Simpson Charged Reduced

[JohnDeere 0]

Simpson charge reduced

Wednesday, May 24, 2006

By PAUL GATTIS

Times Sports Staff pgattis@htimes.com

Tide linebacker from Decatur faces 3 misdemeanors

Jefferson County authorities on Tuesday reduced the felony charge brought against Alabama linebacker Juwan Simpson to a misdemeanor.

Simpson had been charged with second-degree receiving stolen property, a Class C felony, be-cause the property reported stolen was valued at less than the $500 threshold to bring a felony.

Simpson is now facing three misdemeanor charges after his vehicle was stopped Saturday night in Bessemer. No court date has been set.

The latest development in the case revolved around the handgun found in the vehicle Simpson was driving. The Jefferson County sheriff's department charged Simpson with second-degree receiving stolen property because the gun had been reported stolen and was believed to be worth at least $500.

In what Sgt. Randy Christian of the sheriff's department described Tuesday as a "screening" of the felony charge with Bessemer district attorney Arthur Green, the conclusion was made that the gun was not worth $500.

"They had the report from Decatur where the gun was reported stolen originally," Christian said. "They noticed where the owner on that report valued the gun at $400. So they checked with a couple of local sporting goods stores and confirmed the value of the gun to be less than $500."

Simpson is now facing three misdemeanor charges: third-degree receiving stolen property, second-degree possession of marijuana and violation of a license to carry a pistol.

Simpson, a native of Decatur and an Austin High graduate, was stopped by the sheriff's department Saturday for erratic driving going southbound on Interstate 20/59.

The officer smelled what he believed to be marijuana in the vehicle and a drug-sensing dog indicated there were drugs in the vehicle.

A subsequent search of the vehicle uncovered the firearm, which was located under the driver's seat.

A passenger was in the vehicle but was not charged.

Simpson received his undergraduate degree in December and is pursuing a second degree as he approaches his senior season on the Crimson Tide football team. Simpson is the Tide's leading returning tackler and was selected Academic All-SEC last season.

Tide coach Mike Shula said earlier this week it was "too soon" to draw any conclusions on Simpson's case.

A message left Tuesday at the office of Simpson attorney H. Lewis Gillis was not returned.

[sogaaufan 27]

http://www.al.com/sports/mobileregister/in...9210.xml&coll=3

If Simpson is found guilty on the misdemeanor charge of receiving stolen property, he could be sentenced to up to one year in jail. Sentencing parameters on the felony charge would have been not less than one year and up to 10 years in jail, Christian said. Probation sentences are also a possibility if Simpson is found guilty

Apparently, he still may have to do a year of jail time. However, the Bama damage control is out in full force getting this swept under the rug. Don't be surprised if it all goes away before long.

[WarTim 3,456]

Has the black warrior river overflowed or is there ANOTHER reason for the strong smell of FISH(carp) coming from west vance?

[JohnDeere 0]

http://www.al.com/sports/mobileregister/in...9210.xml&coll=3

If Simpson is found guilty on the misdemeanor charge of receiving stolen property, he could be sentenced to up to one year in jail. Sentencing parameters on the felony charge would have been not less than one year and up to 10 years in jail, Christian said. Probation sentences are also a possibility if Simpson is found guilty

Apparently, he still may have to do a year of jail time. However, the Bama damage control is out in full force getting this swept under the rug. Don't be surprised if it all goes away before long.

236710[/snapback]

Is a stolen $400 pistol less likely to kill a man then a stolen $500 pistol?

[vatz22au 142]

Whats he doing with a pistol anyways? If he is such a role model, you'd think he wouldn't be running with a crowd where a pistol is needed.

[JohnDeere 0]

Whats he doing with a pistol anyways?  If he is such a role model, you'd think he wouldn't be running with a crowd where a pistol is needed.

236729[/snapback]

"Better recognize fool..I'm on the SEC Goodworks Team...back the heck up and recognize before I have to put a cap in you"

Look at this guy..I wouldn't trust him to mow my lawn.

[Tigermike 3,029]

Maybe that article should have been titled "Is the fix in?"

[Ranger12 46]

Whats he doing with a pistol anyways?  If he is such a role model, you'd think he wouldn't be running with a crowd where a pistol is needed.

236729[/snapback]

"Better recognize fool..I'm on the SEC Goodworks Team...back the heck up and recognize before I have to put a cap in you"

Look at this guy..I wouldn't trust him to mow my lawn.

236731[/snapback]

Good to see you judge people by their looks without knowing them. This is a case of a good kid that has recently started hanging around the wrong crowd and doing the wrong things. It is has now caught up with him. However, for you to look at his picture and say you would not trust him based upon that is a really ignorant statement in my opinion.

[JohnDeere 0]

Whats he doing with a pistol anyways?  If he is such a role model, you'd think he wouldn't be running with a crowd where a pistol is needed.

236729[/snapback]

"Better recognize fool..I'm on the SEC Goodworks Team...back the heck up and recognize before I have to put a cap in you"

Look at this guy..I wouldn't trust him to mow my lawn.

236731[/snapback]

Good to see you judge people by their looks without knowing them. This is a case of a good kid that has recently started hanging around the wrong crowd and doing the wrong things. It is has now caught up with him. However, for you to look at his picture and say you would not trust him based upon that is a really ignorant statement in my opinion.

236752[/snapback]

A RANGER telling me he has never based an opinion on someone based on looks. LOL

Is their not a block of instruction in Ranger School teaching new RANGERs how to look like Real Soldiers?

[jwise0022 1]

As long as the story remains isolated to the Alabama media, he will remain on the team. If, for some reason, the national media picks up on the story the "University" will be forced to cut their losses. This is true in almost every case. Look at the Duke rape investigation... do you think they would have ended the season of a potential national championship winner if the story was only reported in the local media...hell no. So, my suggestion to Auburn fans who want to force the hand of shula, is to call into Dan Patrick, Finescum, Buck and Kinkaid, and other outlets and voice concern over college athletes not being held to a higher standard and then slide the fact in that Bammer routinely allows players to go unpunished because their fans only care about results on the field.

[mcgufcm 4,096]

i'm not gonna lie; i hope nothing much comes of this. i hope it scared the crap out of him. i hope he drops a few rounds in the nfl draft next year so the memory of this arrest stays fresh. i hope he loses a game or two next season to keep him honest, but other than that, i hope he gets off light and goes about his business. why?

a friend of mine in high school won our mr. high school award. great guy. known him since we were around 6. one of the most sincere and gentle guys i've ever known. when he went to college at msu, he got caught up with the wrong crowd. he never sold drugs but a lot of "his boys" did. one day he's driving his drug-dealing "friend" around, loans him the car, and lo and behold, the guy shoots and kills two people a couple blocks away while my friend is in a restaurant. the guy flees, the bodies are found in my friend's car, he's arrested for double homicide.

was my boy running with the wrong crowd? yep. did he make some bad decisions? clearly. but since this all went down, my friend got released, has had a baby, and has got his life back in order. you think there's anyone in the world less likely to get mixed up with drugs again? i don't. juwan can still turn himself around and fly right. this is the kind of scare that can clean out all the bad stuff in his life. that's what i'm pulling for.

ps. he looks like a nice guy.

[RadioWryn 0]

Paul Finebaum: "So, what's the latest on Juwan (Don't Call me OJ) Simpson, you ask..?"

[MDM4AU 332]

I hope Simpson learns a lesson. I don't want this kid's life ruined because of a mistake like this. From all I've heard, he is really a good guy who had a lapse in judgement. I don't think he should get off scott-free, everything we do has consequences that must be faced. But, I don't think he should get hammered for this.

I hate to see things like this, alma mater has nothing to do with it...

[jwise0022 1]

I am sorry if I offend people who think that a person, who up to this point has seemingly been an upstanding citizen, who is caught with drugs and a gun in his car should not be severely punished. I say punish him. You retort: "you wouldn't be saying that if it was an AUburn player." uh, actually, if Kenny Irons himself were caught with a gun and drugs in his car I would want him kicked off the team at the very least, whether he is found guilty or not. The net result of having a player on a team with a lack of character to this extent will always be negative. Terrel Owens got kicked off his team for saying his quarterback was a wimp, certainly not a crime. Pretty much everyone thought this was the right move. But then a player breaks several laws and argues that up to this point he has been a good person? As hard as it is to believe, I will venture to guess this was not the first time the player in question smoked weed or toted around a pistol. What are the odds he would be caught the first time? Players like this are a virus on a team...and as far as that goes, I hope Bama lets him stay. If he stays on the team, what will the next player say when they get in a bar fight, or drives under the influence? I want a coach who expects more from his players, and doesn't except BS. I thought Kevin Sears should have been suspended for the rest of the season after his DUI, that way, when Kenny Irons or Brandon Cox think about driving home after a party, they realize the potential consequences. This is a lesson Bammer players will not learn if the player is not punished.

[CrimsonPirate 0]

I am sorry if I offend people who think that a person, who up to this point has seemingly been an upstanding citizen, who is caught with drugs and a gun in his car should not be severely punished.  I say punish him. 

There are a bunch of Bama fans saying the same thing. Shula will handle it as he's handled other disciplinary problems. Thing is, no matter what he does, it won't be enough for you.

I hope Simpson learns a lesson. I don't want this kid's life ruined because of a mistake like this. From all I've heard, he is really a good guy who had a lapse in judgement. I don't think he should get off scott-free, everything we do has consequences that must be faced. But, I don't think he should get hammered for this.

I hate to see things like this, alma mater has nothing to do with it...

i'm not gonna lie; i hope nothing much comes of this. i hope it scared the crap out of him. i hope he drops a few rounds in the nfl draft next year so the memory of this arrest stays fresh. i hope he loses a game or two next season to keep him honest, but other than that, i hope he gets off light and goes about his business. why?

a friend of mine in high school won our mr. high school award. great guy. known him since we were around 6. one of the most sincere and gentle guys i've ever known. when he went to college at msu, he got caught up with the wrong crowd. he never sold drugs but a lot of "his boys" did. one day he's driving his drug-dealing "friend" around, loans him the car, and lo and behold, the guy shoots and kills two people a couple blocks away while my friend is in a restaurant. the guy flees, the bodies are found in my friend's car, he's arrested for double homicide.

was my boy running with the wrong crowd? yep. did he make some bad decisions? clearly. but since this all went down, my friend got released, has had a baby, and has got his life back in order. you think there's anyone in the world less likely to get mixed up with drugs again? i don't. juwan can still turn himself around and fly right. this is the kind of scare that can clean out all the bad stuff in his life. that's what i'm pulling for.

ps. he looks like a nice guy.

Thanks, fellas. No rivalry is more important than a kid's future. I expect him to be dealt with rather severely if the evidence warrants that. Shula has already kicked a couple of kids off for team rules violations.

[quietfan 233]

Whats he doing with a pistol anyways?  If he is such a role model, you'd think he wouldn't be running with a crowd where a pistol is needed.

236729[/snapback]

Hey, this is Alabama (or equally applicable: Georgia, Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, etc). I dare say that on any given football Saturday in Tuscaloosa or Auburn, a significant percentage of the vehicles parked near the stadium will contain pistols. It's just not that uncommon in the South. Which is not to say I like guns, but they are protected by law if properly registered and responsibly owned (and not stolen ), ...and common in the South to Redneck, African-American, and mainstream W.A.S.P. alike.

The "receiving stolen property" charge, and definition of misdemeaner vs. felony, could just as easily related to a $400 vs. $500 stereo. Possession of an unregistered weapon is, of course, still illegal, as is possession of pot.

Personally, it'd suit me fine if the whole team lit one up before every game...that would make it much harder to repeat the 10-win fluke of last season.

[vatz22au 142]

Whats he doing with a pistol anyways?  If he is such a role model, you'd think he wouldn't be running with a crowd where a pistol is needed.

236729[/snapback]

Hey, this is Alabama (or equally applicable: Georgia, Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, etc). I dare say that on any given football Saturday in Tuscaloosa or Auburn, a significant percentage of the vehicles parked near the stadium will contain pistols. It's just not that uncommon in the South. Which is not to say I like guns, but they are protected by law if properly registered and responsibly owned (and not stolen ), ...and common in the South to Redneck, African-American, and mainstream W.A.S.P. alike.

The "receiving stolen property" charge, and definition of misdemeaner vs. felony, could just as easily related to a $400 vs. $500 stereo. Possession of an unregistered weapon is, of course, still illegal, as is possession of pot.

Personally, it'd suit me fine if the whole team lit one up before every game...that would make it much harder to repeat the 10-win fluke of last season.

236846[/snapback]

Ok... well, I understand this is Alabama and shotgun racks run wild.... but the guy had pot and a stolen gun. Therefore, I'll reword it. Why is he running with a crowd where pot and a stolen pistol is needed?

[WinCrimson 61]

Whats he doing with a pistol anyways?  If he is such a role model, you'd think he wouldn't be running with a crowd where a pistol is needed.

236729[/snapback]

Hey, this is Alabama (or equally applicable: Georgia, Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, etc). I dare say that on any given football Saturday in Tuscaloosa or Auburn, a significant percentage of the vehicles parked near the stadium will contain pistols. It's just not that uncommon in the South. Which is not to say I like guns, but they are protected by law if properly registered and responsibly owned (and not stolen ), ...and common in the South to Redneck, African-American, and mainstream W.A.S.P. alike.

The "receiving stolen property" charge, and definition of misdemeaner vs. felony, could just as easily related to a $400 vs. $500 stereo. Possession of an unregistered weapon is, of course, still illegal, as is possession of pot.

Personally, it'd suit me fine if the whole team lit one up before every game...that would make it much harder to repeat the 10-win fluke of last season.

236846[/snapback]

Ok... well, I understand this is Alabama and shotgun racks run wild.... but the guy had pot and a stolen gun. Therefore, I'll reword it. Why is he running with a crowd where pot and a stolen pistol is needed?

236847[/snapback]

No clue. It was a bonehead move on his part.

But don't think this is isolated to him. There are other players on our team who had weed and a pistol on them at the time of the arrest as well (probably no stolen pistol though - I would imagine that would be much less frequent) Same thing goes for LSU, Tennessee, Florida.... and yes, even Auburn. These are college kids. I'm not condoning this for 1 second, but things like this do happen.

Juwan however, was caught and should now pay the price.

[mcgufcm 4,096]

it's all well and good to say "kick a guy off the team b/c he's a problem" but i wanna ask a serious question. in sports, what is worse for a team: a bad teammate or a good teammate that has broken the law? personally, i say you gotta get the first guy out. no matter what, you can't have a successful sports team with a "cancer" in it. you can't. that's why t.o. got the boot. it had nothing to do with him being a bad person or setting a negative example; it had everything to do with not being able to play with him.

so this situation and that situation had nothing to do with one another b/c by all accounts juwan's teammates like him. i'll accept the "shaping men not just playing sports" argument, but i won't accept the t.o. analogy b/c these situations couldn't be more different. in regards to the other argument, i think that's exactly why you give him another chance. what kind of message are you sending when you end a guy's future b/c he made a mistake? honestly. what if he only stays in school b/c of ball? without ball he leaves and does nothing with his life. with ball, he's punished for his mistake, gets a degree, and does something. i'll take the latter over "boot him out of here" any day.

kevin did something that a lot of people do. it's bad. it's wrong. it should not go without punishment, but how many of you know someone with a dui charge on their record? i'm guessing a few. how many of you said, "i hope he gets fired from his job too b/c the punishment handed down by the court just isn't enough"? i'm guessing zero. so why do we distrust the courts when it comes to sentencing athletes? you'd really trust the judgment of a college football coach over a district judge? i don't.

i hope juwan is punished. i hope he loses football for a short time. i hope he comes back, graduates, and learns from his mistake.

[jwise0022 1]

Where I come from, a person who breaks the law running the risk of being thrown off the team which would undoubtedly have a negative effect on the team, is the definition of a bad teammate. You contend that TO was a bad teammate, well, there are a lot of guys still on the Eagles who support TO and say he was the best teammate they have ever had: namely Trotter and Dawkins. They both think TO got a raw deal. You say TO was a cancer, well, when I played football and saw the leader of the team play through a broken leg, torn ligaments in his knee and ankle, only 4 weeks after sustaining the injury, that person was an inspiration, not a cancer. Wise-up. Don't buy into the media hype of the situation. TO is the hardest working player in pro football. He said he thought Brett Favre (future hall of famer) was a better quarterback than Donovan McNabb, the nerve...

From the reports I have heard, Juwan has already graduated, therefore he is free to pursue his career. Do people realize that this kid is getting a free education, discounted room and board, and a monthly stipend, all at the expense of the taxpayers of Alabama. What does he do? commits an offense against the citizens of Alabama. The nerve. Yeah, throw the punk of the team. No second chance. He won't die, he will learn a lesson, and so will every other member of the team. If it goes unpunished, then future first offenses by other players cannot be punished.

As far as putting your faith and trusting the decision of the judge...you are an idiot.

[vatz22au 142]

Whats he doing with a pistol anyways?  If he is such a role model, you'd think he wouldn't be running with a crowd where a pistol is needed.

236729[/snapback]

Hey, this is Alabama (or equally applicable: Georgia, Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, etc). I dare say that on any given football Saturday in Tuscaloosa or Auburn, a significant percentage of the vehicles parked near the stadium will contain pistols. It's just not that uncommon in the South. Which is not to say I like guns, but they are protected by law if properly registered and responsibly owned (and not stolen ), ...and common in the South to Redneck, African-American, and mainstream W.A.S.P. alike.

The "receiving stolen property" charge, and definition of misdemeaner vs. felony, could just as easily related to a $400 vs. $500 stereo. Possession of an unregistered weapon is, of course, still illegal, as is possession of pot.

Personally, it'd suit me fine if the whole team lit one up before every game...that would make it much harder to repeat the 10-win fluke of last season.

236846[/snapback]

Ok... well, I understand this is Alabama and shotgun racks run wild.... but the guy had pot and a stolen gun. Therefore, I'll reword it. Why is he running with a crowd where pot and a stolen pistol is needed?

236847[/snapback]

No clue. It was a bonehead move on his part.

But don't think this is isolated to him. There are other players on our team who had weed and a pistol on them at the time of the arrest as well (probably no stolen pistol though - I would imagine that would be much less frequent) Same thing goes for LSU, Tennessee, Florida.... and yes, even Auburn. These are college kids. I'm not condoning this for 1 second, but things like this do happen.

Juwan however, was caught and should now pay the price.

236866[/snapback]

I understand... just never thought a player with such character as Juwan displays would ever run with, "that crowd."