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When Donte Stallworth’s sentence was announced many NFL fans were shocked and outraged. How can a player whose reckless behavior resulted in the loss of human life receive only 30 days while another NFL player spent two years of his life in prison because of cruelty to dogs?
After pleading guilty to DUI manslaughter, and reaching an undisclosed settlement with the victim’s family, Donte Stallworth began serving a 30-day sentence following his guilty plea. The victim, Mario Reyes, was hit and killed on March 14 by Stallworth. The 28-year old Stallworth was driving his black 2005 Bentley after a night of drinking at a swanky hotel bar. The Cleveland Browns wide receiver faced 15 years in prison, but according to the plea agreement, Stallworth will serve only 24 days of his 30-day sentence. He was also given credit for one day already served, April 2, the day of his arrest and booking
The Donte Stallworth case and sentence have sparked heated debate amongst the NFL faithful in general–and among Michael Vick supporters in particular. Is a man’s life worth less than a dog’s?
Vick supporters need to look at the legal realities of both situations. Michael Vick committed a felony and he crossed state lines to do so–which, of course, made it a federal case. That automatically raised the stakes in terms of the penalties he would face. So, instead of wringing your hands and complaining about the outcomes, let this be part of the call for an in-depth critique and reform of the criminal justice system in this country.
Finally, it has to be recognized that the Stallworth incident, tragic as it is—was an accident. There are those who want to pretend that this doesn’t matter, but it does. Michael Vick’s situation was a malicious act. So before we rush to continue to paint the former Atlanta Falcons star as a helpless victim, let’s not forget the particulars of how he wound up in his current situation. – dusty culpepper
