Donaghy pleads guilty
 

Didn't see a thread yet on this, so....

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2975532

:(

Interesting that he isn't pleading guilty to actually fixing games in any way shape or form. Conspiracy to commit wire fraud? Must be for the way he took his payments and made bets or something. That one makes me curious. The other charge is for giving information out, not for fixing games. I wonder if we'll ever get answers to whether and how he may have affected point spreads or over/unders.

Three things:
1. These are FEDERAL charges, so the government's authority comes under the interstate commerce clause. Hence, you see charges such as wire fraud and transmitting across state lines.

2. The federal prosecutors charge people with what they can PROVE, not necessarily with what they may also be guilty of doing. When they have something clear cut which is going to put someone away, their attitude is that is good enough. Think back to what they finally pinned on Al Capone--tax evasion.

3. This is a plea BARGAIN. So each side is making some concessions here. In return the government is getting a conviction without much work in court, and the individual (and the NBA) is saving some face by picking to exactly which charges he stipulates. Certain words may sound better or worse.
For example, "fixing games" has a very negative connotation, while "wire fraud" is rather mundane.

I see in the news tonite here in NZ that he could get up to 25 years in jail; is it that serious a charge? cheers!

I agree with all three counts. My point, however, is that I don't know that the NBA is going to be able to get much closure out of this plea bargain. Neither of the actual charges is nearly as damaging to the NBA as the allegations that have come out in the press, so it seems there will not be any resolution of the questions that actually give the game a head ache.

25 years for wire fraud. Meanwhile,

"(CNN) -- After spending a total of seven months in custody, the Tennessee woman who fatally shot her preacher husband in the back was released on Tuesday, her lawyer told CNN."

It doesn't have anything to do with this topic, but when I saw the two stories this morning, it seemed wrong to me.

Makes you wonder...

Wait til she gets custody back. :(

that TN story is RARE and an easy target for comparison with the TD story. Toss in Vick's potential plea bargin of less than 1 year of jail time and you've got 3 tough issues to rank.
FYI, TD could get up to 25 years; he won't get nearly that much time. Whether he should or shouldn't, IDK.

Welcome to justice, Canada-style. In a town 550 miles away, an elementary school principal told his mistress he wanted to be with his wife and only his wife. After several threatening e-mails, she stabbed him the groin and he died. She got two years.

Truly, would be surprised if he got more than six months. It is even possible that he will not have to serve any time in jail at all. Afterall, he is not a dangerous person and there is no threat to anyone else by his being out in society.
I expect a hefty fine, a long probation including counseling and medication, travel restrictions, and possibly a monitoring device along with either very little or no time in a federal lockup facility.

I expect that if he doesn't go into witness protection, soon he'll be sleeping with the fishes.

http://www.theage.com.au/ffxImage/ur...sopranos,0.jpg

I'd be comfortable with that.

edited to add: I'm, I was referring to Nevada's post, not Padgett's.

Especially since he made his deal before his 2 buddies and is going to testify against them, if needed.That always lowers the sentencing guidelines.

The worst punishment would be to have him ref Mark's TBA youth ball for five years. He'd have to deal with all those parents..:eek: