Tuesday Morning Open Thread

By Big Tent Democrat, Section Blog Related
Posted on Tue Dec 01, 2009 at 08:52:17 AM EST
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The big crime in the news story for the day is the arrest of Florida Gator defensive star Carlos Dunlap on a DUI charge:

Florida defensive end Carlos Dunlap was arrested at around 3:30 a.m. for driving under the influence after falling asleep at the wheel. Police found Dunlap, 20 -- a key part of Florida's national title push this week against Alabama -- slumped over in his 2000 Chrysler at a complete stop through multiple green-light traffic cycles at the 200 block of Southwest 34th Street, according to the police report. Officers reached into the car to turn off the ignition while the clutch was still in gear and finally awoke a "very groggy" Dunlap, the report states.

Oy. This should end his college football career (he was going to the NFL at the end of the season anyway.) One interesting thing is Dunlap seems to have taken his cues from TalkLeft - never cooperate with the cops:

Dunlap was arrested and eventually booked at 5:52 a.m. after refusing to submit a breath test, according to the report.

This is an Open Thread.

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Tuesday Morning Open Thread | 43 comments (43 topical)

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Legal News (5.00 / 1) (#24)
by jbindc on Tue Dec 01, 2009 at 11:00:04 AM EST

Yesterday, the Supreme Court issued a per curiam opinion that vacated an order by the Second Circuit that would have forced the Pentagon to release photos of detainees abuse by military personnelin Afghanistan and Iraq. The Court directed the lower court to reconsider the case in light of of a new law Congress passed to keep those photos from public disclosure.

Smart move Dunlap.... (none / 0) (#1)
by kdog on Tue Dec 01, 2009 at 09:03:25 AM EST

When it comes time to blow, just say no...while we still have the right to not incriminate ourselves, we might as well use it!

Now if only he was as smart earlier in the evening...I have a lot of sympathy for those who get snared driving just fine at .081...falling asleep at intersections, not so much.

Thank Gawd (none / 0) (#4)
by Big Tent Democrat on Tue Dec 01, 2009 at 09:10:40 AM EST

no one was hurt.

But it is inexcusable.

Meyer has to suspend him from the team.

[ Parent ]

Yeah... (none / 0) (#8)
by kdog on Tue Dec 01, 2009 at 09:23:29 AM EST

even my outlaw lovin' arse has to frown on falling asleep at intersections:)

But whats done is done...hopefully he learned his lesson and gets a good lawyer to minimize the damage to his future.

[ Parent ]

The NFL does not care (none / 0) (#10)
by Big Tent Democrat on Tue Dec 01, 2009 at 09:25:42 AM EST

Never has. His future will be fine football wise.

[ Parent ]

Could cost him a few rounds... (none / 0) (#12)
by kdog on Tue Dec 01, 2009 at 09:34:24 AM EST

in draft position though, and signing bonus.

And ya never know when the commish will amp up his warden act:)

[ Parent ]

: The last line (none / 0) (#15)
by Big Tent Democrat on Tue Dec 01, 2009 at 09:40:08 AM EST

Maybe.
the first line - pish tosh.

[ Parent ]

C'mon, now. Really, you think (none / 0) (#7)
by Cream City on Tue Dec 01, 2009 at 09:21:23 AM EST

this behavior suggests a level of only .081?

[ Parent ]

: Re-read pal... (5.00 / 2) (#9)
by kdog on Tue Dec 01, 2009 at 09:24:25 AM EST

thats not what I said.

[ Parent ]

For a first time offense in CO (none / 0) (#29)
by magster on Tue Dec 01, 2009 at 11:23:55 AM EST

where you consent to the administration of a breath or blood test at the time you get your license, not submitting to a test following an arrest (to be distinguished from the roadside testing used to establish probable cause for an arrest) means a year long revocation of your license versus three month revocation (which can be converted to one month with a conditional permit to drive to work for the next 5 months). First time offenders not involved in a traffic accident rarely get any jail and get a plea bargain to a lesser offense, and the driver's license consequences on employment and general living is the biggest concern to clients. I doubt CO is much different in its implied consent laws than other states. So "when it comes time to blow, just say no" is not necessarily a good mantra.

The Florida Gator may be more likely to beat the rap, but he won't be driving for a while.

[ Parent ]

: More important... (none / 0) (#32)
by kdog on Tue Dec 01, 2009 at 01:13:38 PM EST

to beat the rap, if possible. If the NFL don't work out for him, a DUI conviction can really hurt the job prospects for the rest of your life.

[ Parent ]

Is he really out of the game? (none / 0) (#2)
by Militarytracy on Tue Dec 01, 2009 at 09:08:15 AM EST

I can not imagine (none / 0) (#3)
by Big Tent Democrat on Tue Dec 01, 2009 at 09:09:40 AM EST

how not.

[ Parent ]

In the name of a good game (none / 0) (#5)
by Militarytracy on Tue Dec 01, 2009 at 09:12:45 AM EST

that I have been inspired this past week to watch, this sucks.

[ Parent ]

Some things are more important (5.00 / 2) (#6)
by Big Tent Democrat on Tue Dec 01, 2009 at 09:13:52 AM EST

than a game. Even for me.

He could have killed somebody, including himself.

[ Parent ]

found one of (none / 0) (#13)
by Capt Howdy on Tue Dec 01, 2009 at 09:38:02 AM EST

the pieces of art I "inherited" with a free valuation.

[ Parent ]

: Wow, it's really wonderful (none / 0) (#39)
by Militarytracy on Tue Dec 01, 2009 at 01:45:32 PM EST

Thank you for sharing your new treasure!

[ Parent ]

Then there's (none / 0) (#11)
by Jeralyn on Tue Dec 01, 2009 at 09:29:35 AM EST

Miami lawyer Scott Rothstein who is being charged and pleading guilty to RICO today in an alleged $1 billion Ponzi scheme.

Can you believe that story? (none / 0) (#14)
by Big Tent Democrat on Tue Dec 01, 2009 at 09:39:19 AM EST

Incredible.

[ Parent ]

This picture IS NOT going to help Charlie (none / 0) (#17)
by steviez314 on Tue Dec 01, 2009 at 09:47:30 AM EST

Crist:

Rothstein-Crist

[ Parent ]

: Why? (none / 0) (#21)
by Inspector Gadget on Tue Dec 01, 2009 at 10:45:35 AM EST

The note doesn't say, "where's my cut," does it? Many politicians have photos of themselves with lousy people....doesn't seem to impact anything.

[ Parent ]

Wow (none / 0) (#19)
by andgarden on Tue Dec 01, 2009 at 10:35:28 AM EST

What in the world made him think this would work?

[ Parent ]

Repeating my comment on yesterday's (none / 0) (#16)
by steviez314 on Tue Dec 01, 2009 at 09:42:33 AM EST

open thread:

Sports blog, crime blog....sometimes it's the same thing.

: Yeah... (none / 0) (#18)
by kdog on Tue Dec 01, 2009 at 09:49:34 AM EST

the whole PSL thing really is a crime...some fans of Gang Green put up a "PSL Got to Hell" banner at Sundays game and they sicked security on 'em to take it down.

[ Parent ]

Interesting... (none / 0) (#20)
by kdog on Tue Dec 01, 2009 at 10:44:49 AM EST

reefer as treatment for alcoholism study...link.

Nothing (none / 0) (#22)
by NYShooter on Tue Dec 01, 2009 at 10:52:05 AM EST

better for a hangover,

or, so I'm told:)

[ Parent ]

: You've been told right... (none / 0) (#27)
by kdog on Tue Dec 01, 2009 at 11:13:03 AM EST

except for maybe a Bloody Mary:)

[ Parent ]

You don't have a Sprint phone, do you? (none / 0) (#23)
by scribe on Tue Dec 01, 2009 at 10:52:45 AM EST

'Cause if you do, you should know that Sprint's director of surveillance admitted, on tape, that law enforcement used their new automated web portal to track those phones 8 million times in the 13 months ending October 2009.

That's eight million geo-trackings by law enforcement. On a customer base of 50 million.

: And more, in depth (none / 0) (#26)
by scribe on Tue Dec 01, 2009 at 11:11:10 AM EST

at this post.

[ Parent ]

More legal news for you defense attorneys (none / 0) (#25)
by jbindc on Tue Dec 01, 2009 at 11:03:30 AM EST

Post traumatic stress as a defense in capital cases.

The Supreme Court, in a sign of the times for a nation at war on two fronts, on Monday put defense lawyers on notice that they should be prepared to use evidence of "post-traumatic stress disorder" to try to save accused veterans from the death penalty. Ruling without full briefing or a hearing, and with no dissent noted, the Court apparently overturned the death sentence of a Florida veteran whose "combat service unfortunately left him a traumatized, changed man," as the Court put it in Porter v. McCollum (08-10537), involving Korean war veteran George Porter, Jr. The unsigned opinion can be found here.
"Our Nation has a long tradition of according leniency to veterans in recognition of their service, especially for those who fought on the front lines as Porter did," the opinion said. "The relevance of Porter's extensive combat experience is not only that he served honorably under extreme hardship and gruesome conditions, but also that the jury might find mitigating the intense stress and mental and emotional toll that combat took on Porter."

Am I the only one who wants to call (none / 0) (#28)
by jimakaPPJ on Tue Dec 01, 2009 at 11:18:04 AM EST

uo Glenn Greenwald and tell him that Bush was a fighter pilot.... Glenn seems to have been asleep through a large part of the Bush years...

Yet oddly enough (none / 0) (#30)
by jbindc on Tue Dec 01, 2009 at 12:16:43 PM EST

No one remembers serving with him or Georgie ever being around base....

[ Parent ]

G H W Bush or GWB? (5.00 / 1) (#31)
by Inspector Gadget on Tue Dec 01, 2009 at 01:02:45 PM EST

n/t

[ Parent ]

: Uh, the current (none / 0) (#34)
by jimakaPPJ on Tue Dec 01, 2009 at 01:24:13 PM EST

one is also known as W.

[ Parent ]

I assume you are snarking at the (none / 0) (#33)
by jimakaPPJ on Tue Dec 01, 2009 at 01:23:12 PM EST

Left wing Demos.

[ Parent ]

No really (none / 0) (#35)
by jbindc on Tue Dec 01, 2009 at 01:25:42 PM EST

You know - the whole thing about him being at the base in Alabama, where no records exist of him being there or fulfilling his time (techincally making him AWOL).

GHWB WAS a fighter pilot. GWB played at one.

[ Parent ]

Perhaps you were asleep with Glennwald but (none / 0) (#40)
by jimakaPPJ on Tue Dec 01, 2009 at 02:06:35 PM EST

pay records proved otherwise.

And they don't just send you a set of wings and say you are qualified to fly a jet fighter.

[ Parent ]

Well (none / 0) (#41)
by jbindc on Tue Dec 01, 2009 at 02:39:44 PM EST

It didn't hurt that his father was head of the CIA and an Ambassador to China.

Then there's the issue of missing pay stubs and personnel records....

[ Parent ]

They were found.... (none / 0) (#42)
by jimakaPPJ on Tue Dec 01, 2009 at 02:48:29 PM EST

Paranoia becomes you.

[ Parent ]

: That's funny,coming from the guy (none / 0) (#43)
by Dark Avenger on Wed Dec 02, 2009 at 07:39:47 AM EST

who says that the scary terrorist Muslims are a greater threat than Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan ever were to this country.
They were found....
Indeed:

In a document dated May 2, 1973, Bush's immediate superiors gave him his annual performance review for the period from May 1, 1972 to April 30, 1973. The review stated that "Lt. Bush has not been observed at this unit during the period of the report." Lt. Col. William D. Harris Jr. and Lt. Col. Jerry B. Killian also wrote, "A civilian occupation made it necessary for him to move to Montgomery, Ala. He cleared this base on May 15, 1972 and has been performing equivalent training in a non-flying status with the 187 Tac Recon Gp. Dannelly ANG Base, Alabama."
For May 1973, Bush was paid for service on 1-3, 8-11, 19-20, 22-24, and 29-May 31. For June, he was paid for 5 days; for July (his last month of drilling) for 19 days. As of the end of July, 1973, he had been in the National Guard for a little over five years.
Lawrence Korb, former Assistant Secretary of Defense for President Ronald Reagan, has reviewed the payroll records for Bush's last two years of service, and concluded that they indicate that Bush did not fulfill his obligations and could have been ordered to active duty as a result.[32]
Why does Lawrence Korb hate GWB so much?

[ Parent ]

Rough day... (none / 0) (#36)
by kdog on Tue Dec 01, 2009 at 01:29:18 PM EST

for the law and order scene in NY...NYPD gets the smackdown from Judge Weinstein...and the Westchester County Jail gets the smackdown from the DOJ.

Did I just see a pig fly by my cube as well?

Naw... (none / 0) (#37)
by MileHi Hawkeye on Tue Dec 01, 2009 at 01:32:45 PM EST

...that's just your subconscience letting you know that you're low on Vitamin Bacon.

Either that or a Pink Floyd flashback.

[ Parent ]

: Just checking... (none / 0) (#38)
by kdog on Tue Dec 01, 2009 at 01:41:17 PM EST

usually not that much good stuff to be found in an edition of the Daily News...made it a great lunch hour along with the killer turkey salad on rye with thanksgiving leftovers!

[ Parent ]