J.R. Smith gets 30 days in Prison

[Vince]

MILLSTONE, N.J. -- A judge sentenced Denver Nuggets guard J.R. Smith to 90 days in jail Tuesday night for causing an auto accident that killed his friend, though Smith will likely end up serving only 30.

Municipal Judge Debra J. Gelson suspended 60 days of the sentence providing Smith performs 500 hours of community service consisting of visiting sick children at hospitals.

Smith, who grew up in this town about 20 miles east of Trenton, was taken to county jail Tuesday night to begin serving his sentence.

http://www.realgm.com/boards/viewtopic.php?f=32&t=920915

Did the Stallworth case set a precedent?

[23]

Re: J.R. Smith gets 30 days in Prison

This guy is going to kill his own future

[GSW]

Re: J.R. Smith gets 30 days in Prison

dre i think this was from a couple years ago that the did this.

i dont think its a recent thing.

think the ramifications just now came to fruition.

(bonus points for big words)

[23]

Re: J.R. Smith gets 30 days in Prison

OK I gotcha... I sure hope he straightens up though completely because he'll be a huge waste of talent otherwise

[Stumbleweed]

Re: J.R. Smith gets 30 days in Prison

Yeah, he killed his best friend being an idiot and has had to live with that for 2 years now. Paying society's price is the least of his worries. Hopefully he keeps his **** straight from now on though, because he had a little girl recently and can't be messing up like that anymore.

The victim's family didn't want jail time, and he could do more good doing community service things than he can just sitting in a jail cell... good decision by the judge IMO.

And stop saying PRISON... that's a totally different thing.. he's in a freaking county jail. 2nd or 3rd time I heard that today.

[ex carrabba fan]

Re: J.R. Smith gets 30 days in Prison

Smith, who starred at Lakewood High School and St. Benedict's Prep in Newark, admitted driving an SUV through a stop sign and colliding with a car in Millstone Township, about 20 miles east of Trenton, in June 2007. Bell later died from his injuries, and another passenger in the SUV and a woman driving the car were injured but recovered.

Smith suffered scratches and an injury to his left shoulder.

Prosecutor Richard Kelly said Tuesday the data recorder in Smith's vehicle showed he was driving 67 miles per hour in a spot where the speed limit was 35 mph. Both Smith and Bell were ejected from the vehicle after impact.

A grand jury declined to indict Smith, but he faced five motor vehicle violations and pleaded guilty to reckless driving.

Gelson focused on Smith's checkered driving record in rejecting Hextall's request to impose a fine but not jail time. She cited court filings that showed that Smith had 28 points on his license in 2005 that included four speeding tickets.

She also gave weight to Smith's two speeding tickets in Colorado since the accident, which she termed "disturbing," and said letting Smith off without jail time would send the wrong message.

"There has to be deterrence," Gelson said. "Young people look up to Mr. Smith; he's a role model. What would that say to them? That's it's OK to speed?"

Bell's family has filed a wrongful death suit against Smith. Attorney Harvey Grossman, representing the family, said discussions are under way.

Holy moses. Dude had how many points on his license? That sounds incredible.

[Vince]

Re: J.R. Smith gets 30 days in Prison

The victim's family didn't want jail time, and he could do more good doing community service things than he can just sitting in a jail cell... good decision by the judge IMO.

And stop saying PRISON... that's a totally different thing.. he's in a freaking county jail. 2nd or 3rd time I heard that today.

I'd worry more about the fact that another athlete is getting another slap on the wrist for killing someone than the fact that I'm calling it Prison instead of Jail.

Any news on how much he settled with the family?

[Stumbleweed]

Re: J.R. Smith gets 30 days in Prison

Yeah, how the state lets someone like that even be in the position to kill his best friend is crazy to me. He had a bunch of violations before that and some since -- dude should not be driving around, basically... hire a damn driver. It's clearly his fault, but it's kinda amazing to me that he was still able to drive at the time of the incident.

Vince, he didn't settle anything with the family (there's some wrongful death litigation pending, but he's not just writing them a check). Andre Bell's mom didn't want him to go to jail and she forgave him. That was probably the biggest reason that his sentence got reduced, not because he's JR Smith. He wasn't drunk, he wasn't on drugs, he was just young and stupid and someone paid the price for it (he's paying the price of losing his best friend and dealing with that for the rest of his life as well ad the jail time). I don't think comparing this to Leonard Little or anyone else like that is fair.

[ex carrabba fan]

Re: J.R. Smith gets 30 days in Prison

Two speeding tickets since the incident though? How much longer can he use the young and dumb excuse..

Look I'm not trying to kick a man when he's down, but I do have to say 30 days only is extremely extremely lucky. Being an athlete FTW once again SMH

[Stumbleweed]

Re: J.R. Smith gets 30 days in Prison

The max was 90 days... and people hardly ever get the max unless they did the same crime previously or there were aggravating circumstances such as drugs/drinking or another crime being committed at the same time -- most first-time offenders don't get the maximum sentence. The previous (and recent) moving violations certainly play into the overall perception of JR's driving and his level of irresponsibility, but judges generally do not go for the maximum unless they're out to make a point.

When the victim's family is asking for no jail time and when there is more good to be had from community service (less county/state money spent on jail time for him, less likely to be an appeal, and athletes can do more good in community service activities than most), it's not surprising to me at all that the sentence got reduced and I would agree with the judge's views on that.

[jfsolo]

Re: J.R. Smith gets 30 days in Prison

IMO, after everything else, at the very least he shouldn't be allowed to drive anymore. He has clearly shown that he has a complete and total disregard for his safety and the safety of others while he is on the road. Motor vehicles are deadly weapons in hands of irresponsible fools, we as a society are way to lenient on those who abuse the privilege.

[ex carrabba fan]

Re: J.R. Smith gets 30 days in Prison

The max was 90 days... and people hardly ever get the max unless they did the same crime previously or there were aggravating circumstances such as drugs/drinking or another crime being committed at the same time -- most first-time offenders don't get the maximum sentence. The previous (and recent) moving violations certainly play into the overall perception of JR's driving and his level of irresponsibility, but judges generally do not go for the maximum unless they're out to make a point.

When the victim's family is asking for no jail time and when there is more good to be had from community service (less county/state money spent on jail time for him, less likely to be an appeal, and athletes can do more good in community service activities than most), it's not surprising to me at all that the sentence got reduced and I would agree with the judge's views on that.

The max was 90 days? For a person with the driving record that Smith has, as well as receiving two more speeding tickets after the incident-- the max was only 90?

If that is fact, then something is seriously wrong with that law. When a person can accumulate that many points, and then kill someone, and then receive two more speeding tickets-- and only be susceptible to 90 days in jail.. that is truly wrong. I don't see the justice there.

So if a normal person with the same record did this they could only receive a max sentence of 3 months?

[GSW]

Re: J.R. Smith gets 30 days in Prison

Cold part about it is hes gonna come back from "jail" acting like evn more of a tough guy.

[Stumbleweed]

Re: J.R. Smith gets 30 days in Prison

Ex, the crime is not vehicular homocide or manslaughter, it was reckless driving, and it was his 2nd offense of that nature, thus opening up the possiblity for a maximum 90 day sentence. If they had charged him with something else, then he would've been doing more time right now. Because of the circumstances of the accident and because JR was not under the influence of anything, they didn't go with the manslaughter charges, which would be the only other legit and possible option in this case.

Whatever the case, I agree that he should not be allowed to drive. He won't be driving until 2012 or something as it is now, but you've gotta draw the line somewhere, especially for someone who can easily afford a driver or can travel in other ways.

[ProfessaPackMan]

Re: J.R. Smith gets 30 days in Prison

Cold part about it is hes gonna come back from "jail" acting like evn more of a tough guy.

Why do you say that?