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Donte Stallworth: How Much Is a Life Worth?
Published: June 17, 2009
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Browns wide receiver Donte Stallworth was recently handed his sentence for his DUI manslaughter case, in which he killed 59-yearold Mario Reyes. When it was first in the news, his NFL career seemed to be in jeopardy, to say the bare minimum. At least 10 plus years of jail time, along with heavy fines, through both the NFL and the victims family.
Before I give out the details of his plea agreement, I want to say a personal something to his attorney. If I ever get into any sort of mess, I will travel as far as I can for you to defend me. And a shorter message to the judge who laid down the “butterfly landing on your shoulder” sentence to Stallworth…really?
Thirty days in jail, two years under house arrest, and eight years of probation along with a lifetime driver’s license suspension. Another swing and a miss sentence by the U.S judiciary system involving sports. That sounds more like a sentence for a repeat DUI, not of a murder. With that sort of extreme leniency, was it really even worth it to punish Stallworth at all?
It is unfortunate stories involving Sammy Sosa’s positive PED test and whether or not Brett Favre is returning to the football field are overshadowing stories like this. Do ESPN and other media outlets just hope to keep this story under wraps for a while, and keep their fingers crossed it will blow over soon?
In that case, I do sincerely apologize, but when it comes to murder by a public figure, I feel that might be something the public should know more about. I am sure most have already forgotten about the tragic accident of Nick Adenhart. However, I hate knowing his killer will be able to see the light of day again. And though Stallworth’s sentencing is nothing compared to what Gallo got, one thing remains consistent between the two: they both have their lives, something their victims lost.
It is no surprise athletes get special treatment. You know it, I know it, and really, we as fans don’t care because they are our entertainment. We pay to watch them play, and we love every second of it.
However, when it comes down to the laws, no one should get special privileges. To give Stallworth only 30 days in prison is not doing any justice, because had those roles been reversed and Stallworth was the one killed that day, Reyes would very likely be surrounded by concrete for the rest of his life.
