<p>Unlike the rape case, the police has text messages for evidence that detail the drug operation. Innocent until proven doesn’t apply here. </p>
<p>It is unusual to go back to where someone went to high school in these sort of things But in this case apparently the main players also had some ties to the school outside of graduating from there and the drug dealing. They were employed and also in contact with the school. This is not a first offence for the older guy anyways. I think some heads may roll at the Haverford School due to this. </p>
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<p>Well, that is interesting development, and indicates to me that Brooks has already bargained with the prosecution for a lesser charge in exchange for ratting on Scott.</p>
<p>Brooks’ lawyer did not admit to all the allegations, however, at least in the article published. In fact, he pretty much said the opposite. So at this point, I would agree that he had a role in the operation, but it is not clear exactly what his role was, including whether he sold ecstasy and cocaine to high school kids on school property.</p>
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[quote]
Brooks’ lawyer Greg Pagano said his client did not play as big a role in the operation as Scott.</p>
<p>“He’s a nice, young man and comes from a very nice family and he’s sorry for what he did and he’s ready to accept responsibility,” Pagano said. “As far as what’s been depicted on the news and what was laid out there at the press conference, the bulk of that stuff should not be attributed to him personally.”</p>
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<p>Now that, is scary!</p>
<p>I don’t care what the evidence. In our legal system, the way it works is that you are innocent until proven guilty “in a court of law”. Not public opinion. No due to the evidence, Not because your attorney says you did it Not because you admit, And not even if you actually did it.</p>
<p>Amen, sister.</p>
<p><a href=“Drug ring operating in Main Line high schools smashed – Delco Times”>PGT Trucking Inc. Announces Opening of New Locations in Phoenix, AZ and Fort Smith, AR – Delco Times;
<p>“…According to the affidavit of probable cause, Scott and Brooks both admitted to police that they were distributing the drugs at area schools and colleges. At least 20 of their customers admitted to having made the purchases. That information, investigators say, was corroborated with text messages of the transactions.”</p>
<p>@Bay I specifically said IF the allegations are true, I reserve the right to judge them here on CC. You make it sound like I have a pitchfork and am camped outside their parents’ homes.</p>
<p>@cptofthehouse, you’re referring to the legal definition of “innocence,” and I don’t see anybody here advocating that these young men be imprisoned without due process. But if their attorney, in an effort to gain leniency for his client, is willing to acknowledge guilt, then I am under no moral obligation whatsoever to give that kid the benefit of the doubt.</p>
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<p>She appeared to be responding to Igloo, who appeared to be doing just that.</p>
<p>Bay, I certainly didn’t say they should be imprisoned without due process. What we were discussing was if this is a big deal or not. Not anyone’s imprisonment. I think we have enough to form an opinion whether these kids are guilty and whether this is a big deal or not.</p>
<p>It angers me greatly these boys planned to flood area schools with drugs.</p>
<p>Jonri posted a great article about police investigations and whether or not they involved the high schools in them.</p>
<p>It seems the police believe the high schools are more concerned about their images than helping with any investigation that can put their school in the news. Really interesting and brings up all sorts of questions about legal issues between police and schools. Haverford is a prep school with a great deal of money and lots of influential parents and alumni. </p>
<p>The actual image that stands out the most to me right now is the cache of drug stuff on the DA’s table. Semi automatic weapons and ammunition. If this was just guys selling pot (which it wasn’t) why, of why, did they need weapons like these. </p>
<p><a href=“http://www.stltoday.com/news/national/prosecutors-prep-school-graduates-ran-drug-ring/article_a1c76d25-5ddc-5173-9f40-5464717b838a.html”>http://www.stltoday.com/news/national/prosecutors-prep-school-graduates-ran-drug-ring/article_a1c76d25-5ddc-5173-9f40-5464717b838a.html</a></p>
<p>These investigations are always severely hampered because few schools, and fewer parents will fully cooperate. It’s going take time before all of this gets through the courts. I’ve seen cases like this with even more damning evidence ending up plea bargained to something a lot less, and not with the affluence and connections that this case has. </p>
<p>I have no doubt personally, that some of these named in this case were running a drug ring. That they were so systematically doing this is horrifying. But I do try to keep perspective with our legal system at the same time, because I am noting a disturbing trend emerging.</p>
<p>One of the ugliest cases I ever read about with college kids, kids from “nice” homes that got involved in the drug trade occurred in Pittsburgh with Duquesne University. I sort of knew the families so involved from years before that, and what happened there still make my stomach turn. </p>
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<p>“Ratting”? Really? Really???</p>
<p>Well, we know where you are coming from now.</p>
<p>You may want to check with Urban DIctionary for the proper usage of “ratted” vs. “ratting on”.</p>
<p>LOL.</p>
<p>Igloo,</p>
<p>Ok, but when you say that innocent until proven guilty doesn’t apply to certain police evidence , you are sure to get peoples hackles up, at least in this country. </p>
<p>We’ll have to wait and see how this pans out. The judge is said to be no pushover. In 1995, a dentist ran a drug ring. He got caught and is still serving time. Their parents may be influential but other equally influential parents may like to see their kids’ school stay drier.</p>
<p>The photos here just made me chuckle. Note he transformation from mugshot to current photo. This sort of thing is common, BTW. However, in this case, since the photo credit is from Linked In, it’s probable it had more to do with looking for a job. </p>
<p><a href=“Lafayette senior turns himself in in latest arrest in Philadelphia drug ring | Daily Mail Online”>Lafayette senior turns himself in in latest arrest in Philadelphia drug ring | Daily Mail Online;
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<p>That is missing the point.</p>
<p>There seems to be an odd knee jerk reaction from some people here that you can’t have an opinion unless the case has been tried in court. The same thing happened in the thread about the NJ girl suing her parents.</p>
<p>Interestingly you started your sentence with “In our legal system”. No one is disputing that from a LEGAL perspective, that one is innocent until proven guilty.</p>
<p>Some people can have an opinion that something is a duck without requiring a court to rule on paternity, blood test, DNA test.</p>
<p>Looks like one.
Walks like one.
Quacks like one.</p>
<p>Now, one should not imprison said “duck” for being a duck until the court has ruled on the issue.</p>
<p>Sax,</p>
<p>We are a hunting and sport shooting household, and if you laid out our “cache” of weapons on a table, what you see in the picture would pale. </p>
<p>I don’t know why these men (or just one man, or three different men -we don’t know that either), owned those weapons, but I understand that hunting is pretty popular in PA, if I remember correctly, and it is not illegal per se to own those guns as long as they are permitted properly. </p>
<p>Fluffy,
I have no idea what you are talking about and this is the second time you’ve flown into this thread sounding like you just got back from Margaritaville. </p>
<p>Well, it seems the entire “operation” was only just getting started. I think the police did the right thing locking up Scott the minute they searched his apartment. They could not let him to continue with the guns and drugs they found. I don’t think they had enough time after this arrest to really build strong cases against the rest of them which will be in the best interest of those kids involved.</p>
<p>What it might do is get the schools and kids talking about drugs again and the very real consequences of getting involved in them. I swear many of these kids think they are in a darn video game where they can restart the game when things go wrong and start over.</p>
<p>The Pittsburg case sounds aweful, cpt.</p>
<p>Bay. What exactly do you hunt with the guns on that table? Really, I find that laugh out loud funny that you would hunt with those weapons. Is that even legal?</p>
<p>"…a loaded handgun, an AR-15 assault rifle and AR-15 style rifle…"</p>
<p>from jonris last link</p>