Geez, this sounds like a back room discussion to me. As far as the Gator players are concerned, this is a first offense and don't look for much to come of the situation.
Bill...it would be a backroom discussion except that it involves Gator players. It would be questionable to me if ordinary students fell victim to the same sting but it is Gator players and so it does have sports relevance much the same I guess as the Ga players with an open beer. My life and times while at Florida seem like cake compared to what can happen to these kids today. I wasn't a bad guy and neither were my friends but the PDs today seem to be hellbent on finding miniscule offenses to fuel the media frenzy that follows them when athletes are involved. I am so glad these college town sleuths are out preventing campus rapes and robberies....robberies like my son in Kalamazoo just experienced at his apartment of several thousand dolllars of musical equipment. Maybe the K-Zoo cops were out on a MaryJane "sting" instead arresting small-time users of pot.
Couldn't tell you either way on that one Terry. Only the ensnarers know the truth on that one probably.
MCG Wrote: I bet that if your investigation of these cops goes deep enough, you will find ties to Auburn, Alabama, or Tennessee. :roll: TB wrote: Entrapment would piss me off as well. However, Mr public defender, simply providing opportunity does not equate to entrapment. George wrote: Ding, Ding, Ding... we have a winner!
"What puzzles me and even disturbs me is how far the GPD has fallen in their slimy zeal to make news in Gainesville. They set up a "sting" to arrest marijuana users buying $20 worth of pot for personal use? I personally have never heard of such a "sting". Nice going by the Gainesville boys in blue. I wonder how much that is costing the taxpayers of Alachua county. Now that said....given the history of Marcus Thomas last year I think these guys are stupid to follow along the same path and I do think they will each be suspended for some games but both should get second chances complete with mandatory drug testing." I don't see where I absolve the players of wrongful behavior and bad decsions. I do see where I have a problem with the GPD thinking their time and money was well spent.....if not possibly misdirected for the wrong reasons.
Wasn't former Florida basketball assistant Major Parker sentenced in his cocaine distribution trial just last year? Maybe the UF administration and the Gainesville PD are still smarting that something as embarrassing as that occurred under their watch and so they're taking steps to avoid it happening again.
Maybe some here equate buying small amounts of personal use pot to selling and distributing cocaine, heroin or crystal meth. I happen to know a few fully functioning adults with jobs and families who buy small amounts of pot for personal use. I do not know any of the latter nor would I want to ever run into one. I see a huge...huge difference in the two groups even if George, Tom, Terry etc. do not. Mind you I don't take this stance for personal reasons but I do take this stance for the SAKE of reason.
Rick I have absolutely no problem with GPD's sting operations but would be hard pressed to compare undercover COPs selling 1/3 oz of reefer to college students ..... to undecover COPs buying a pound +/- of coke from street dealers. However, I'd much prefer these guys spend more of their time running a sting on coke, crack, heroin, etc dealers or ..... setting up a traffic stop on University Ave and arresting college kids (and others) for drinking/driving.
Gaterz, that makes sense to you and I and I suspect it makes sense to these guys too except they just beg to differ because that's their nature here on Skybox. FYI....caught about 65 fish total in Cedar Key/Crystal River over 3 days back in May. It was a great time and we kept the rods bent although there was nothing very large ( that we landed anyway).
MCG I forgot about your trip. Glad to see you had some luck. We've only been on the water twice in the past month or so but have done pretty good with trout and reds. Caught two "specks" that had to be hybrid speckled-silver trout as they only had about 10 spots each. Two weeks ago, I was drowning a small pin fish on the outside of a bar west of Seahorse Key and hooked up with what I believe was a decent sized cobia - given how it peeled line from the reel. Unfortunatley, my light tackle - 8# test - didn't hold up very well. We're going down to Cedar Key for the weekend and plan to chase down a few more reds and trout. Will also look for some cobia and even tarpon, to see if they've arrived.
Guys, I wasn't comparing the two, just offering a possible explanation (that's why the word "Maybe"), though I imagine you already knew that. Asking police to control drug activity by only busting the largest sellers is short-sighted. We're talking career criminals here, with high rates of recidivism. And as long as buyers have no fear of arrest, there will be plenty of dealers flocking to your Gainesville marketplace to take the place of the dealers that are busted. MCG - the "fully functioning adults with jobs and families who buy small amounts of pot for personal use" is a red herring. I know such people as well. They have their own suppliers. They don't phone people they don't really know (like an undercover cop in this case) asking to score some drugs. In which instance do you think an argument that escalates into violence - like a shooting - is more likely to occur? Personally, I think the war on drugs is unwinnable. You can't legislate a drug-free world. But the laws are on the books, and the police aren't going to selectively enforce them in a manner that best suits your own personal interests. (They're going to selectively enforce them in a manner that best suits the personal interests of people who have a lot more money than you. :wink: )
Rick Guess I misunderstood what you meant when you stated "taking steps to avoid it happening again" ....... thinking you meant COPs selling small amounts of weed to college students would stop coke dealers. Hey, maybe GPD thinks selling 8 grams of MJ to college kids will break the local coke distribution ring(s). Locally, GPD is catching some grief over their "reefer madness" sting. Many are questioning the value of such an endeavor, especially in a college town. It's akin to police selling stolen property to students, then arresting them for "possession of stolen property". What's accomplished? It's not as though they've killed the market for stolen goods.
I guess you did misunderstand, Gaterz, but that's okay. And if you still don't get it, I'm okay with that, too. Nice argument of the absurd, btw.
:lol: I got problems with so-called "sex stings" when a guy who's been married 30 yrs is at a convention and decides to do something diametrically different by trying to buy a little inmoral fun......the cops set up these guys by wasting a lot of resources in stacking up the odds against normally level headed citizens with good jobs, nice house and family....its called soft-crime-enforcement........a lot of valuable police assets focused on the stray husband.....and then ruining his life. I have zero problem with drug stings and they are fortright....whether they are focused on athletes or regular citizens.......drugs destroy lives....and young, privileged athletes have aresponsibility to act as role models to all others in envy of their position and incredible opportunity that they have to go further into a professional career. Its not about the Gators.....its about drug enforcement....I am all for it.
MCG wrote: I "beg to differ" because: 1) It is illegal to purchase marijuana 2) It is illegal to consume marijuana 3) These students did one with the intent to do the other 4) You focus your anger on the police. Amazing! Now if it comes out that these police officers planted the evidence, hang 'em. Otherwise, they are catching those people that are inclined to buy and/or use an illegal substance. I would have the same response to police actions in Tennessee. Somehow, I think you would see my views if it was Knoxvillle police and UT students.
Tom, I think they would take your view if it happened anywhere other than Gainesville. This is not a hanging offense, but it is an offense. :!:
KP, Illegal is just that... illegal. I wonder who MCG wants to put on the panel to decide how far to go on lesser crimes. Would he want me? I don't think so. I will admit that I am fairly hard nosed when it comes to illegal activity. I freely admit that. Not only have I not received a citation for any violation, moving or not, I can also add that I have NOT deserved one either. I have not illegally driven over the speed limit in over 16 years. Most people in law inforcement share my views, at least the ones I know. To me, you leave the decision making to the people you pay to make the decisions. If you don't like the results, your vote can count in the next election. If the law is on the books, enforce it. If it is a bad law, contact your representative to discuss having it removed.