What's the difference between this and the kid stealing something?

 

For those of you that think the law shouldn't be involved, would you feel the same way if he stole a car?

The more I watch that video and see the lack of action by the coaching staff, and apparently this punk behavior seems to be par for the course with this school and staff, the more I think they deserve a ban from postseason play next year.

 

Tough call when coaches get penalized for coming onto the game field now, but I get your point.

You're right, I don't know that kid and it doesn't matter one bit.

 

I get so so tired of the garbage people toss out there such as "When kids do dumb things I like to remind myself of the dumb things I did as a kid" garbage. If you took a swing at a ref as a player I'd hope you got prosecuted too. Quit making excuses for punks. That is what is wrong with society these days, too many people like yourself excusing bad behavior with zero accountability of consequences.

 

Guess what? I was also young once but I never took a swing at an official nor did anyone else I grew up with. I didn't make idiotic mistakes like that. What if he would have connected hard and something happened like the official getting knocked out and hits his head hard as he falls down and possibly has seizures or breaks his neck or something? Only then is it a bad thing and the punk should be held accountable?

 

Quit giving crimnal actions a pass only because you condone that type of thing because he is "young". Sorry, I knew the difference in right and wrong when I was a lot younger than that kid.

 

As a former official, This 100% or we will have something much worse happen at some point

What's the difference between this and the kid stealing something?

 

For those of you that think the law shouldn't be involved, would you feel the same way if he stole a car?

 

I know I'm being hypocritical but I find the situations to be different. I knew most wouldn't agree with me. I am consistent on most this topics with HS kids. Even more so when a kid does something stupid in the field of play. I don't excuse it by any means but I also think it should be looked at on a case by case basis. Unless this kid has a history or a rap sheet I struggle with the felony. It would have to be pretty extreme for me to want to get the court system involved with something that happened on the field of play with HS students.

 

Another thought I know I will probably get disagreement about is as an adult male I don't even know if I would want to press charge on a HS kid for knocking my hat off. But that's just my outdated attitude or ego I guess. I would just feel weird pressing charges in this case. Now if I got sucker punched that is different.

 

At worst this should be a misdemeanor and the kid should be put in a Diversion program for community service hours. I just don't think this should define his life.

I know I'm being hypocritical but I find the situations to be different. I knew most wouldn't agree with me. I am consistent on most this topics with HS kids. Even more so when a kid does something stupid in the field of play. I don't excuse it by any means but I also think it should be looked at on a case by case basis. Unless this kid has a history or a rap sheet I struggle with the felony. It would have to be pretty extreme for me to want to get the court system involved with something that happened on the play of field with HS students.

 

Another thought I know I will probably get disagreement about is as an adult male I don't even know if I would want to press charge on a HS kid for knocking my hat off. But that's just my outdated attitude or ego I guess. I would just feel weird pressing charges in this case. Now if I got sucker punched that is different.

 

At worst this should be a misdemeanor and the kid should be put in Diversion program for community service hours. I just don't think this should define his life.

 

OK, lets use this as an instance where the kid gets no repercussions from his actions as you say lets look at his history or rap sheet. If this is passed and nothing is done to him then guess what? He still has no rap sheet. So lets say a year down the road he is at McDonalds and had a rough day and gets upset because they got his order wrong and he takes a swing at the Manager, should we give him a pass because he doesn't have a rap sheet? The only reason he doesn't is because we keep using the excuse that "He is young and we all made mistakes when we were young" and he gets off again because there was no record of him trying to assault anyone else in his past. When do we say enough is enough?

 

Who cares if he has a history or not of this type of behavior, let the judge weigh in on that as part of the sentencing/penalty phase of the trial. Don't give a free pass because he doesn't have anything on his record. That could just mean he hadn't been held accountable for similar actions in the past, doesn't mean he hadn't done something similar.

 

If a 18 year old runs over a pedestrian on purpose, should he just be given a free pass because he doesn't have anything on his rap sheet and because he is "young" and we all make mistakes when we are young.

 

Sorry, I understand your point of view but I'm of the old school where your actions must lead to accountability.

I know I'm being hypocritical but I find the situations to be different. I knew most wouldn't agree with me. I am consistent on most this topics with HS kids. Even more so when a kid does something stupid in the field of play. I don't excuse it by any means but I also think it should be looked at on a case by case basis. Unless this kid has a history or a rap sheet I struggle with the felony. It would have to be pretty extreme for me to want to get the court system involved with something that happened on the field of play with HS students.

 

Another thought I know I will probably get disagreement about is as an adult male I don't even know if I would want to press charge on a HS kid for knocking my hat off. But that's just my outdated attitude or ego I guess. I would just feel weird pressing charges in this case. Now if I got sucker punched that is different.

 

At worst this should be a misdemeanor and the kid should be put in a Diversion program for community service hours. I just don't think this should define his life.

 

What does on the field of play have to do with anything? If he takes a swing at his manager at his summer job, should he be charged? If so, why does the fact that he's an athlete change the situation?

I know I'm being hypocritical but I find the situations to be different. I knew most wouldn't agree with me. I am consistent on most this topics with HS kids. Even more so when a kid does something stupid in the field of play. I don't excuse it by any means but I also think it should be looked at on a case by case basis. Unless this kid has a history or a rap sheet I struggle with the felony. It would have to be pretty extreme for me to want to get the court system involved with something that happened on the field of play with HS students.

 

Another thought I know I will probably get disagreement about is as an adult male I don't even know if I would want to press charge on a HS kid for knocking my hat off. But that's just my outdated attitude or ego I guess. I would just feel weird pressing charges in this case. Now if I got sucker punched that is different.

 

At worst this should be a misdemeanor and the kid should be put in a Diversion program for community service hours. I just don't think this should define his life.

 

Why does "field of play" mitigate it? The same kid walking through a mall decides to knock a cap off of another shopper. Does he get a pass there?

 

IMVHO we as a society are way to willing to excuse boorish behavior from athletes, both on an off the field.

Does anyone know what has actually happened in this situation? Has he been charged with anything? Suspended from school?

Tough call when coaches get penalized for coming onto the game field now, but I get your point.

 

I would have bet the house you were going to say, "eliminate the threat". LOL

Why does "field of play" mitigate it? The same kid walking through a mall decides to knock a cap off of another shopper. Does he get a pass there?

 

IMVHO we as a society are way to willing to excuse boorish behavior from athletes, both on an off the field.

 

False equivlancy if I flip off someones cap at the mall zero chance any cop arrests me .

Well I see everyone is angry and making false equivliancies. This is my opinion , I'm not going to change it. So no reason to debate me. I gave my opinion . I'm just glad many of you weren't in charge when I was a kid .

If it's Class D, then he's talking Assault 3. That would mean the ref classifies as a school or school district employee or volunteer under 508.025(1)(a)(9-10) unless I'm missing another section.

 

If not, then it's possible to charge under Assault 4, which is a class A misdemeanor.

 

I was thinking it would be a Class A misdemeanor. Either way, even if it does end up being a Class D felony I would expect it will be dropped down to a class A misdemeanor along with a diversion being put on the table. The kid needs punished no doubt, but no need to ruin the kids future over a spontaneous emotional event.

It shows a lack of respect for the officials, your teammates, your coaches, etc. I realize emptions are running high in a state championship game but you have to have some semblance of control. If I'm the head coach and saw that, the kid is pulled off the field right now and I don't care if he's the second coming of Bo Jackson. Then I make him apologize to the referee. He has to be taught, one way or another, it's not acceptable behavior.

I was thinking it would be a Class A misdemeanor. Either way, even if it does end up being a Class D felony I would expect it will be dropped down to a class A misdemeanor along with a diversion being put on the table. The kid needs punished no doubt, but no need to ruin the kids future over a spontaneous emotional event.

 

I think you're mostly right here. No way a prosecutor actually puts a felony on the table over that.

I think you're mostly right here. No way a prosecutor actually puts a felony on the table over that.

 

Yeah I can't see that happening and as long as the kid doesn't already have a past, I see no reason a prosecutor wouldn't also allow the diversion so that if the kid stays out of trouble for the following year he wouldn't have any charges hanging on his record going forward. At least that's how I would handle it personally.