Calif. Judge Orders Rodney King to Jail

[kskiska]

FONTANA, Calif. (AP) - Rodney King, the black motorist whose videotaped beating by police officers sparked the 1992 Los Angeles riots, was ordered Thursday to begin serving a 120-day jail sentence as part of his penalty for driving under the influence.

Judge Mary Fuller gave King, 39, a day to attend to financial and family matters. He was expected to surrender Friday, prosecutors said.

The sentence stemmed from a car crash last year in which police said King sped through a Rialto intersection at more than 100 mph, lost control of his sport utility vehicle and slammed into a power pole. Police said he was under the influence of the drug PCP.

King pleaded guilty and was sentenced Aug. 27 to a three-month alcohol awareness program and six months of drug treatment, followed by four months in jail.

more…
http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-3957123,00.html

[The_Casual_Observer]

1. Can't we just get along?

When are they going to put this guy away. Someplace where he can't hurt anybody.

[truthisfreedom]

2. there's an old saying. walk a mile in my shoes.

i think the mile rodney was forced to walk in the limelight may have changed his shoe size just a smidge.

[progressivebydesign]

4. He had a long record before the big case.. and he keeps going..

.. just because people made him into a celebrity over that fateful night, and just because he got millions out of it, did not change who he was... and still is. A troubled, crime-committing, alcoholic. It's who he was before.. and getting all that notoriety and money did not change him. It's too bad that he continually fucks up..

[Blasphemer]

7. This post saddened me...

Not because of King but because of the sober realization that we have a President who we can pretty much say the exact same thing about. I will say this about Rodney, I have more hope for him getting his act together than I have for the Chimp doing so.

[polazarus]

19. Dude

You may not like the president and his politics (you wouldn't last here if you did) but Rodney King is a straight up thug. He beat his wife, got hooked on PCP, He has now used all of our tax money he got to put up his veins instead of doing something like getting help for his problems.

Now myself included, there are many people on this board with some kind of history with alcoholism, that sought help for thier problem and has stayed sober.

Don't go comparing a sitting president (I do not care who that may be) to some one like Rodney King.
I live out here by fontana and he is always in trouble with the fontana police.

Ban me if you want to for this because I am passionate about helping people with addictions. Rodney has been given enough chances in his life. This is about time this happened. Maybe he will learn.

[treepig]

21. i agree

comparison of "the president" with rodney king is completely unwarranted.

"the president" is a thug of much greater standing, having killed infinitely more people than mr. king, and should be given his due for having done so.

upon further reflection (and editing) a much better comparison would be "the president"'s wife:

One upon a time in 1963, when she was 17, Laura Bush, thinking she was queen of the road, drove through a stop sign in her chevy (because laws don't apply to the rich) and hit another car! The other driver, A BOYFRIEND, (I thought I was a bad girlfriend!), was killed in the collision! Of course a rich white girl gets off scott free - no charges were filed against her.

"It was a terrible, terrible thing," she said. "I know this as an adult, and even more as a parent, it was crushing ... for the family involved and for me as well."

It was really crushing for the guy you crushed with your car Laura! Poor Laura! I bet redecorating the White House will take her mind off of it. AND SHE WAS WITH A DYKE! - Judy Dykes to be exact! The guy she killed was named Michael Douglas, unfortunately not the panty raider we all know and love but he could have been if Laura hadn't killed him!!!

LUCKILY SHE FOUND A NEW BOYFRIEND

http://www.bathroomgirls.com/election/meetthefirstlady.html

[polazarus]

22. In the military we have a saying

You have to respect the rank not the person.

The office of the presidency of this country should be respected even if you do not like the person sitting in the oval office. You name a president, taft,garfield,grant,lincoln,carter,clinton,adams,jefferson,roosevelt... whomever, I respect that office, I may not like the current policies coming from that office but I respect the office.

[treepig]

24. some of us aren't in the military and are actually capable of

independent thought and are not beholden to idol worship - in my books, respect has to be earned and the presidency has been far from an institution worthy of respect, in my lifetime at least.

anyhow, i've never much liked the presidency - i'd much prefer a parliamentary system where the head of state is at marginally accountable.

[polazarus]

26. OK

Let me state it a different way, Dr. Martin Luther King in his infinite wisdom, said that we are to hate the sin not the sinner. It seems that a lot people here are blinded by hatred, some of it in my view is irrational. We need to love our enemies as well as our friends. People may not like what I say all the time and I do not expect them to. But I still love them as a human being. Hate begets hate, violence begets violence. This world is going through tumultuous times and we need to stop hating. Rodney king has his problems and I do not hate him but I do not like what he does(i did call him a thug and I guess I am wrong about that), I would still help him if I knew him.

[Corgigal]

15. Rodney King

has lot of "historical evidence" of beating women and other violent crimes AFTER he became a rich man. I'm not excusing what the LA cops did but Rodney shouldn't be much of a roll model to anyone.

[The Land of the Free]

14. I agree

This guy is a menace to everyone he comes into contact with. Maybe he can find a job being one of those traveling people who go to high schools and tell all their fucked up drug stories to scare kids straight. Oh wait, he'd have to be off the drugs in the first place.

[TroglodyteScholar]

3. Alcohol awareness?

"King pleaded guilty and was sentenced Aug. 27 to a three-month alcohol awareness program.."

I think he's plenty aware of alcohol.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

5. And angel dust too, apparently. I bet he has even made the

acquaintance of crack and crank.

[Dogmudgeon]

6. Notoriety!

Notoriety is Rodney King's punishment for not wanting to be beaten to a pulp by a dozen antsy cops.

There are plenty of dumb-ass drunks in Los Angeles. Plenty of them do 'dust, too. So who makes the papers?

I hope all of them get their acts together. But only Rodney King will have to pass muster in the court of public opinion.

--bkl

[DrWeird]

8. Pity the drug addict.

In Europe they treat drugs instead of punishing people for them. They have less drug related crime because of it.

[Scairp]

9. He's had many chances

And he keeps screwing up. And he didn't just hit a pole, he drove into someone's house in Rialto. People could have been killed. What would you have them do with him?

[cleofus1]

10. error in fact?

Did he drive into a power pole as the story states?
You say he drove into someone's house: Was this a separate incident?
Hey aside from that...he's obviously not an evil guy. He has a weakness that stems from problems we have no clue about. Pity his weakness and be grateful you don't have to live out you life under that sort of media scrutiny, with every local yocal in the free world calling you an ass. Sounds like hells chorus to me.

[Scairp]

11. Whatever

He drove into a house. I live here so I know. And since you would rather believe a UK newspaper than someone who actually lives in the area, HERE>


IN BRIEF / FONTANA
Rodney King Sent to Jail for 120 Days

A San Bernardino County Superior Court judge ordered Rodney King to serve 120 days in jail beginning today, as completion of his August guilty pleas to driving under the influence and reckless driving.

On April 13, 2003, King, 39, of Rialto was driving 100 mph when he crashed into a San Bernardino home.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-iebriefs9.2apr09,1,3253880.story?coll=la-headlines-california

Clear it up any?

[cleofus1]

12. calm down !

I didn't say I didn't believe you. I just needed clarification becouse there seemed to be a contradiction in what you were saying and what was printed in the excerpt provided. Hurmmm...come to think of it that was not you that did the intial post. Sorry about that...still if you're going to contradict the original post you should provide a link with your post...save a lot of time and emotion.

[Red State Rebel]

13. Pity his weakness until he kills someone?

He has been ticketed and arrested quite a few times for his abuse problems. With all the money the courts awarded him he could have lived in rehab for 20 years. Instead, he's blown it on drugs and booze and continues to be a hazard to innocent people.

I have no pity for him. I have pity for Reginald Denny who through no fault of his own had his life permanently altered that same day and did not receive millions for it.

[Red State Rebel]

16. Rodney's Record

King's Trouble with the Law Prior to His Beating

July 27, 1987: According to a complaint filed by his wife, King beat her while she was sleeping, then dragged her outside the house and beat her again. King was charged with battery and pleaded "no contest." He was placed on probation and ordered to obtain counseling. He never got the counseling.
November 3, 1989: King, brandishing a tire iron, ordered a convenience store clerk to empty the cash register. The clerk grabbed the tire iron, causing King to fall backwards and knock over a pie rack. King swung the rack at the clerk and fled the store with $200. King was arrested and charged with assault with a deadly weapon, second-degree robbery, and intent to commit great bodily injury. In a plea agreement, King pleaded guilty to the robbery charge and the other charges were dropped. He was sentenced to two years in prison, but was paroled on December 27, 1990.


The Arrest of Rodney King on March 3, 1991
March 3, 1991: After being seen speeding on the 210 freeway by CHP officers, King led them on a chase at speeds estimated at up to 110 to 115 mph. When finally stopped, King refused requests to get into the prone position and appeared to charge one of the officers. He was beaten and arrested. King was charged with felony evading. Charges were later dropped.
King's 3/3/91 Arrest Record

King's Trouble with the Law After March 3, 1991
May 11, 1991: King was pulled over for having an excessively tinted windshield. Although King was driving without a license and his car registration had expired, King was not charged.
May 28, 1991: King picked up a transvestite prostitute in Hollywood who happened to be under surveillance by LAPD officers. King and the prostitute were observed in an alley engaging in sexual activity. When the prostitute spotted the officers, King sped away, nearly hitting one of them. King later explained that he thought the vice officers were robbers trying to kill him. No charges were filed.

June 26, 1992: King's second wife reported to police that King had hit her and she feared for her life. King was handcuffed and taken to a police station, but his wife then decided against pressing charges.

July 16, 1992: King was arrested at 1:40 A.M. for driving while intoxicated. No charges were filed.

August 21, 1993: King crashed into a wall near a downtown Los Angeles nightclub. He had a blood alcohol level of 0.19. King was charged with violating his parole and sent for sixty day to an alcohol treatment center. He was also convicted on the DUI charge and ordered to perform twenty days of community service.

May 21, 1995: King was arrested for DUI while on a trip to Pennsylvania. King failed field sobriety tests, but refused to submit to a blood test. He was tried and acquitted.

July 14, 1995: King got into an argument with his wife while he was driving, pulled off the freeway and ordered her out of the car. When she started to get out, King sped off, leaving her on the highway with a bruised arm. King was charged with assault with a deadly weapon (his car), reckless driving, spousal abuse, and hit-and-run. King was tried on all four charges, but found guilty only of hit-and-run driving.

March 3, 1999: King allegedly injured the sixteen-year-old girl that he had fathered out of wedlock when he was seventeen, as well as the girl's mother. King was arrested for injuring the woman, the girl, and for vandalizing property. King claimed that the incident was simply "a family misunderstanding."

September 29, 2001: King was arrested for indecent exposure and use of the hallucinogenic drug PCP.

[cleofus1]

17. well well ....

I'm not saying he is innocent and should not be punished. It's obvious he needs to spend some time in the can. And yes, he has not killed anyone yet, same can be said for me, and I don't drink or take drugs. Same can be said for anyone on this thread or on this board. And yet he is the spiritual pinata for one and all. Sure I pity him, and you're right...it is unreasonable for me to expect anyone else to. But I am puzzled by the anger some people seem to feel toward this man...but that's just me.

[AngryAmish]

18. It is not anger

The man is clearly a menace. If he took drugs and drank but never got behind the wheel of a car then I would have no problem with the man. But he does get gooped up and drives. He has failed to learn several lessons.

Driving the way he does will kill someone if done for a long enough period.

[Red State Rebel]

20. He was doing over 100 mph in a 45 mph zone!

His record clearly shows that he has no interest in getting his act together. If you or I pulled what he has been doing do you think we would get off as easily as he is?

With 3.8 million he could have done so much good and he chose to continue in a destructive path. Yes that makes me angry.

[CO Liberal]

23. Now If We Can Only Get Ah-Nold Ordered to Jail

:-)

[psychopomp]

25. Who gives a sh@t if Rodney is a loser

He was a victim of police brutality at the hands of the LAPD, a very highly-militarized police force with a rep for gansterism, not a hero.

I, for one, never thought he was perfect.