Shooter: Gophers AD weighing 'consequences' of Trevor Mbakwe decision

[Bob_Loblaw]

Like skipping town after the assault occurred?

You are kidding right? This isn't the 1800's, Trevor can't simply ride his horse out of town to flee from the sheriff, especially when you are a 4star athlete who will be playing games on national TV. You don't attempt to evade authorities by joining a Big 10 basketball team and keeping your case in the news. If Trevor quit the team, how often do you think this case would be in the news?

I am not going to pretend to have any idea about TM's guilt or innocence. I will say that if Maturi has any question as to the kid's innocence, he should not be on this team. "Innocent until Proven Guilty" is a right you have in the court of law, not a right you have when determining whether the state tax payers should pay for your education. If he has any questions, he should let TM continue to practice and not play. If he is found guilty, he is off the team. If he is not, then you can use this season as a redshirt season, and he will be playing next season.

As for the poster who was questioning why a defense atty would want to push back a trial, well it is a standard trial tactic that all defense attornies would use in this circumstance. First, there is virtually no chance that there is evidence floating around that hasn't been collected that the DA could obtain between the original trial date and the delayed trial date. All of the physical evidence (DNA, bruises, etc.) would have been collected immedietly, and any witness testimony would seem really fishy if it hadn't already come forward. Therefore, the delay would not hurt the defense in terms of additional evidence. However, the delay could really hurt the prosecution because it puts a strain on the victim/witnesses. The delay does not allow the victim to simply go on with her life, there have been many cases like these, when the victim calls the DA and says "this is too much for me, I need to get on with my life, I am not going to testify". Furthermore, it also makes memmories more blurry for witnesses and the victim (especially eye witness testimony). Additionally, if the guy gets found guilty, the delay kept him out of prison for awhile longer.

 

[Plinnius]

This isn't the 1800's, Trevor can't simply ride his horse out of town to flee from the sheriff, especially when you are a 4star athlete who will be playing games on national TV. You don't attempt to evade authorities by joining a Big 10 basketball team and keeping your case in the news.

He hadn't yet joined the team when he was finally arrested.

 

[Bob_Loblaw]

Ok, here is a Logic 101 class for you...

Your whole little schtick is that you are trying to be clever, and suggest that his move to MN is indicitive of guilt becase he moved away from the authorities, he rode on outta town Billy the Kid style.
I said, "You don't attempt to evade authorities by joining a Big 10 basketball team and keeping your case in the news."
Wouldn't you have guessed that his plans were to move to MN and join the Gopher basketball team?

If he had hopped a flight to Canada or Mexico, you would have a point. However, hopping a flight to Minnesota, where everyone knew he would be going, where he was PLANNING on playing basketball on TV, and being covered in newspapers doesn't seem like a move by someone trying to evade attention or authorities.

So answer it, do you think Mbakwe moved to Minnesota (after signing his LOI here, being from here, and probably being more "famous" in MN than he is anywhere else in the world) to evade authorites or attention?

 

[MRJ]

Ok, here is a Logic 101 class for you...

Your whole little schtick is that you are trying to be clever, and suggest that his move to MN is indicitive of guilt becase he moved away from the authorities, he rode on outta town Billy the Kid style.
I said, "You don't attempt to evade authorities by joining a Big 10 basketball team and keeping your case in the news."
Wouldn't you have guessed that his plans were to move to MN and join the Gopher basketball team?

If he had hopped a flight to Canada or Mexico, you would have a point. However, hopping a flight to Minnesota, where everyone knew he would be going, where he was PLANNING on playing basketball on TV, and being covered in newspapers doesn't seem like a move by someone trying to evade attention or authorities.

So answer it, do you think Mbakwe moved to Minnesota (after signing his LOI here, being from here, and probably being more "famous" in MN than he is anywhere else in the world) to evade authorites or attention?

Agree with you on this one. Why would somebody who is guilty run to a state where he already has connections and is planning on attending school while playing basketball at a Big Ten program and thus, would be pretty recognizable even before he joined the team? It could have been simply taking care of some odds and ends in Minnesota before coming back to attend the U and also join the basketball team. In either case, I don't consider heading to Minnesota for a few days "running," especially since when he returned to Miami, he voluntarily surrendered to the authorities.

Of course, we won't know for certain until the case goes to trial. But I don't think heading to Minnesota constitutes an indication of guilt one way or the other.

 

[borninthebarn]

He hadn't yet joined the team when he was finally arrested.

Out of curiosity - where are you getting the dates of all this happening? I have not been able to find any timelines or details of the case.

I've heard various things on both sides - he left town right after, etc.. but also that the "bicycle bandit" type attacks have continued in that area since the incident in question and that his witnesses will provide an alibi that puts him somewhere else.

I have no idea as to the truth of these "facts" and would be curious to know the sources for them.

 

[Ogee Ogilthorpe]

Hate to be cynical, but...

First off, I think Trevor should play. Maturi by most accounts is an upstanding, ethical, good moral compass guy from the Iron Range. I'm sure he has MORE information on this situation than any of us could possibly imagine. If there was something of significance, I don't think we'd even be talking about this, he would be off the team.

By cynical, I mean..... Has it occurred to anybody that the lengthy delay in coming to a decision could at least be in part an effort to portray the appearance that the decision is not being taken lightly, lots of deliberation, etc. when perhaps he made up his mind weeks ago when he had all the information? I'm just throwing it out there.... I'm sure it would have looked like it was being swept under the rug if Maturi made the call in relatively short order that TM was going to play. Why not drag it out, make it look like it's an excruciating decision?

Hey, I warned you that it was a cynical perspective.

I also agree to some extent with the poster who said why make a decision until he has to. Probably good advice.

Like I said, I know virtually nothing about the situation (nor do any of us) but I DO KNOW that the key players in all of this DO HAVE all the information and it's still looking likely that he'll play. That tells me that, right or wrong, truly guilty or not guilty, there just isn't a whole lot of substance behind the charges/accusations.