Who saw the the video and when did they see it? NFL’s unwanted reckoning of domestic abuse

[Cardinal_Fang]

<p>Are we sure that the Houston grand jury ever got the case? You’d think the Houston prosecutor’s office would realize that the case needed to go to a different jurisdiction before starting to bring it to a grand jury.</p>

[GMTplus7]

<p>

There is this type of violence in every field. Men are not typically fired over it. Should they be?

</p>

<p>Wife beaters who work in the back room as an engineer for GE do not have 8-figure sponsorship deals. </p>

[Lergnom]

<p>Fang, states differ in how they issue indictments and act on complaints. Where I learned, you were indicted on information or by Grand Jury but mostly the former. That meant a prosecutor would sit in a room and go over the testimony of arresting and investigating officers and decide the charges. The defendant would be arraigned on those charges and then a preliminary hearing would decide if there was probable cause to believe (1) if a crime had been committed, (2) with the jurisdiction of the court and (3) by this person. The Grand Jury does these steps on their own. In an information indictment state, Grand Juries are usually more investigative bodies set up by prosectors. </p>

<p>But many states indict by Grand Jury. They have standing ones that review complaints and issue charges. When the case was referred to Houston from MN, it would have gone to a Grand Jury for review. I gather they decided it was out of jurisdiction. In Texas, a jurisdiction has multiple Grand Juries sitting at one time so there’s coverage all business days. </p>

[Cardinal_Fang]

<p>Thanks, Lergnom. In any case, the Houston people didn’t “refuse to indict” in any exculpatory way. They merely decided to refer the case to the correct jurisdiction, where the people who examined the evidence decided to indict.</p>

[LakeWashington]

<p>Vikings announced earlier today that Peterson henceforth would be permitted to play. I’ll guess that they took a look at the 49er situation and felt that this decision gives them “safety in numbers.”</p>

<p>I did see the photos of Peterson’s son this morning. Awful. Cuts, welts, bruises and probably scars to come. What the devil was he thinking? I can’t imagine that such injuries are permissible under Texas law.</p>

[GMTplus7]

<p>This is a FOUR year old child that Peterson did this to:
<a href=“http://thefederalistpapers.integratedmarket.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/0912-adrian-peterson-son-injuries-5.jpg”>http://thefederalistpapers.integratedmarket.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/0912-adrian-peterson-son-injuries-5.jpg&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

[TatinG]

<p>Is violent behavior especially prevalent in the NFL? I don’t follow football at all, but I’ve never heard of anything like it in the sport I do follow, tennis. If Roger beat up Mirka, his millions of fans would drop him like a hot rock, but I cannot even imagine such a thing happening. Are violent people drawn to a violent sport or does the violent sport beget domestic violence?</p>

[alwaysamom]

<p>I heard a story out this morning about him hitting another child, also a four year old who has a different mother than the child in the current story, while he was visiting Peterson in Texas. The child was hit in the face and ended up with lacerations over his eye that resulted in a scar. Sickening.</p>

[LakeWashington]

<p>From what the news reports say and from what Peterson himself has said, it’s clear that this guy is no ordinary parent. And I don’t mean the good kind. What I really want to hear now are the circumstances of the police/investigators’ actions and inaction regarding this earlier case.</p>

<p>And, if this is not the first instance of severe punishment from Peterson (which we know it isn’t), then the mothers of these kids knew this guy’s tendencies. Where were THEY?</p>

[greenwitch]

<p>Radisson has pulled it’s sponsorship of the Vikings.</p>

<p>

In a statement Monday, Minnetonka-based Radisson said it “takes this matter very seriously particularly in light of our long-standing commitment to the protection of children.” Radisson says it’s suspending its limited sponsorship of the Vikings “while we evaluate the facts and circumstances.”

</p>

<p>and the Vikings responded:</p>

<p>

“I understand that this is a very difficult thing to handle,” Vikings general manager Rick Spielman said. "But we also feel strongly as an organization that this is disciplining a child. Whether it’s an abusive situation or not, or whether he went too far disciplining, we feel very strongly that that is the court’s decision to make,

</p>

<p>Meanwhile former player Sugita accused them of giving Peterson special treatment because of his star status considering that in the past the Vikings have more severely disciplined or even cut players who were charged with domestic violence or assault.</p>

<p><a href=“Why Radisson hotel pulled its Minnesota Vikings sponsorship - CSMonitor.com”>http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Latest-News-Wires/2014/0916/Why-Radisson-hotel-pulled-its-Minnesota-Vikings-sponsorship&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

[Youdon_tsay]

<p>Nevermind</p>

[LasMa]

<p>Worse yet, Anheuser Busch has fired a shot across the NLF’s bow:</p>

<p>

This has always been the NFL’s biggest fear. It can weather some bad publicity; it’s been doing that for years with the concussion crisis.</p>

<p>But when a major sponsor starts calling the NFL’s “moral code” into question, it gives other companies license to do the same. And if the corporate good will starts drying up so, too, will the owners’ patience. The NFL is a more than $9 billion-per-year cash cow, and owners will protect that at all costs.</p>

<p>Even if it means sacrificing Commissioner Roger Goodell.

</p>

<p><a href=“Armour: NFL should be rattled by Budweiser statement”>http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2014/09/16/anheuser-busch-sponsor-statement-nfl-ray-rice-greg-hardy-adrian-peterson/15728397/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

[Cardinal_Fang]

<p>Goodell should be gone, and will soon be gone. But I predict the rapists, wife beaters and child beaters will remain in the league.</p>

<p>Notice what Minnesota said about Adrian Peterson: They want to “come to the most effective conclusions…” And it’s pretty obvious what conclusions they came to: he is their best player, and without him they lost their last game. A preschooler beaten so the welts are still visible a week later-- that’s just “discipline”.</p>

[GMTplus7]

<p>

“But we also feel strongly as an organization that this is disciplining a child”

If Peterson would “discipline” a 4-year old child like this over a videogame squabble, it boggles the mind to think how he would discipline the child for something serious.</p>

<p>Are u aware of the buzz about replacing Goodell w Condoleezza Rice?</p>

[razorsharp]

<p>Good for Radisson hotels.</p>

[greenwitch]

<p>The quote by Anheuser-Busch:</p>

<p>

“We are disappointed and increasingly concerned by the recent incidents that have overshadowed this NFL season. We are not yet satisfied with the league’s handling of behaviors that so clearly go against our own company culture and moral code,” Anheuser-Busch said in a statement to USA TODAY Sports.</p>

<p>“We have shared our concerns and expectations with the league.”

</p>

[rom828]

<p>Condi Rice has said for many many years that NFL Commissioner is her dream job. </p>

[LasMa]

<p>What a profile in courage the Vikings have been for the last week!</p>

<ul>
<li><p>Peterson indicted the same week the Rice situation blows up --> “We cannot and will not tolerate domestic violence! Peterson is suspended.”</p></li>
<li><p>Vikings lose without Peterson --> “We must allow Peterson his due process rights! Peterson is reinstated and will play on Sunday.” (ignoring the fact that there is no constitutional right to play professional football)</p></li>
<li><p>Radisson suspends sponsorship --> “We cannot and will not tolerate domestic violence! Peterson is suspended indefinitely.”</p></li>
</ul>

<p>Just transparently, utterly, despicably craven. Someone needs to buy the Vikings, and the NFL, a moral compass. It would prevent a lot of U-turns.</p>

[Hunt]

<p>When beer merchants start questioning your moral code, you’ve got a problem.</p>

[LakeWashington]

<p>Hunt, that’s it!!! Burp! LOL</p>