This morning, I woke up and turned on my T.V. and saw that Jameis Winston had won the Heisman Trophy.  During Winston’s freshman season he had done it all.  He put up great statistics, led his team to the national championship, and did it with a style and smile that excited college football fans.  However, during the season Winston was accused by a Florida woman of sexually assaulting her.  Winston will not be charged because the accuser’s attorney thinks there is not enough evidence to convict him.  This got me to thinking, was there really not enough evidence or does Winston’s status help him get away with this crime? Now, I’m not saying Winston is guilty because everyone in this country is innocent until proven guilty, but the fact is that professional athletes and athletes with Winston’s status tend to get away with such crimes or in many cases, get a lighter penalty.

In 2009, Donte Stallworth of the Cleveland Browns hit and killed a 59-year old man while driving under the influence.  This crime occurred in Florida, where the average penalty for a crime of this magnitude is 10 years of imprisonment. However, Stallworth received a 30-day sentence, $10,000 fine, and was ordered to do 1,000 hours of community service. This penalty is outrageous. In 2007, when Stallworth played with the Patriots, he was one player I really admired.  What kind of message does this send to kids that DUI manslaughter will only get you this kind of penalty?

In 2001, Ruben Patterson of the Seattle SuperSonics pleaded guilty to attempted rape of his child’s nanny.  Patterson’s sentence was 1-year of imprisonment, where the average sentence is 10 years. Patterson was released after just 15 days in prison.  Even though Patterson was not a face of the league or his team, his status of being a professional basketball player had something to do with his light punishment.

While Allen Iverson played and starred at Bethal High School in Virginia, he was involved in a brawl that sentenced him to 5 years in prison.  In the documentary about the trial, one person describes Iverson as, “the gold boy”.  Iverson, because of his status as a high school superstar, was released after only 4 months served in prison.

These players such as Donte Stallworth, Ruben Patterson, and Allen Iverson all deserved harsh sentences.  Instead, because of their status, were given light penalties and let off early. This trend needs to be changed because these people are role models to many children around the world and we are letting them think that these actions are perfectly normal.  Professional athletes need to be treated in court just as a regular citizen would be.