Moderators: Domejandro, Worm Guts, Calinks
IceManBK1 wrote:Hmm maybe sign markieff Morris as a precaution if we can.. Or make a small trade for Stanley Johnson who just got traded to Jazz from Lakers. He's a decent backup 3D guy.
winforlose wrote:
Confirmation plus whole story.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.si.com/fannation/bringmethesports/.amp/timberwolves/taurean-prince-arrest-warrant-was-for-thc-oil-marijuana-possession
I am a little concerned they could add weapon charges for being in possession of handguns while having THC oil and less than 2 ounces of Marijuana. But honestly I expect the whole thing to be settled with a fine and promise not to sue for the national media attention and designation of illegal drugs absent context.
packforfreedom wrote:winforlose wrote:
Confirmation plus whole story.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.si.com/fannation/bringmethesports/.amp/timberwolves/taurean-prince-arrest-warrant-was-for-thc-oil-marijuana-possession
I am a little concerned they could add weapon charges for being in possession of handguns while having THC oil and less than 2 ounces of Marijuana. But honestly I expect the whole thing to be settled with a fine and promise not to sue for the national media attention and designation of illegal drugs absent context.
he's the legal owener of he guns but apparently they become illegal because he had traces of weed with him. such a **** law.
Paradise wrote:Nets fan here. I genuinely loved Prince with the Nets and he’s kept relationships with all of his teammates before and after the Harden trade. I remember reading how emotional and upset he was leaving the bonds he created here behind with local staff. He’s a tremendous community advocate. This all stems from Texas punishing civilians over THC in substances which is ridiculous to consider it a “dangerous drug”. I think anyone realistically can understand the necessary need to protect your family and kids today which is what most Texas can do with registered firearm.
Out here in NYC, wish we could protect ourselves legally like Texas. It’s bad enough we’re accepting Texas refugees and ruining our own people’s ability to get affordable housing over newcomers. It’s a hypocritical world and he shouldn’t be penalized for that.
He’s never ran into any turmoil or issues with the Nets or Hawks. I know he’s a good guy in a team locker room to have. I hope Wolves fans don’t turn on him based on the bad press this created.
I certainly hope the Minnesota front office doesn’t penalize him further for this because it’s certainly a ridiculous contradiction. I’m rooting for him to be a starter on the Wolves. I do wish we never had to trade him for Harden. I wish him, his family and T-Wolves the best this season.
Paradise wrote:Nets fan here. I genuinely loved Prince with the Nets and he’s kept relationships with all of his teammates before and after the Harden trade. I remember reading how emotional and upset he was leaving the bonds he created here behind with local staff. He’s a tremendous community advocate. This all stems from Texas punishing civilians over THC in substances which is ridiculous to consider it a “dangerous drug”. I think anyone realistically can understand the necessary need to protect your family and kids today which is what most Texas can do with registered firearm.
He’s never ran into any turmoil or issues with the Nets or Hawks. I know he’s a good guy in a team locker room to have. I hope Wolves fans don’t turn on him based on the bad press this created.
I certainly hope the Minnesota front office doesn’t penalize him further for this because it’s certainly a ridiculous contradiction. I’m rooting for him to be a starter on the Wolves. I do wish we never had to trade him for Harden. I wish him, his family and T-Wolves the best this season.
Out here in NYC, wish we could protect ourselves legally like Texas. It’s bad enough we’re accepting Texas refugees and ruining our own people’s ability to get affordable housing over newcomers. It’s a hypocritical world and he shouldn’t be penalized for that.
younggunsmn wrote:Paradise wrote:Nets fan here. I genuinely loved Prince with the Nets and he’s kept relationships with all of his teammates before and after the Harden trade. I remember reading how emotional and upset he was leaving the bonds he created here behind with local staff. He’s a tremendous community advocate. This all stems from Texas punishing civilians over THC in substances which is ridiculous to consider it a “dangerous drug”. I think anyone realistically can understand the necessary need to protect your family and kids today which is what most Texas can do with registered firearm.
He’s never ran into any turmoil or issues with the Nets or Hawks. I know he’s a good guy in a team locker room to have. I hope Wolves fans don’t turn on him based on the bad press this created.
I certainly hope the Minnesota front office doesn’t penalize him further for this because it’s certainly a ridiculous contradiction. I’m rooting for him to be a starter on the Wolves. I do wish we never had to trade him for Harden. I wish him, his family and T-Wolves the best this season.Out here in NYC, wish we could protect ourselves legally like Texas. It’s bad enough we’re accepting Texas refugees and ruining our own people’s ability to get affordable housing over newcomers. It’s a hypocritical world and he shouldn’t be penalized for that.
You have one state that allows gives its citizens a ton of latitude to defend themselves and their families, yet prides itself on a very vigorous interpretation and enforcement of the law.
You have another state that allows its citizens almost no latitude to defend themselves and their families, yet freely lets criminals loot pharmacies and do hard drugs on the street in broad daylight, and does not even hold most of the people they do arrest.
It's quite a contradiction, but I know which state I'd rather live in.
The people of Texas have been supporting and assimilating these "refugees" for decades. In the last ~20 months I've seen reports of 5 million across the southern border. So now Texas is busing them to cities where people support the border policy creating the crisis so they get a little taste of the reality they are creating for Texas.
Bottom line, you have to know the laws of the city/state/country you are in, especially if you are smokin the electric lettuce (even more apt term if vapin it). Like Britney Griner trying to pass weed through a Russian airport. What are you thinking?
A cynic would say maybe weed had eroded that very necessary mental faculty.
The THC oil is going to be the big issue. It's a controlled substance in Texas because it can be 4-5 times more potent than regular weed, which also does make it much more dangerous if driving while high.
There is no misdemeanor that can be plead down to, the lowest statute for that charge is a felony.
So it's either going to be a felony or dropped. If it were Houston or Austin or someplace very liberal I could see it dropped.
Arlington area, I doubt it. It's all going to come down to the prosecutor. And this is Texas and some bit rotation player, I don't think they are at all afraid of a media circus. If it were Luka Doncic or a high profile player, maybe a different story.
That they spent the money and effort to send the THC oil in that vape pen to a lab and then issued a felony warrant tells me they aren't real interested in backing down.
It doesn't matter if he were stopped for expired plates, they do not need much for probable cause to search the vehicle.
The odor of marijuana is enough.
The expired plates actually help the prosecution because although seemingly trivial, they do establish a decidedly valid legal reason for the initial stop.
Unless there was some glaring error in procedure by the cops I don't see a clear way of lawyering out of it.
The libertarian in me says people should be able to do what they want in their own home, even if that activity is harmful to them.
Once you are out driving on public roads you have a responsibility to your fellow citizens. What was going on here?
Was he high while he was driving?
It's an open secret a significant percentage of NBA players smoke weed. cough russell cough.
Thankfully its a 15-20 mpg easily replaceable player who got caught and not a big star.
1. If he was high or there was a reasonable suspicion of impairment, they would have taken a blood sample and charged DUI. This is not in any document or report I have seen, it isn’t even a rumor at this point. Therefore, your theory he was high behind the wheel is unsupported conjecture.
2. The stop MAY have been valid, (great argument for DWB if the ticket log of that officer doesn’t have a lot of white people pulled over for the same offense,) but the search was another matter. The Marijuana was in a sealed container and did not smell. The search didn’t begin as a search but rather securing his fire arms. Once inside the vehicle to retrieve the guns they found the pen which gave probable cause to discover the weed. A smart lawyer will say that the discovery of the pen is inadmissible as there was no probable cause to investigate the vehicle beyond securing the weapons, and no immediate way for the officer to determine the pen contained THC oil. Texas loves guns, and arguing that having them (exercising your 2nd amendment rights,) waives your 4th amendment rights against the vehicle search is gonna establish a precedent that any gun owner can have their vehicle searched any time they have guns in the car and are pulled over. Good luck to any DA running for re-election getting tagged as anti gun.
3. In drug related crimes the amount matters. Having less than 1 ounce of THC makes it the lowest possible grade. The DA’s office is gonna prosecute an NBA player on a questionable search for less than an ounce of THC when the player was in town for charity purposes? I doubt it. Moreover, I question whether the league gets involved if no felony conviction takes place.
4. I could launch into an argument against your immigration position, but what’s the point. I doubt you will care about anything I have to say. Numbers won’t matter, facts won’t matter, because truth often gets in the way of a good story. The same President who said build the wall, hires the illegal immigrants and exploits their illegal status on everything from construction to domestic labor. At least research the economics before taking a position
younggunsmn wrote:1. If he was high or there was a reasonable suspicion of impairment, they would have taken a blood sample and charged DUI. This is not in any document or report I have seen, it isn’t even a rumor at this point. Therefore, your theory he was high behind the wheel is unsupported conjecture.
2. The stop MAY have been valid, (great argument for DWB if the ticket log of that officer doesn’t have a lot of white people pulled over for the same offense,) but the search was another matter. The Marijuana was in a sealed container and did not smell. The search didn’t begin as a search but rather securing his fire arms. Once inside the vehicle to retrieve the guns they found the pen which gave probable cause to discover the weed. A smart lawyer will say that the discovery of the pen is inadmissible as there was no probable cause to investigate the vehicle beyond securing the weapons, and no immediate way for the officer to determine the pen contained THC oil. Texas loves guns, and arguing that having them (exercising your 2nd amendment rights,) waives your 4th amendment rights against the vehicle search is gonna establish a precedent that any gun owner can have their vehicle searched any time they have guns in the car and are pulled over. Good luck to any DA running for re-election getting tagged as anti gun.
3. In drug related crimes the amount matters. Having less than 1 ounce of THC makes it the lowest possible grade. The DA’s office is gonna prosecute an NBA player on a questionable search for less than an ounce of THC when the player was in town for charity purposes? I doubt it. Moreover, I question whether the league gets involved if no felony conviction takes place.
4. I could launch into an argument against your immigration position, but what’s the point. I doubt you will care about anything I have to say. Numbers won’t matter, facts won’t matter, because truth often gets in the way of a good story. The same President who said build the wall, hires the illegal immigrants and exploits their illegal status on everything from construction to domestic labor. At least research the economics before taking a position
1. The impairment was a question not an accusation, because that part matters to me.
2. Probable cause for a search in a traffic stop is not at all hard to prove.
Your argument involves a chain of logical leaps and some imaginary constitutional crisis.
Taking it to trial is riskier for him than for the DA (but more $ and visibility for his lawyer).
His best chance is if he can get them to let him plea to the small amount of weed and drop the rest and I see this as the best outcome.
But they went to a lot of trouble testing the pen and DA's office is already involved in sending out the warrant.
Would have to look at that law that makes gun possession illegal with weed present.
Would be ok to elevate drug possession charges if guns are present, but other way around is problematic as gun rights becoming conditional is on very thin ice.
3. You are ignoring the lawyer article you cited.
The weed is a misdemeanor but the THC oil is a type 2 controlled substance the charge for the lowest amount of it is a felony.
4. You are right they are exploited, by the left for votes and by big business (who bankroll establishment R's and D's) for cheap labor.
5 years ago people I knew were hysterical everyone was getting deported by the bad orange man.
None of that happened. What did happen?
A return to basic enforcement of existing law, a little bit of wall built, and one major policy change where people were forced to apply for asylum from another country (trumps remain in mexico policy) instead of being allowed into the US and released with the promise to appear in court, essentially turning them into fugitives inside the US (the obama doctrine biden is reviving).
How is this beneficial to the politicians instituting this you ask?
When you can't legally work in this country you are either forced to seek out social welfare programs or find illegal work.
Guess who that benefits? Leftists and big business.
Someone whose legal status is questionable or even legal but not permanent is not going to want to cause problems about pay or working conditions, or go on strike (why do you think meatpacking plants are raided every time union organizers go sniffing around, to instill fear).
The price of labor (your wage) is a supply/demand relationship where your job security and ability to ask for a raise is tied directly to your employers perceived ability to replace you.
Put simply, If there is a line of people available to replace you, no matter how good you are at your job, your boss is going to laugh at you if you ask for a raise.
Unless you have highly specialized skills (which frankly, most people don't) this is an unavoidable fact of life we have little control over.
No union contract or minimum wage law will change that (funny how quickly 15$ an hour goes from way too much to not nearly enough once the government starts printing money isn't it?)
The powers in this country have been using immigration to spike the supply side of the laborer/labor supply/demand equation for over 100 years now. Keeping the supply of workers high helps keep wages low.
Age demographics in this country are slowing, there is a need for immigrants to fill jobs, more than I would have thought existed pre-covid.
But anarchy (which is what is happening now) does not serve anyone, especially the immigrant.
We should be able to regulate the flow of immigration to maximize employment without harming wages, so that people who come here are truly getting an opportunity and not thrown right back into poverty.
But with no rule of law, when people are political pawns to win elections, that becomes impossible.
More immigrants = automatically better economy is a myth.
Too many unfillable jobs hurts the economy, but so does too many people unable to find work.
immigration is just one variable that can interact with many others, but its interaction with the wage supply/demand metric is the most important, and your wage is only worth what you can buy with it.
The purchasing power we gained during the trump years is getting annihilated by inflation and its going to end badly.
When inflation is 10% why on earth would you give a loan at 5%?
These circumstances can't remain as they are for long.
The question is will things collapse like '08 or are we going to 13% interest rates again like '81.
I'm not interested in a back and forth. I've researched economics more than you can imagine.
My posting style is usually state my piece and move on, and I've deviated far more than I care to.
younggunsmn wrote:You and I clearly have different views on what it takes to get evidence thrown out, especially in Texas.
"Fruit of poison tree" generally involves some kind of negligence or wrongdoing on the part of the cop.
If the contraband is admitted as evidence he is pretty much cooked.
If Prince allowed him to secure his guns, or if the cop simply elected to use his legal right to do so, anything found in that regular process is fair game. If the securing of the guns was illegal, there would then be a problem.
The same way that if you consent to allow a cop into your home anything he sees lying around or smells in the air is fair game.
I vehemently disagree with the racial aspect of your argument and conjecture about the motivations of the officer.
Prince clearly violated the Texas statutes on weed and THC oil.
I expect a plea to the lesser charge and no jail time. We will see how it shakes out.
winforlose wrote:younggunsmn wrote:You and I clearly have different views on what it takes to get evidence thrown out, especially in Texas.
"Fruit of poison tree" generally involves some kind of negligence or wrongdoing on the part of the cop.
If the contraband is admitted as evidence he is pretty much cooked.
If Prince allowed him to secure his guns, or if the cop simply elected to use his legal right to do so, anything found in that regular process is fair game. If the securing of the guns was illegal, there would then be a problem.
The same way that if you consent to allow a cop into your home anything he sees lying around or smells in the air is fair game.
I vehemently disagree with the racial aspect of your argument and conjecture about the motivations of the officer.
Prince clearly violated the Texas statutes on weed and THC oil.
I expect a plea to the lesser charge and no jail time. We will see how it shakes out.
Couple things I want to make clear from the outset. The guns are legally owned and possessed. The Dangerous drug charge was dropped and the Marijuana doesn’t seem to be charged or prosecuted. You can read the various stories to confirm all of this, but it is all based on the available facts. The THC charge is a controlled substance group 2 charge and the weapons become illegal if they are in the vehicle while Prince committed a crime. I think it is really important to establish the facts from the outset.
Your argument about regular process is ill defined. What is regular process in this instance? Moreover, (and this is the question the defense will ask,) how does discovering the vape pen give the officer permission to examine it? Standard operating procedure is to secure the weapons, not examine the contents of the car for other crimes. If he was swerving, now a search for alcohol or drugs makes sense. But expired tags is not probable cause for drug related searches. So how the officer justify examining the pen to determine it had less than 1/100th of ounce of THC oil? If you look into it, there isn’t a distinctive smell like pot, and unless Prince volunteered the contents of the pen, (unlikely since it took three months to test,) then the officer MUST be able to explain his reasoning for taking the pen for testing. I am honestly asking, what is your basis for believing the officer had probable cause?
The racial bias defense can and should be used. I am very confident that the numbers for THC arrests as well as expired tags stops will show a racial bias. Traffic stops like stop and frisk tend to have a profiling element. Also, before you say it, no this is not based on critical race theory, just based on studies to understand the effects of race on the criminal justice process (from initial stop to charging, to sentencing.)
Pleading to a lesser charge might happen if Prince cannot get the evidences tossed (which I think is the likely outcome,) but then the question is what is the lesser charge? THC doesn’t have a misdemeanor equivalent and the amount of THC is already the absolute bottom of the penalty class. Moreover the pot charges won’t work because then they introduce the gun charges as well. Lastly the pot was below the threshold that is prosecuted which is why the pot charges were dismissed. The question then becomes whether prison time is a minimum of this conviction. If no, then Prince could plead guilty, pay a fine, and move on. Of course the NBA would suspend him for being convicted of a felony and he would have a felony conviction on his record. But that is the only likely plea.
TLDR version, the DA has to get the pen admitted (unlikely,) and then brave the ****storm of racial and civil rights counterclaims, all to put an NBA player in jail for four months. This is small potatoes with a big potential for backlash. Never gonna happen.
Edit to add: This article is the one that establishes the Marijuana was found after the pen. That is the key here. You should also read the parts near the end. They talk about the expectations that the charges will be dropped.
https://people.com/sports/minn-timberwolves-taurean-prince-arrested-on-warrant-for-drug-and-gun-related-charges/
SO_MONEY wrote:winforlose wrote:younggunsmn wrote:You and I clearly have different views on what it takes to get evidence thrown out, especially in Texas.
"Fruit of poison tree" generally involves some kind of negligence or wrongdoing on the part of the cop.
If the contraband is admitted as evidence he is pretty much cooked.
If Prince allowed him to secure his guns, or if the cop simply elected to use his legal right to do so, anything found in that regular process is fair game. If the securing of the guns was illegal, there would then be a problem.
The same way that if you consent to allow a cop into your home anything he sees lying around or smells in the air is fair game.
I vehemently disagree with the racial aspect of your argument and conjecture about the motivations of the officer.
Prince clearly violated the Texas statutes on weed and THC oil.
I expect a plea to the lesser charge and no jail time. We will see how it shakes out.
Couple things I want to make clear from the outset. The guns are legally owned and possessed. The Dangerous drug charge was dropped and the Marijuana doesn’t seem to be charged or prosecuted. You can read the various stories to confirm all of this, but it is all based on the available facts. The THC charge is a controlled substance group 2 charge and the weapons become illegal if they are in the vehicle while Prince committed a crime. I think it is really important to establish the facts from the outset.
Your argument about regular process is ill defined. What is regular process in this instance? Moreover, (and this is the question the defense will ask,) how does discovering the vape pen give the officer permission to examine it? Standard operating procedure is to secure the weapons, not examine the contents of the car for other crimes. If he was swerving, now a search for alcohol or drugs makes sense. But expired tags is not probable cause for drug related searches. So how the officer justify examining the pen to determine it had less than 1/100th of ounce of THC oil? If you look into it, there isn’t a distinctive smell like pot, and unless Prince volunteered the contents of the pen, (unlikely since it took three months to test,) then the officer MUST be able to explain his reasoning for taking the pen for testing. I am honestly asking, what is your basis for believing the officer had probable cause?
The racial bias defense can and should be used. I am very confident that the numbers for THC arrests as well as expired tags stops will show a racial bias. Traffic stops like stop and frisk tend to have a profiling element. Also, before you say it, no this is not based on critical race theory, just based on studies to understand the effects of race on the criminal justice process (from initial stop to charging, to sentencing.)
Pleading to a lesser charge might happen if Prince cannot get the evidences tossed (which I think is the likely outcome,) but then the question is what is the lesser charge? THC doesn’t have a misdemeanor equivalent and the amount of THC is already the absolute bottom of the penalty class. Moreover the pot charges won’t work because then they introduce the gun charges as well. Lastly the pot was below the threshold that is prosecuted which is why the pot charges were dismissed. The question then becomes whether prison time is a minimum of this conviction. If no, then Prince could plead guilty, pay a fine, and move on. Of course the NBA would suspend him for being convicted of a felony and he would have a felony conviction on his record. But that is the only likely plea.
TLDR version, the DA has to get the pen admitted (unlikely,) and then brave the ****storm of racial and civil rights counterclaims, all to put an NBA player in jail for four months. This is small potatoes with a big potential for backlash. Never gonna happen.
Edit to add: This article is the one that establishes the Marijuana was found after the pen. That is the key here. You should also read the parts near the end. They talk about the expectations that the charges will be dropped.
https://people.com/sports/minn-timberwolves-taurean-prince-arrested-on-warrant-for-drug-and-gun-related-charges/
A lot of hot legal takes here, but we need more information. Being a part-time resident of Texas I can tell you the firearms laws are taken seriously. And I think this probably comes down to those laws as an educated guess. I would bet that he informed the police of firearms (hand guns) in the car and those firearms were not stored legally... likely in plain view, not in a holster which is a crime in itself and would obviously allow probable cause for a search finding other crimes. The other option is expired tabs are a level of crime to constitute engaging in criminal behavior and the presence of firearms (hand guns) is a crime granting probable cause leading to the other charges. The idea the firearms were legally possessed is NOT obvious or factual without knowing the circumstances. To claim otherwise is probably based more on a perception of Texas and constitutional carry than anything tangible... certainly not the law.
KGdaBom wrote:Prince should face the same legal consequences that anybody else does for the act committed. No more or less based on him being an NBA player or the color of his skin. If he's prosecuted any differently based on him being an NBA player such as the prosecution being afraid of backlash due to him having a measure of fame or the color of his skin that is disturbing. That said I hope those legal consequences are minimal and he can resume his profession shortly.
winforlose wrote:KGdaBom wrote:Prince should face the same legal consequences that anybody else does for the act committed. No more or less based on him being an NBA player or the color of his skin. If he's prosecuted any differently based on him being an NBA player such as the prosecution being afraid of backlash due to him having a measure of fame or the color of his skin that is disturbing. That said I hope those legal consequences are minimal and he can resume his profession shortly.
The question is would Prince have been pulled over on expired registration if he were white? If the officer has a habit of pulling over black people for minor offenses and not white people this matters. Likewise, whether the prosecution of this quantity of drugs is common for white people also matters? If everything is being enforced fairly and without regard to race, then race should not and will not matter. But if not, if race was a factor in the way this all went down, then it should matter, and it is a viable counterclaim. As to his fame, that adds pressure to the DA to get it right.
SO_MONEY wrote:winforlose wrote:KGdaBom wrote:Prince should face the same legal consequences that anybody else does for the act committed. No more or less based on him being an NBA player or the color of his skin. If he's prosecuted any differently based on him being an NBA player such as the prosecution being afraid of backlash due to him having a measure of fame or the color of his skin that is disturbing. That said I hope those legal consequences are minimal and he can resume his profession shortly.
The question is would Prince have been pulled over on expired registration if he were white? If the officer has a habit of pulling over black people for minor offenses and not white people this matters. Likewise, whether the prosecution of this quantity of drugs is common for white people also matters? If everything is being enforced fairly and without regard to race, then race should not and will not matter. But if not, if race was a factor in the way this all went down, then it should matter, and it is a viable counterclaim. As to his fame, that adds pressure to the DA to get it right.
The answer to your question is yes. If you have expired tabs your race doesn't protect you, same as any offence, they can and WILL pull you over. Moreover, a disparity on it's face doesn't equate to a defense on it's own. You also keep dwelling on the drugs and not the firearms... which is far more important.
winforlose wrote:SO_MONEY wrote:winforlose wrote:
Couple things I want to make clear from the outset. The guns are legally owned and possessed. The Dangerous drug charge was dropped and the Marijuana doesn’t seem to be charged or prosecuted. You can read the various stories to confirm all of this, but it is all based on the available facts. The THC charge is a controlled substance group 2 charge and the weapons become illegal if they are in the vehicle while Prince committed a crime. I think it is really important to establish the facts from the outset.
Your argument about regular process is ill defined. What is regular process in this instance? Moreover, (and this is the question the defense will ask,) how does discovering the vape pen give the officer permission to examine it? Standard operating procedure is to secure the weapons, not examine the contents of the car for other crimes. If he was swerving, now a search for alcohol or drugs makes sense. But expired tags is not probable cause for drug related searches. So how the officer justify examining the pen to determine it had less than 1/100th of ounce of THC oil? If you look into it, there isn’t a distinctive smell like pot, and unless Prince volunteered the contents of the pen, (unlikely since it took three months to test,) then the officer MUST be able to explain his reasoning for taking the pen for testing. I am honestly asking, what is your basis for believing the officer had probable cause?
The racial bias defense can and should be used. I am very confident that the numbers for THC arrests as well as expired tags stops will show a racial bias. Traffic stops like stop and frisk tend to have a profiling element. Also, before you say it, no this is not based on critical race theory, just based on studies to understand the effects of race on the criminal justice process (from initial stop to charging, to sentencing.)
Pleading to a lesser charge might happen if Prince cannot get the evidences tossed (which I think is the likely outcome,) but then the question is what is the lesser charge? THC doesn’t have a misdemeanor equivalent and the amount of THC is already the absolute bottom of the penalty class. Moreover the pot charges won’t work because then they introduce the gun charges as well. Lastly the pot was below the threshold that is prosecuted which is why the pot charges were dismissed. The question then becomes whether prison time is a minimum of this conviction. If no, then Prince could plead guilty, pay a fine, and move on. Of course the NBA would suspend him for being convicted of a felony and he would have a felony conviction on his record. But that is the only likely plea.
TLDR version, the DA has to get the pen admitted (unlikely,) and then brave the ****storm of racial and civil rights counterclaims, all to put an NBA player in jail for four months. This is small potatoes with a big potential for backlash. Never gonna happen.
Edit to add: This article is the one that establishes the Marijuana was found after the pen. That is the key here. You should also read the parts near the end. They talk about the expectations that the charges will be dropped.
https://people.com/sports/minn-timberwolves-taurean-prince-arrested-on-warrant-for-drug-and-gun-related-charges/
A lot of hot legal takes here, but we need more information. Being a part-time resident of Texas I can tell you the firearms laws are taken seriously. And I think this probably comes down to those laws as an educated guess. I would bet that he informed the police of firearms (hand guns) in the car and those firearms were not stored legally... likely in plain view, not in a holster which is a crime in itself and would obviously allow probable cause for a search finding other crimes. The other option is expired tabs are a level of crime to constitute engaging in criminal behavior and the presence of firearms (hand guns) is a crime granting probable cause leading to the other charges. The idea the firearms were legally possessed is NOT obvious or factual without knowing the circumstances. To claim otherwise is probably based more on a perception of Texas and constitutional carry than anything tangible... certainly not the law.
No actually. It was based on the information I read and the charges filed. If there were improper handling of weapons charges or any other similar offense they would be in the official statement from either side. This ties back to the DUI thing. In the absence of facts looks to the charges, official statements by the parties, and what actually happened. Please read the article I provided in the edit section. It is fantastic for understanding what happened.
To your other point,I have not lived in Texas, and have no specific opinion of Texas carry laws. Criminal law isn’t even my area in this state, much less Texas. But constitutional law is an area of interest and something I keep up with. 2nd amendment vs 4th amendment is especially interesting these days. The article states the pen was what triggered probable cause. But how did the officer know what was in the pen without first examining it?
This article might also help you understand the events in question.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/taurean-prince-arrest-warrant-was-for-thc-oil-marijuana-possession/ar-AA118Evm
SO_MONEY wrote:winforlose wrote:SO_MONEY wrote:
A lot of hot legal takes here, but we need more information. Being a part-time resident of Texas I can tell you the firearms laws are taken seriously. And I think this probably comes down to those laws as an educated guess. I would bet that he informed the police of firearms (hand guns) in the car and those firearms were not stored legally... likely in plain view, not in a holster which is a crime in itself and would obviously allow probable cause for a search finding other crimes. The other option is expired tabs are a level of crime to constitute engaging in criminal behavior and the presence of firearms (hand guns) is a crime granting probable cause leading to the other charges. The idea the firearms were legally possessed is NOT obvious or factual without knowing the circumstances. To claim otherwise is probably based more on a perception of Texas and constitutional carry than anything tangible... certainly not the law.
No actually. It was based on the information I read and the charges filed. If there were improper handling of weapons charges or any other similar offense they would be in the official statement from either side. This ties back to the DUI thing. In the absence of facts looks to the charges, official statements by the parties, and what actually happened. Please read the article I provided in the edit section. It is fantastic for understanding what happened.
To your other point,I have not lived in Texas, and have no specific opinion of Texas carry laws. Criminal law isn’t even my area in this state, much less Texas. But constitutional law is an area of interest and something I keep up with. 2nd amendment vs 4th amendment is especially interesting these days. The article states the pen was what triggered probable cause. But how did the officer know what was in the pen without first examining it?
This article might also help you understand the events in question.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/taurean-prince-arrest-warrant-was-for-thc-oil-marijuana-possession/ar-AA118Evm
Respectfully if you understood Texas law you would know that some minor traffic offences constitute engaging in criminal behavior that can result in firearms charges if present, the article doesn't specify the vape pen is what triggered the probable cause search and was instead the opinion of the writer who may not be informed of the law and what meets criminal activity... additionally it doesn't address if the firearms were legally possessed as I outlined previously. For anyone in Texas this is recent in our memories because the law changed about a year ago. I provided the two most likely circumstances of why a search was preformed.
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