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US Soccer Referee Dies After Punch

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People are told to do a lot of things during their life time. Sometimes you can't follow all of the advice given to you. I know it may be rough for you to understand but people do have emotions.
"Nul n'est censé ignorer la loi." ("Ignorance of the law is no excuse/Everyone is presumed to know the law").
 
People are told to do a lot of things during their life time. Sometimes you can't follow all of the advice given to you. I know it may be rough for you to understand but people do have emotions.



Choosing to drive is still not the same as throwing a punch. The cases where choosing to drive is a heat of the moment act are much more rare than the cases where choosing to punch is a heat of the moment act.


Your honor-my client had EMOTIONS! He can't ALWAYS follow advice!
 

Yaboosh

Super Sleuth
People are told to do a lot of things during their life time. Sometimes you can't follow all of the advice given to you. I know it may be rough for you to understand but people do have emotions.



Choosing to drive is still not the same as throwing a punch. The cases where choosing to drive is a heat of the moment act are much more rare than the cases where choosing to punch is a heat of the moment act.


You are saying that the puncher is less blame worthy because the emotional condition he is in leads him to make a decision to do something without rational forethought. A drunk person is also in a condition which can lead him to make a decision to do something without rational forethought. The difference is anger causing a cloud of judgement or booze. Results are the same. Someone dies because you weren't thinking clearly enough.

Choosing to punch someone because you have anger management issues is the same as choosing to drive drunk. Both should have serious consequences.
 

Ducarmel

Member
Yes it is. But choosing to drive is not.

It still does not absolve you from consequences of drinking, and terms and conditions set to operate a vehicle and multiple warning on labels of drinks to not to operate vehicles requiring licenses.

I would also like to point out imo the young man should be locked up for a good while, but no where near 20 to life, 5 to 10 sounds fair.
 

Dude Abides

Banned
Also, if you read the post, you find a couple key differences. There was no "heat of the moment" in that case, the assault was planned and calculated. The person to be assaulted was random but the act itself was there. It also sounds like there was follow-up, he didn't just punch the guy and ran off or started to cool down. He punched the guy to the ground then got on the ground and went for round 2 with him. You're comparing apples and oranges.

No I'm not. The premeditation wasn't relevant to the murder 2 conviction. He wasn't convicted of murder 1.

Do you have any legal training?
 

Yaboosh

Super Sleuth
It still does not absolve you from consequences of drinking, and terms and conditions set to operate a vehicle and multiple warning on labels of drinks to not to operate vehicles requiring licenses.

I would also like to point out imo the young man should be locked up for a good while, but no where near 20 to life, 5 to 10 sounds fair.


Of course it doesn't absolve you from anything. Neither does being angry when you punch and kill some dude.
 
You are saying that the puncher is less blame worthy because the emotional condition he is in leads him to make a decision to do something without rational forethought. A drunk person is also in a condition which can lead him to make a decision to do something without rational forethought. The difference is anger causing a cloud of judgement or booze. Results are the same. Someone dies because you weren't thinking clearly enough.

Choosing to punch someone because you have anger management issues is the same as choosing to drive drunk. Both should have serious consequences.

The only reason I think the driving penalty should be harsher is the fact that a car is a lot more dangerous than a fist
 

Sorian

Banned
I really hope that I'm never on a jury with GAF.

:p

Judge: Alright, the charges brought to court for the case of the State vs. EleventhDoctor are as follows: Possession of a Controlled Substance and Sale of a Controlled Substance to a minor, how do you plead?

EleventhDoctor: Not G....[interruption]

GAF Juror: Actually, Your Honor, we feel that a charge of first degree murder should be added to the case!

Judge: On what ground? There was no death or victim

GAF Juror: Doesn't matter, we have to find a way to lock this guy away forever, he committed a crime!

I don't mean to insinuate that you do drugs or would sell them to a minor, that's just what came to mind
 

Yaboosh

Super Sleuth
The only reason I think the driving penalty should be harsher is the fact that a car is a lot more dangerous than a fist


I wouldn't be shocked if incidents of death are just as likely from a punch as they are from someone driving above the legal limit, but there probably aren't stats to say one way or the other. I just think that a ton of idiots drive drunk.
 

Rezbit

Member
These people playing sports barely within the terms "amateur" have no right to attack a referee. They are doing you a service by adjudicating your shitty, worthless league and OH NO they happen to maybe get one thing wrong. Get over yourself you stupid fucks who play amateur sport. Fuck that person who punched that ref that resulted in his death. Lock 'em up.
 

Angry Fork

Member
So many fucking psychotic people on gaf.

It was a punch, have you guys never been in a fight before. This kids life doesn't deserve to be ruined over this.
 

Bigfoot

Member
I'd treat this kid the same way we treat drunk drivers that kill people. In both cases, the intent isn't to kill, yet both actions (punching out of anger and drunk driving) are stupid things to do and people know better.
 

Sorian

Banned
"Nul n'est censé ignorer la loi." ("Ignorance of the law is no excuse/Everyone is presumed to know the law").

I'm not claiming ignorance of the law is a pass. I am, however, claiming that the heat of the moment (emotions) leads to a lesser sentence.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justifiable_homicide

The "heat of the moment" defense, in which death results from a situation where the defendant is deemed to have reasonably lost control, is often considered a part of the defense of provocation against a charge of murder. This is based on the idea that all individuals may suddenly and unexpectedly lose control when words are spoken or events occur but, again, jurisdictions differ on the extent to which this should be allowed to excuse liability or merely mitigate to a lesser offense such as manslaughter, and under which circumstances this defense can be used.
 

Yaboosh

Super Sleuth
So many fucking psychotic people on gaf.

It was a punch, have you guys never been in a fight before. This kids life doesn't deserve to be ruined over this.


Should he go to jail at all? Or is it just kids being kids, could have happened to anyone?

And this wasn't a fight.
 

Ducarmel

Member
Of course it doesn't absolve you from anything. Neither does being angry when you punch and kill some dude.
I understand the mental state argument, that would most likely have been used to find him guilty of the assault.

Yet the difference between accidentally killing somebody and intentionally killing somebody has been established by the law/courts. I do feel accidentally killing somebody should always be punishable, but I don't see how its just as egregious as intentionally killing somebody.
 
A concept that I find a lot of people have difficulty with is the difference between culpability and punishment. Generally, every criminal offense carries with it a sentencing range. Even in Texas--the death penalty capital of the USA--a person who commits intentional murder can receive a probated sentence or a sentence as low as 5 years in prison. It is all of the circumstances surrounding the technical criminal acts--those that aggravate it and those that mitigate it--that will factor into an ultimate sentencing decision.
 

Sorian

Banned
No I'm not. The premeditation wasn't relevant to the murder 2 conviction. He wasn't convicted of murder 1.

Do you have any legal training?

No, I don't have any legal training. Question right back to you.

Anyway, the premeditation of an assault isn't relevant to a murder 1 charge but it does show malice which is usually the indicator of murder 2. Heat of passion/moment crimes usually have no malice behind them which is why they fall below murder 2.
 

Sorian

Banned
Should he go to jail at all? Or is it just kids being kids, could have happened to anyone?

And this wasn't a fight.

I don't understand why you are inferring that this kid going to jail and the fact that this could have happened to anyone are mutually exclusive ideas.
 

this_guy

Member
So many fucking psychotic people on gaf.

It was a punch, have you guys never been in a fight before. This kids life doesn't deserve to be ruined over this.

It's not that he punched someone that his life should be ruined. It's the fact that he KILLED someone that his life should be ruined.

For everyone on here that says he shouldn't be punished too severely, would you want to tell the victim's family that his death is not a big deal? The kid was just angry so he shouldn't be punished too bad. Next time he gets angry he'll try not to kill. Does this sound ok?
 

Angry Fork

Member
Should he go to jail at all? Or is it just kids being kids, could have happened to anyone?

And this wasn't a fight.

By fight I meant to point out punches aren't typically a big deal. They're thrown all the time at other people, it's extremely rare and unfortunate if serious injury occurs because of it.

I think whatever will get him to realize he shouldn't punch people is enough. This entire process has likely taught him of that already. I'm not an advocate of revenge, it is common sense to anyone that the death was an accident.
 
It's not that he punched someone that his life should be ruined. It's the fact that he KILLED someone that his life should be ruined.

For everyone on here that says he shouldn't be punished too severely, would you want to tell the victim's family that his death is not a big deal? The kid was just angry so he shouldn't be punished too bad. Next time he gets angry he'll try not to kill. Does this sound ok?

You're not understanding-the kid had emotions.
 

Sorian

Banned
Lol getting a yellow card isn't legally recognized provocation.

To answer your question, I have a JD and have practiced law for nine years.

If true, then your claim seems silly. Anything can be recognized as provocation. If it caused a temporary loss of control, then it would fall into the category. What is important to one person can be rubbish to the next. There is no "catch-all" list that can state what will set someone off and what won't.
 

Yaboosh

Super Sleuth
I don't understand why you are inferring that this kid going to jail and the fact that this could have happened to anyone are mutually exclusive ideas.


I don't feel like I am the one doing that. It feels like you and others are presenting the "it could happen to anyone" defense to justify a much lower charge.
 
If true, then your claim seems silly. Anything can be recognized as provocation. If it caused a temporary loss of control, then it would fall into the category. What is important to one person can be rubbish to the next. There is no "catch-all" list that can state what will set someone off and what won't.

Good luck convincing a jury that.
 

Angry Fork

Member
It's not that he punched someone that his life should be ruined. It's the fact that he KILLED someone that his life should be ruined.

For everyone on here that says he shouldn't be punished too severely, would you want to tell the victim's family that his death is not a big deal? The kid was just angry so he shouldn't be punished too bad. Next time he gets angry he'll try not to kill. Does this sound ok?

If a guy yelled at some woman for something, she slaps him, he trips on something falls over hits his head on the floor and dies, should her life be ruined? It's a freak accident.

You're not understanding-the kid had emotions.

You charge him on something for the punch, assault, whatever it is. Nobody is saying he was right for punching.

But you don't do eye for an eye to 'make up' for an accidental death.
 

Yaboosh

Super Sleuth
If a guy yelled at some woman for something, she slaps him, he trips on something falls over hits his head on the floor and dies, should her life be ruined? It's a freak accident.


If she hits some dude and the hit kills him, she should go to prison yes.
 

DY_nasty

NeoGAF's official "was this shooting justified" consultant
By throwing that punch, he intended to do something dangerous which could result in death, so the kid is fully responsible for what happened.

okay... lets just not do this.

please?

because if it was generally accepted that punches kill then ramble ramble ramble rant that's just a hell of a leap
 

besada

Banned
I'm not talking about what he can be charged with, but what he should be. While I don't have statistics to back it up, it's safe to assume that it's very, very rare for a punch in the head to kill or seriously injure someone. It's probably not meaningfully more likely to kill someone than a strong push.
Not that rare. Look up punching death on google. There were five or six that got reported on in the last couple of years. There are several spots on the skull with architectural weaknesses, that can lead to concussion, brain swelling, and death.
 

Dude Abides

Banned
If true, then your claim seems silly. Anything can be recognized as provocation. If it caused a temporary loss of control, then it would fall into the category. What is important to one person can be rubbish to the next. There is no "catch-all" list that can state what will set someone off and what won't.

Yes in fact there are certain acts that are recognized as adequate provocation and those that aren't. Me walking in on you fucking my wife would be considered adequate provocation in every jurisdiction. You calling me an idiot would never be.
 
It's not that he punched someone that his life should be ruined. It's the fact that he KILLED someone that his life should be ruined.
It was an accident and I don't think one's life should be completely ruined because of an accident. That isn't to say that the kid should get off and go free. This was manslaughter (or homicide by assault or whatever) and the kid should face the consequences, but some people in this thread are calling for life without parole and that is excessive.
 

Yaboosh

Super Sleuth
okay... lets just not do this.

please?

because if it was generally accepted that punches kill then ramble ramble ramble rant that's just a hell of a leap


It should absolutely be generally accepted that punches can kill. Because punches can kill.
 

Ducarmel

Member
No I'm not. The premeditation wasn't relevant to the murder 2 conviction. He wasn't convicted of murder 1.

Do you have any legal training?


Missouri state law.
Second degree murder, penalty.

565.021. 1. A person commits the crime of murder in the second degree if he:

(1) Knowingly causes the death of another person or, with the purpose of causing serious physical injury to another person, causes the death of another person

So the knockout game which purpose is to cause enough harm to knock somebody out had nothing to do with charging him with 2nd degree murder.
 
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