoning makes no sense either: would you rather be caught with a 1/2 or 1 ounce of weed or with 12 ounces LOL?

People that regularly hold weed and smoke weed dont think about how much they would prefer being caught with. They don't think about cycling fresh batches either. They've either got it or they dont and if they do they're smoking it not worrying about cycling it. Also, it is not uncommon at all to buy more than they plan to personally smoke so they can get a better deal and share the cost with their friends.That does not make a kid a dealer.

actually it does.

No it doesn't. In a strictly legal definition I would concede the point but a dealer's ambition is to make money not simply reduce his cost of consumption. Dealer's transactions are not limited to friends and acquaintances and are much more aggressively pursued. Charging this kid with intent to distribute is overkill to the max and I doubt very seriously that charge will stick simply based on there being 4 present in the car. The whole case, IMO, revolves around who owns the gun. Weed, while illegal, is hardly worth ruining a kids life over especially if its his first offense. However, illegal possession of a firearm changes the calculus significantly

[Mikey 16,641]

However, illegal possession of a firearm changes the calculus significantly

It's yet to be determined if anything about the gun was illegal. Having a firearm in a car is not illegal in Florida. There may be other considerations we don't know about but the gun being there, in and of itself, is not a problem.

[Raven_tiger 5]

As a former regular smoker, your first point is bogus. Snoop Dogg would have trouble doing that.

Yup...

Not only that, but a "regular smoker" is also most likely a connoisseur and would want to change things up or at least cycle fresh batches of weed. The thought of buying 300+ grams at a time for personal use is absurd. The "safety" reasoning makes no sense either: would you rather be caught with a 1/2 or 1 ounce of weed or with 12 ounces LOL?

People that regularly hold weed and smoke weed dont think about how much they would prefer being caught with. They don't think about cycling fresh batches either. They've either got it or they dont and if they do they're smoking it not worrying about cycling it. Also, it is not uncommon at all to buy more than they plan to personally smoke so they can get a better deal and share the cost with their friends.That does not make a kid a dealer.

actually it does.

No it doesn't. In a strictly legal definition I would concede the point but a dealer's ambition is to make money not simply reduce his cost of consumption. Dealer's transactions are not limited to friends and acquaintances and are much more aggressively pursued. Charging this kid with intent to distribute is overkill to the max and I doubt very seriously that charge will stick simply based on there being 4 present in the car. The whole case, IMO, revolves around who owns the gun. Weed, while illegal, is hardly worth ruining a kids life over especially if its his first offense. However, illegal possession of a firearm changes the calculus significantly

It really doesn't matter from a personal perspective, it won't get you very far arguing with a Judge and/or prosecutor looking at possibly a 7 year sentence. It's silly to say that well the FL law is ridiculous as compared to say CO law. It's the law whether you agree with it or not. Is anyone saying that KB was naive and didnt realize that the people that he rolled with (pardon the pun) were either smoking weed and/or dealing? Half a pound of weed, scales, and a handgun doesn't look very good for Mr. Bessent and Co.

[TheBlueVue 177]

However, illegal possession of a firearm changes the calculus significantly

It's yet to be determined if anything about the gun was illegal. Having a firearm in a car is not illegal in Florida. There may be other considerations we don't know about but the gun being there, in and of itself, is not a problem.

I understand that loud and clear but the fact remains...if it is an unregistered firearm, it will definitely pose a bigger problem than possession of weed. Thats all I saying here. The facts of the case will eventually come out. I am not for throwing the kid under the bus, in fact, Im all for giving him another chance.

[TheBlueVue 177]

As a former regular smoker, your first point is bogus. Snoop Dogg would have trouble doing that.

Yup...

Not only that, but a "regular smoker" is also most likely a connoisseur and would want to change things up or at least cycle fresh batches of weed. The thought of buying 300+ grams at a time for personal use is absurd. The "safety" reasoning makes no sense either: would you rather be caught with a 1/2 or 1 ounce of weed or with 12 ounces LOL?

People that regularly hold weed and smoke weed dont think about how much they would prefer being caught with. They don't think about cycling fresh batches either. They've either got it or they dont and if they do they're smoking it not worrying about cycling it. Also, it is not uncommon at all to buy more than they plan to personally smoke so they can get a better deal and share the cost with their friends.That does not make a kid a dealer.

actually it does.

No it doesn't. In a strictly legal definition I would concede the point but a dealer's ambition is to make money not simply reduce his cost of consumption. Dealer's transactions are not limited to friends and acquaintances and are much more aggressively pursued. Charging this kid with intent to distribute is overkill to the max and I doubt very seriously that charge will stick simply based on there being 4 present in the car. The whole case, IMO, revolves around who owns the gun. Weed, while illegal, is hardly worth ruining a kids life over especially if its his first offense. However, illegal possession of a firearm changes the calculus significantly

It really doesn't matter from a personal perspective, it won't get you very far arguing with a Judge and/or prosecutor looking at possibly a 7 year sentence. It's silly to say that well the FL law is ridiculous as compared to say CO law. It's the law whether you agree with it or not. Is anyone saying that KB was naive and didnt realize that the people that he rolled with (pardon the pun) were either smoking weed and/or dealing? Half a pound of weed, scales, and a handgun doesn't look very good for Mr. Bessent and Co.

Yes it will because it his 1st offense. First time offenders are shown some leniency as they should. No, it doesn't look good but its not over yet either and Im not for convicting the guy in the court of public opinion before the facts of the case even come out. There is absolutely NO WAY this kid gets sentenced to a 7 year sentence.

[The Freak 2,528]

However, illegal possession of a firearm changes the calculus significantly

It's yet to be determined if anything about the gun was illegal. Having a firearm in a car is not illegal in Florida. There may be other considerations we don't know about but the gun being there, in and of itself, is not a problem.

I understand that loud and clear but the fact remains...if it is an unregistered firearm, it will definitely pose a bigger problem than possession of weed. Thats all I saying here. The facts of the case will eventually come out. I am not for throwing the kid under the bus, in fact, Im all for giving him another chance.

unregistered firearm? a lot of states don't require registration.

[Bathel 50]

However, illegal possession of a firearm changes the calculus significantly

It's yet to be determined if anything about the gun was illegal. Having a firearm in a car is not illegal in Florida. There may be other considerations we don't know about but the gun being there, in and of itself, is not a problem.

I understand that loud and clear but the fact remains...if it is an unregistered firearm, it will definitely pose a bigger problem than possession of weed. Thats all I saying here. The facts of the case will eventually come out. I am not for throwing the kid under the bus, in fact, Im all for giving him another chance.

unregistered firearm? a lot of states don't require registration.

Correct, and in Florida you DO NOT have to register a gun. In fact, it is a felony under Florida law to create, maintain or publish any list, record or registry of legally owned firearms or law-abiding firearm owners.

However, to carry a concealed weapon you must have a permit you cannot get a permit until you're 21... so depending on where the gun was in the car, they could be screwed. Although open carry laws allow for a gun to be in the car, there are rules on how it has to be carried without a permit in the car...

Vehicle carry without a license is permitted.

Handguns must be either "securely encased" or not immediately available for use. "Securely encased" means in a glove compartment, whether or not locked; snapped in a holster; in a gun case, whether or not locked; in a zippered gun case; or in a closed box or container which requires a lid or cover to be opened for access. Carry of a Handgun on one's person inside a vehicle without a license is not permitted (except in the case of open carry in accordance with the law outlined above). Once a handgun is securely encased, it can be stored anywhere inside the vehicle and is not limited to just the glove compartment/center console.

If this wasn't followed, there could be some issues. As a guess, being that they had a 1/2 pound of pot in the car... I am going to doubt that they had the gun "securely encased"... but that's just a guess.

Regardless, I don't think anyone on here can believe he didn't know about the pot and/or gun in the car. The gun may not be his and the pot may not have been his, but it belonged to someone in that car and those guys where his "buds" (bad pun)... Sometime you have to pay the price for what your friends do. Maybe this will be a lesson to him on who he hangs around with.

[AUIH1 1,515]

There is a whole lot of excuse making in this thread for an AU recruit who it seems clear (at least to those who are objective) has criminal tendencies when, had the same situation occurred with a spuat, uga, lsu, etc recruit, opinions would have been vastly different from the same excuse makers.

wde

[TheBlueVue 177]

The gun ownership is where his biggest problem is IMO. OK, I was wrong about using the term registered but what I meant was if it had the serial numbers scraped off of it and nobody had a license to carry it.

[TheBlueVue 177]

There is a whole lot of excuse making in this thread for an AU recruit who it seems clear, has criminal tendencies when, had the same situation occurred with a spuat, uga, lsu, etc recruit, opinions would have been vastly different from the same excuse makers.

wde

Im not making any excuses for Bessent nor have I thrown any other teams' players under the bus. This kid has made a very costly mistake and I hope he can recover from it. Thats all Im saying