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Ed Graney
Saragosa fails justice system by delaying Mayweather's sentence
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This was Justice of the Peace Melissa Saragosa on Dec. 21: "I think a period of time in incarceration will send the right message to the community and to his children that, no matter who you are, you will have consequences to your actions that are appropriate when this level of violence is inflicted."
I guess she forgot the part about those consequences not meaning much when there is a big fight to stage.
I guess she forgot the part about why she was elected to the bench.
Saragosa on Friday granted a request to allow Floyd Mayweather Jr. to postpone the 90-day jail sentence she handed down after the boxing champion pleaded guilty in a domestic violence case, the one that included statements to police about his children watching him "hitting and kicking" their mother, the one where he reportedly told his sons "he would beat their asses if they left the house or called the police."
Nice.
Mayweather was scheduled to begin his sentence at the Clark County Detention Center on Friday and probably could have been out by March, as long as he didn't cause any problems or get caught tweeting more winning gambling slips (he never tweets his losers) and worked when asked alongside his fellow inmates in protective custody.
But that would have meant postponement of the May 5 date he has reserved at the MGM Grand for his next fight, because even 42-0 boxers need a good eight weeks to prepare to beat the snot out of Robert Guerrero or Saul Alvarez or whoever is next in line for Mayweather's team to assure their guy's record remains perfect.
Saragosa is now allowing Mayweather to report June 1, her reason being that the fighter has contractual obligations to fight on Cinco de Mayo.
How magnanimous of her.
It's true any Mayweather fight helps generate millions of dollars into the Las Vegas community, that such nights fill hotel rooms and restaurants and seats at casino tables. It's also true the Kentucky Derby is May 5 and local businesses are never hurting for patrons that particular weekend. I'm not sure Saragosa knows that, or if it matters.
But what she did Friday is reinforce the perception (reality) that Mayweather receives preferential treatment from the justice system because of his celebrity status and ability to pay attorneys who have more than earned their fees keeping him out of jail.
A judge's job in this case is to enforce the law, not determine what is best for a city's economic bottom line from sporting events. Saragosa made the correct decision in sentencing Mayweather to jail and should have upheld the scheduled reporting date instead of considering fight contracts and their monetary benefit to others.
As important as it might be for Las Vegas that those waitresses and dealers and cabbies and the like earn money on a megafight weekend, such financial issues should have no place in Saragosa's decision to delay a sentence. Once they do, the system appears a sham.
I assume if I pleaded guilty to the same charges as Mayweather and told Saragosa there were a few plane tickets in my name to cover UNLV basketball games the next two months, she would grant a request from my court-appointed attorney (my bank account can't roll with Floyd's choice of representation) for a similar delay.
I also assume you know I laughed my head off writing that last part.
All sorts of people sentenced to jail have jobs and commitments and, I assume, contractual obligations of some kind. Most aren't granted extensions on when to report, and almost all don't have Mayweather's money or entourage of enablers sitting in a courtroom while judges keep supporting that perception (reality).
Saragosa should have glanced one more time at the long list of violence/battery charges and incidents to have involved Mayweather since 2002. She should have stuck with her original reporting date of Friday, not because there aren't larger issues on a judge's daily docket than May 5 or June 1, but because her reasoning strengthened the idea that the entitled boxing champion does and gets what he wants, system be damned.
This was Saragosa on Friday: "Mr. Mayweather has an obligation to this court." But "given the fact that Mr. Mayweather has these obligations, I am going to grant your request."
I wish Mayweather's team would have in the last few weeks set a September date to fight Manny Pacquiao, a night that would arguably earn Las Vegas its largest economic windfall in boxing history. What would Saragosa have said then when "sending the right message to the community?"
Mayweather could report to jail in November ... December .... never?
Hey, he has managed to remain out of it to this point.
The perception (reality) lives on.
Ain't justice grand?
Las Vegas Review-Journal sports columnist Ed Graney can be reached at egraney@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4618. He can be heard from 3 to 5 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday on "Monsters of the Midday," Fox Sports Radio 920 AM. Follow him on Twitter: @edgraney.
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It is rather despicable to offer as serious news commentary an article that includes mindless disparagement of the plight of indigent criminal defendants. In this article Mr. Graney writes: "I assume if I pleaded guilty to the same charges as Mayweather and told Saragosa there were a few plane tickets in my name to cover UNLV basketball games the next two months, she would grant a request from my court-appointed attorney (my bank account can't roll with Floyd's choice of representation) for a similar delay." Mr. Graney is not languishing in poverty and thus would not obtain the legal services of a court appointed attorney if he did "plead guilty to the same charges as Mayweather." Separately, if Mr. Graney could demonstrate to this judge or any other judge with a reasonable degree of empathy, that due to his misdemeanor conviction, he was facing employment termination, the judge would seriously consider a proposal that would jointly accommodate the jail sentence and employment demands in an attempt to avoid his job loss. I suggest that Mr. Graney restrict his focus to determining whether wide receivers as opposed to judges are out of bounds.
This writer must have arrived in Las Vegas last week, straight from Westovershoe, Mississippi. The premise for his argument against the judge's decision, word for word from his article is: "A judge's job in this case is to enforce the law, not determine what is best for a city's economic bottom line from sporting events." First, it is NEVER the job of any judge in any case to "enforce the law." Here in the United States, the "job" of enforcement of the law rests solely with the executive branch of government. The judicial branch is entrusted with the duty of interpretation of the law. Secondly, in furtherance of obtaining reasoned "interpretations" of the law, judges are given discretionary authority. And we should all hope that any judge's application of his or her discretionary authority is fashioned through common sense. And anyone who has even the slightest degree of acumen concerning this community's legitimate priorities, quite understands that the importance of Las Vegas being allowed a world stage for a premier boxing event, is by far and away a greater concern than punishing an otherwise baby in June as opposed to January. While the writer is aware enough to remind that May 5th is also Kentucky Derby day, he obviously has forgotten that the race takes place in Louisville, Kentucky, whereas the Mayweather bout is contested in the heart of Las Vegas, Nevada. Lack of enlightenment is ice thin enough to be skating upon, but Mr. Graney glides right to the center of the pond on a sunny day by trying to deprive his sports reliant job from this event.
Do any of you people know what the minimum sentencing requirements are for a 1st offense domestic violence conviction that most people get? Let me educate you who choose to pass judgment on a subject you obviously know nothing about. 1st offense minimums: $345 fine, 6 months DV counseling, 48 hours community service, 2 days in jail with credit for whatever time you already served. Mayweather's sentence: $1000 fine, 1 year of DV counseling, 100 hours community service, 90 days jail. Hmmm, doesn't quite sound like favoritism to me! How many of you appear in this Judge's courtroom every day? Did you know that even poor people get their jail terms stayed pending other obligations in their lives on a weekly basis in this courtroom? The military solider who is getting deployed, the college student who is away (or local) in the middle of a semester at school, an average citizen who needs to attend a funeral for a close family member. Do any of you realize that, unlike Lindsey Lohan, Mayweather isn't going to get away with not doing any of his sentencing requirements? What's the difference if he does the 90 days now opposed to June? He's going to do it regardless. And if he doesn't comply between now and then, he could do a whole 6 months. Do any of you realize that, even though his jail sentence was postponed, he still has to work on his other sentencing requirements on a weekly basis until his surrender date. Not sure what all of you are frothing about, but I'd suggest you get your facts in order before you start bad mouthing an awesome Judge & the system.
Shame on you, Ed Graney!
It is always about money isn't it? Justice always takes a back row seat to money, especially big money. The big money mongers who want this Mayweather fight to go on have overruled the justice system. Money talks and Bull Sh*t walks. This state is about as corrupt and as crooked as it can get. What payoffs, how much and to whom, and how many were in the works on this deal? Mayweather will eventually go totally free and will never see or serve inside a jail cell.
Great article. What is interesting is that the Nevada State Athletic Commission didn't consider the economic impact of the fight between Antonio Margarito and Manny Pacquiao when they refused to even consider giving Margarito a license, which resulted in that fight being held in Cowyboy Stadium. That fight was supposed to happen in Vegas, everyone wanted it in Vegas. But instead of saying yes or no, the NSAC simply refused to hold a vote. And that opened the door for Jerry Jones to pick off yet another of our events. If anyone should consider economic impact, it should be the NSAC, but they don't. The criminal justice system certainly should not. Vote Saragosa out. She is not fit to judge the masses.
This decision was not the judges to make, it was the decision of the movers and shakers that she has to pander to so she can keep her position and move up in the ladder as all lackeys do. The whole judicial system is a joke, smoke some weed and visit jail, beat yo woman in front of yo childrens and laugh about it at the club the next weekend. I wonder how many of the womens rights groups will contribute to this judges coffer in the future. I know one boxer that will, lol...
does the jurist have any action down on the bout ? is this justice of the peace elected or some cronyism appointee ? mebbe to prove the fidelity of the system, the justice of the peace can sit in the crowbar motel for the entire sentence instead of the criminal. that'd gain respect but require honor.
I wonder how many laws Mayweather or his buddies (Crystal Palace shooting) will break in the next few months. Remember this judge at election time.
Mayweather has been laughing at our Criminal Justice system his entire life. He is a POS and will get his in time, I only hope it comes sooner than later. Your Honor, with no due respect, your an embarrassment.
I hope the citizens of any town or city that is thinking of legalizing gaming looks at this and starts to realize this is the type of "justice" you have when the interests of casinos' are put first and foremost. What is the old legalism this judge has obviously never heard of, but goes something like this: "Justice Delayed is Justice Denied". From what I understand this supposed May 5th fight isn't even finalized and even if it was, does anyone really think Mayweather is going to be doing the whole 90 days? Please, he would have been let out early in plenty of enough time to "train" so he can beat up on a bozo for a big check.