Stringer Bell

December 22nd, 2016 at 3:09 PM ^

If the coaches don't play him at all then that's sending the message that they believe he's guilty. Until all the facts are known, I don't think it's fair to say that the coaches should've taken away a significant portion of his college playing career and cause significant damage to his reputation because he's suspected of doing something that in reality he may not have done. Obviously if he's found guilty he should be kicked off the team.

Joined: 11/06/2014

MGoPoints: 52911

PutInPeters18

December 22nd, 2016 at 3:19 PM ^

its also very easy to file a false Title IX accusation against someone, as there is no reprucssion for doing such. Seen a couple of friends have to go through that sort of thing in college. Like it can literally be as simple as trying to push "his word vs mine" type of claim when it didnt even occur. So if the coaches talked to Perry about it, which they obviously had to, then I believe that they'd do what they felt the situation warranted.

Joined: 12/27/2014

MGoPoints: 508

Whole Milk

December 22nd, 2016 at 3:58 PM ^

But he was in the doghouse and/or suspended for a portion of the season because of this. If they were willing to discipline him based on the facts at hand, why would that change without him being cleared? 

I am certainly in the camp that Harbaugh and staff are better than the scumbag coaches out there who will do anything to win. I do think he has a no-tolerance philosophy for actions like this (although using the LTT example is flawed, it was a felony after all), but the excuse of him waiting for the facts to come out is unjustified because he did discipline him, and did so for only 3 games and then allowed him back. It sends the message that "we think you are guilty, but are going to use the loophole of the legal system to play you against ohio state". Who are you all kidding? If this happened in Columbus or under Dantonio's watch, they would be crucified on this board. 

The other end of the spectrum, which I am certainly hoping for, is that Harbaugh didn't know full details of what happened. If that is the case then the entire situation changes.

Joined: 09/01/2015

MGoPoints: 2257

trustBlue

December 23rd, 2016 at 12:55 AM ^

You seem to have your facts confused, LTT was kicked off the team before he had even been charged and he didnt plead out until 4-5 months later. 

The point remains that we dont know what happened with Perry or what the coaches knew or when, so making any definite judgment as to what the coaches should have done is premature. 

Joined: 04/14/2014

MGoPoints: 8169

BeatIt

December 24th, 2016 at 7:29 AM ^

like his spot on the roster is a civil right. It's a privilege to be on scholarship for a school like Michigan. Or for most D1 schools for that matter. My brother in law got into a scrape in 2010 and when he showed up for his first court appearance they changed the initial charges to a felony. He was out on his own recognizance on the misdemeanor charges. I know because I had to bail him out on the new felony charge which was $5k. I wish I could have seen his face when a corrections officer put cuffs on him as he was waiting for his named to be called, lol. He stole 3 pair of sunglasses and was initially charged with a misdemeanor until they found out the total of the 3 sunglasses was around $1200. Dumbass. He went through so much shit the next year over it because he was from out of state. I think coaches can suspend you for anything they deem a detriment to the team and program. Just my opinion that this seemed like it was handled correctly. Just like coach k waited before he suspended the player for tripping someone.

Joined: 06/11/2016

MGoPoints: 930

m1817

December 22nd, 2016 at 3:36 PM ^

The definition of Fourth Degree Criminal Sexual Conduct under Michigan law is:

  1.     Sexual Contact (intentional touching of intimate parts or clothing covering intimate parts, for the purpose of sexual arousal or gratification) and
  2. One of the following circumstances:
    1. Force or coercion
    2. Victim incapacity
    3. Assailant is employed by department of corrections in which victim is incarcerated

https://sapac.umich.edu/article/189

Joined: 01/15/2011

MGoPoints: 21361

Venom7541

December 22nd, 2016 at 2:59 PM ^

Having been once charge with a felony and everyone acting like I was guilty because of how the news portrayed it before I had my day in court. I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt until proven guilty. He hasn't been convicted of anything yet. I was very well known in my community and it was shocking what people came to my defense and which ones immediately assumed I was guilty without even talking to me. Luckily, my company stood by me until I was able to go to court and get cleared. But the damage to my name never really recovered.

1. I will never fully believe any news article (they completely fabricated my story). It's all about creating stories to make revenue.

2. Until I at least see evidence (I mean complete evidence, not just the part the news shows to support whatever they're saying, but the whole context), I won't condemn anyone.

3. We are supposedly a innocent until proven guilty system, even tho it really doesn't work that way unless you're rich or really well conected. I will not help perpetuate the way we act towards news of anyone as tho they are already guilty anymore.

Joined: 10/06/2016

MGoPoints: 3706

Carpetbagger

December 22nd, 2016 at 3:20 PM ^

I glad/sad to have someone mention what it feels like on the other side of allegations such as these. Although I believe rape and the like should be up there with murder and pedophilia on the crime scale, I also cannot imagine the impotent rage an innocent person must have, being accused of those same crimes.

Not to mention the side effects, monetary and relational.

Joined: 12/31/2010

MGoPoints: 6559

4yearsofhoke

December 22nd, 2016 at 2:37 PM ^

Yeah no idea what happened. I was debating whether or not to post it as it wasn't a LSJ headline (and thought people may have knew about it) or anything and I just somehow saw it browsing (live near lansing). I don't remember hearing anything about it.

 

Also I don't think the media may have known either(says he was arraigned Wed).

Joined: 12/19/2015

MGoPoints: 2256

tasnyder01

December 22nd, 2016 at 3:26 PM ^

It depends where he touched her. At least when I was in school (09-13) touching ANYWHERE can be an offense. So, touching on the arm can be "sexual assault" just like touching boobs, ass, etc. Granted, I was in California, but I'm pretty sure that sexual assault is any touching. It is a pretty odd law (at least, the way we were taught it.) To make it more awkward, a girl under 21 who is above the legal limit (.00, since under 21) cannot legally give consent in Cali. So, anytime we had sex at a party, it could be construed as rape. Not sure that's right, but again, it was what they hammered into us during orientation. In summation, sex crimes are not always so straightforward.

Joined: 10/11/2010

MGoPoints: 4112

Z_Wolverista

December 22nd, 2016 at 10:29 PM ^

This is incorrect. 

In California, as here in the Midwest, sexual assault comprises non-consensual contact of  areas of the body considered "intimate". 

Arms are not considered "intimate". 

The only touching any other part of the body in *might* be considered sexual assault is if it is done with obvious sexual intent (to arouse or self-arouse). The corrupt cop who felt up the leg of the wife of the man he stopped in the movie "Crash" could be an example of this. Still, it'd be difficult to establish or build a case on in court.  

Simple google search, man. Even for legal statutes. Might be a good idea to confirm stuff before putting misinformation out there.

Joined: 01/19/2014

MGoPoints: 2673

ijohnb

December 22nd, 2016 at 3:42 PM ^

can't create the kind of arbitrary mechanism.  You are talking about not only before he was convicted of anything, but before he was charged with anything.  It is not particularly easy to find out what happened in an incident like that right away.  Processing of police/incident reports takes forever, FOIA would probably not even get you anything for at least 2 or 3 weeks.

Essentially, a coach is relying on little more than the word of the player at the earliest stages of an investigation.  Believe it or not, the police are not going to sit down for a breezy Q and A with Harbaugh about what did or did not happen.  A two game suspension is not nothing.  He was suspended based on what was likely a self-report that something took place and he probably legitimately did not know whether he would be charged at that point.

I think you can search for ways to impune the staff for their handling of this but I don't think there is anything there.  He was suspended for disciplinary reasons based on the information they had.  He was not charged and returned to action.  Now he is charged and is indefinitely suspended. 

It sounds textbook to me, really.

Joined: 09/21/2009

MGoPoints: 69986