Good enough, sfts - and I apologize - even though I disagree with you strongly, clearly you are "thinking". But, I think your analogies are exaggerative and inapplicable - i.e., the kid who beats up the bully at the urging of his dad, or the parent that lets his kid ride a bike without helmet ... drastically different circumstances. Terrible judgement such as this, that qualifies as non-self-defense assault against another person, IS a crime. One thing I do somewhat agree with you on - While it would be a far stretch to hold the parents of the kid who threw the ball responsible, I do hold that kid somewhat responsible and some kind of punishment is warranted. But, the weight of responsibility lies with the ADULT who ordered an 8-YEAR-OLD to commit this act. The gist is that this coach's actions are inexcusable - and absent a society where vigilante justice can be limited only to situations where it is clearly justified (who determines that?) - this guy deserves jail time. All in all, yep - we'll just leave it as agree to disagree.
He is a dad that volunteers his time to ostensibly help out kids. He did a really stupid thing. The alleged incident at the T-ball field in North Union Township happened while Downs was free on $3,500 bond in a case in which he was accused of assault, county court records show. Downs was arrested in early June and charged by state police at Belle Vernon with terroristic threats, simple assault and harassment. A 25-year-old woman told police that Downs punched and choked her more than once on June 1 and June 2 at a home in Bitner, Franklin Township. She contacted police on June 3. The woman also told police Downs threatened to kill her while he held a knife. Fayette County Judge Ralph Warman granted a protection-from-abuse order on June 6. Sounds like a great role model for youngsters. Seriously, though, I think it's a bit different than a "bully" picking on another kid. This little kids biggest crime was that he wasn't as good at baseball as some of the others. So the coach has him warm up with the best player on the team, knowing he won't be able to catch balls thrown his way, then the kid takes one off the groin and ear? And one of the things you learn about dealing with 8 and 9 year olds, as either a coach, teacher, etc., is they pretty much do what you, as an adult in charge, tell them to do. I'm a bit shocked the guy got jail time, but I have no problem with it. Jackasses like this who need the glory of winning a little kid T-ball championship, and are stupid enough to do such a ridiculous thing, should be dealt with severely. I also don't think his pending charges, which are in bold above, helped his case, either.
Thats fine, I love being challenged! I agree that I made examples that were different or a little absurd. My point was that there is a continuum of circumstances, and where do you draw the line? I do not argue against quick and severe negative reinforcement of the coach's behavior. I might have suggested psychiatric evaluation or community service or fine or something if they are bringing charges. Clearly this was a case of prosecutorial over imagination and a criminal case being brought where there are not appropriate criminal statutes, but 'corruption of a minor?' I guess everyone was/is trying to do the right thing. Its just weird.
dyams, I don't think you can consider other charges during a trial for something else, but IANAL. I also think you have a different experience with 8 year olds than I do!
Naw, Dyams, the only bully I was referring to was Downs. The 8 year old should not be held accountable without knowing how menacing Downs appeared to him, I don't think. Corruption of a minor is a fitting charge.
mjk, I was referring to sfts2's example of the bully (What do we do with the dad who advises his kid to beat up the bully that is picking on him), not what you spoke of.
Sorry, old chap.
what I do not understand is the mob mentality that thinks that an 8 year old throwing a baseball at another kid is a jailable offense. Are you retarded? You don't think that hitting someone in the head with a baseball is assault? Wake up man. You're right, the kid wasn't seriously injured (thank god), but I'm sure if I hit you or one of your children with a baseball (with the intent of hurting them) you would want to see me do some jail time. What do you consider a "jailable" offense? Murder? Rape? Or are you sympathetic to the situation because you have had similiar thoughts? I hope you stay away from youth sports and children in general.
Hey LA, way to call someone "retarded" in a thread about how we should be treating developmentally disabled kids with the same respect that we treat normal kids. Guh.
Wotta sped.
what I do not understand is the mob mentality that thinks that an 8 year old throwing a baseball at another kid is a jailable offense According to this site, in Pennsylvania a simple assault charge is more serious if the victim is under 12 years old -- it becomes a misdemeanor of the first degree. Corruption of minors is also a misdemeanor of the first degree. It seems to me that Coach Psycho had a bit of bad luck in the fact that his inexcusable action fell into the most serious misdemeanor charge. But when you commit an action that's so obviously wrong, and he did it twice by ordering the player to "hit him harder" after the first time, there's not a violin small enough I can play in sympathy for this guy's sentence.
"I didn't do nothing" He admitted to doing something Double Negitive = Positive
This is disgusting. The thing is the kids actually tried to hurt the kid. My dad would kick my a** if I tried something like that. I hope the coach gets his a** kicked in prison too.
My money is on that his parents are hoping to cash in on the hysteria that this seems to have caused. sfts2, my money is on the kid's parents just praying that their already challenged kid is not going to be set back any further by the act of an unthinking adult. I appreciate many of your comments on this thread, but I cannot believe that you feel the parent of an autistic child would be driven by greed. Were you serious when you said this?
