The Detroit Free Press reports that the Oakland County (Michigan) District Attorney is filing charges against five Indiana Pacers basketball players and five Detroit Pistons fans for the melee caused at the November 19th game at the Palace at Auburn Hills.

For the athletes and four of the fans, the charges are relatively minor (one or two misdemeanor assault charges each), but if ANY of the athletes go to jail, even for the relatively short maximum of 93 days, it would be a first, and a sorely needed start. As I have opined before, the fans cannot be held solely responsible for the brawl, but the Free-Press article seems to imply that the fans are getting a raw deal. I disagree; I feel that all five of the fans should be permanently banned from any sporting events held at the palace (or any NBA event), and I do mean a lifetime ban. Likewise, the players should be booted from the league (and also the CBA, the minor league affiliated with the NBA). Neither is likely to happen, but that's because of our kinder, gentler legal system.

(Link courtesy of The Volokh Conspiracy.)

posted on December 08, 2004 10:16 PM



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