So you’ve probably heard the news that New Orleans Saints defensive end Charles Grant has been indicted for an incident at a rural Georgia night club back in February. He left training camp this week and headed to Southeast Georgia to face involuntary manslaughter charges. If convicted, the he could get 1-10 years in prison. And if you’re anything like us, you think this is 100%, unfiltered dog vomit.
While at first glance one might be tempted to chalk this up as another case of athletes behaving badly, we can’t help but feel like Charles is getting a raw deal. And no, that’s not the Saints fan in us talking. It’s the “Law and Order” marathon watcher in us that makes us cringe at the possibility some small town could be using a high profile player to get in the national spotlight and “look tough on crime.”
Here are the facts of the case as we know it:
-On February 3rd, Charles Grant and his buddies were hanging out in boondocks Georgia when he and his crew got into a fight.
-Grant took a knife to the neck during the fight and a stray bullet fired during the commotion killed a pregnant bystander, 23 year old Korynda Reed.
-Grant has not been publicly accused by anyone of starting the fight, requesting that someone fire a gun, or firing the gun himself.
-In February, the Times Picayune quoted the Earl County Sheriff’s office as saying Grant was nothing more than a victim in the case.
So the question remains, why the F is he suddenly facing felony charges?
I’m not from Texas but I know bullshit when I smell it. This guilt by association bit doesn’t sit well with me and won’t until some snaggle-toothed DA in Georgia (who also happens to be the town barber) steps forward and explains the basis for the charges. Beyond the implications of Charles’ legal problems for the Saints come next season, I can’t stomach the idea of a man being sent to prison for being around when someone fired a gun that killed someone.
The good news is that neither Grant nor the Saints organization appear, at least publicly, to be freaking out. I can’t say that does much to keep my blood from boiling and my heart from aching at the prospect of a guy taking the fall for something he had nothing to do with.
Mark Sanchez
New QB, NY Jets
I know. This really, really bothers me. If there were something to the charges, would there not have been some inkling that trouble was afoot way back when this all happened? I sure hope there is not some “stooge” who’s come up with some story implicating Grant. I guess we have to just wait and see.
W….T…F…this is ridiculous.
Charles Grant was charged because he was involved in instigating the fight. The woman who was killed was the ex-girlfriend of Charles’ cousin who was with him. No, I was not there, i don’t hang out in those types of places. Have you seen the pictures of where the shooting took place??? What was Charles, with all his money doing there? I’ll tell you…he calls it “raining money.” He takes wads of cash and throws it all up into the air for people to fight over. The “club” where the fight took place is nasty. The street where it happened is nasty. The people who frequent it are extremely poor and uneducated. They do not represent all of us, however. I was really surprised that Charles was indicted at all, though. Not because I think he is innocent; I am surprised because our local sheriff’s department is corrupt. Maybe Charles didn’t find the right person to pay off. Additionally, I have talked to some witnesses who were there that night and they all say that Charles is the one who fired the gun but that his cousin is going to take the blame for it so that Charles will continue to support the cousins’ family. You can take the boy off the street, but you can’t take the street out of the boy.