Plaxico Burress turns himself in on weapons charge

[devineone]

What's with these professional players who just throw away their careers acting like hoodlums?  Plaxico jeopardizes his 35 million dollar NFL career by carrying an illegal handgun.  He had to have known the laws in NYC regarding the illegal possession of a firearm.  Why couldn't he just get the thing legally?  Then there was Michael Vick who just threw away his career and millions of dollars on stupid dog fighting.    Man if these guys don't know what to do with those millions and that opportunity, hand it over to me, I'll put that money to good use!

Burress appears in court, has bail set at $100,000
By COLLEEN LONG – 2 hours ago

NEW YORK (AP) — Taken to court in handcuffs, Plaxico Burress posted $100,000 bail on weapons possession charges Monday as the frenzy grew around the Giants star receiver who accidentally shot himself in a nightclub. Authorities said teammate Antonio Pierce was being investigated over his role in the weekend shooting, while the Super Bowl-champion Giants weren't sure what action they would take, if any, against Burress.

The NFL said it was monitoring developments. Mayor Michael Bloomberg also weighed in, saying it would be an outrage "if we didn't prosecute to the fullest extent of the law."

Burress shot himself in the right thigh in the VIP section of the Latin Quarter nightclub in Manhattan about 1 a.m. Saturday, police said. He did not have a permit to carry a handgun in New York.

A witness reported hearing a popping sound before Burress' legs began to shake, according to a criminal complaint. It said the person saw a bloody pistol fall out of his pant leg and land on the floor before Burress said "Take me to a hospital."

It's believed Pierce took Burress to a car and then left with him, according to police. Burress was treated at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center and released later Saturday.

Burress was charged with two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, which could result in a prison sentence of 3 1/2 years to 15 years if he is convicted. He was not required to enter a plea Monday and is due back in court on March 31. Burress did not say anything in court.

"He is standing tall. He is a mature adult," said Benjamin Brafman, his defense lawyer. "I think any professional athlete in this situation would be concerned."

He said Burress is feeling OK. "If they let him play, he will be able to play. ... I think he will be a superstar for the rest of his career."

Originally, police had said that running back Derrick Ward was with Burress and Pierce at the club, relying on information given to them from security guards at the bar. But police said later that it was unclear if Ward was at the club, and the running back denied that he was.

The Giants have not decided what to do with Burress, who was suspended for a game and fined earlier this season for missing a team meeting in September. New York could either suspend him again or deactivate him for Sunday's game at home against the Eagles. There are more extreme actions, such as releasing Burress, but that could put a strain on the team's salary cap next season.

"We're dealing with that," coach Tom Coughlin said in a conference call Monday. "Today we had some discussions and those discussions will be ongoing."

Coughlin would not speculate what the team would do if Burress showed up for practice Wednesday.

Police have looked at security video from the club and hospital and determined that Burress arrived at 1:20 a.m. and left at 1:50 a.m. He arrived at the hospital at 2:04 a.m. and went home 11 hours later.

The shooting occurred as Burress somehow fumbled his gun — .40-caliber Glock — in the VIP section and it discharged, hitting his leg. Pierce was with Burress when that occurred, police said. The weapon was eventually recovered at Burress' house in New Jersey, authorities said.

Police expressed frustration with the NFL and Giants officials, saying they were promised that Pierce would appear at a police precinct Monday where Burress went before heading to court. But Pierce didn't show. Detectives also went to Pierce's house in New Jersey and he was not there.

Police said the Giants did send a member of their medical staff to the precinct who may be able to shed some light on what transpired the night of the shooting, and presumably to relay Pierce's version of events.

"It was a universe of silence after this shooting," said Paul Browne, NYPD Deputy Commissioner for public information.

Pierce declined to provide specifics about the incident Monday during a radio interview, but said that many facts of the case have been "misconstrued" and "distorted." He has hired an attorney but that he doesn't see himself being arrested, he said.

"Today has been a headache and that's about all I can say," he told WFAN.

The Giants released a statement disputing the police version of their involvement. "We are working closely with the police and NFL Security," it said. "In the early hours of Saturday morning, as we started to get a sense of what we were dealing with, we did, in fact, notify NFL Security, which then contacted the police."

NFL spokesman Greg Aiello also said in a statement the league was cooperating. "In addition, it will be reviewed under our league policies," he said.

The case drew the wrath of Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who has waged a long fight against illegal guns. He called for a full prosecution of state law that requires mandatory prison for carrying a loaded handgun.

"I don't think anybody should be exempt from that, and I think it would be an outrage if we didn't prosecute to the fullest extent of the law, particularly people who live in the public domain, make their living because of their visibility — they're the role models for our kids," Bloomberg said. Brafman urged the mayor to reserve judgment.

Bloomberg also lashed out at the hospital, based on the allegation that officials may not have properly reported the shooting. "It's just an outrage that the hospital didn't do what they were legally required to do," he said.

The hospital responded with a statement saying that officials "take this very seriously, and are conducting a thorough investigation into why this gunshot wound was not reported to the police department in a timely fashion."

Burress caught a last-minute touchdown pass in the Giants' Super Bowl victory against the New England Patriots in February, following a regular season in which he scored a career-high 12 TDs. He was rewarded with a $35 million, five-year contract.

[cool breeze]

Hey, I'm just glad he's in New York now and not in Pittsburgh..He's also dayum lucky the only person to get hurt was him and not some innocent bystander in that club..

I don't know why these jocks are always in night clubs anyway..Most of them are too cheap, yeah I said, CHEAP to hire bodyguards or decent security, so you know that them mofos are lousy tippers..And truth be told, ain't nobody checking for them but the gold diggers and the occasional stick up kid looking to snatch some of that bling those cats are always wearing..Solution: Ditch the bling and avoid white women..

He's not too bright to be carrying an unregistered gun in NYC and not be a real true to life criminal..He may do some time..

[devineone]

Well the Giants let him go for the remainder of the season and he'll lose over 800,000 in salary plus his fines.  What a dumbazz all because he didn't register his handgun.

He'll get off lightly though.  Celebrities and rich people in NYC tend to get off lightly.  It pays to be rich especially when you run afoul of the law.  Look at Busta Rhymes and Pdiddy and how they got off lightly.

Even with Bloomberg screaming for the book to be thrown at Burress, at the end of the day, I'd be surprised if he did some time.  The jails are filled with the "po' criminals who lack the money and power to get off.

[devineone]

Welp,
It looks like Plaxico may have to do some jail time.  They are negotiating right now.  What a shame.   This brotha had everything going for him and just threw it all away hanging out at some night club with the hoochies and packing an illegal gun!  
DA: Jail or Bust for Plaxico Burress

Burress wasn't willing to serve two years in prison
By  JOSH ALPER
Mon, Jul 27, 2009

Manhattan District Attorney Robert Morgenthau spoke to the New York Post about the Plaxico Burress gun-possession case, and his words don't make Burress' return to the field for 2009 look like a promising bet. Morgenthau said that jail time will be a prerequisite of any plea deal given out through his office.

We've always taken the position that he's going to have to go to jail, whether by trial or by plea," Morgenthau said.

And it isn't just any amount of jail time, either. Burress kiboshed a plea deal earlier this year when he refused to serve more than one year in the pen while prosecutors offered two years for his guilty plea on a lesser gun charge. Now it seems much more likely that Burress' case will go to trial, where he'll face a mandatory minimum of three-and-a-half years behind bars if convicted.

The vagaries of the legal system make that outcome far from certain, but the facts of the case don't do much for Burress. He shot himself with a gun that had an expired Florida permit, which makes most of the case for criminal possession of a weapon. Burress' lawyer told the Post that there are "unique" and "sympathetic" circumstances at play.

Beyond Plax's celebrity status, however, it's hard to see anything that makes this different than any other case of a person caught in NYC with an illegal gun. That celebrity status is undoubtedly a big part of any planned legal defense -- NFL players do need security -- but it's a helluva gamble to take with a career that will be interrupted until this case is dealt with.

Burress and his lawyers have also allowed themselves to become part of a political battle. Morgenthau, the 89-year-old retiring Manhattan district attorney, has come under fire from potential successor and former opponent Leslie Crocker Snyder for dragging his feet on the Burress case. Morgenthau doesn't want to sullly his long, distinguished resume by dropping the ball near the end zone, if you'll excuse the metaphor, nor does he want to make it harder for his chosen replacement, Cyrus Vance Jr., in the forthcoming election.

It's interesting that, when all is said and done, Burress may wind up doing much more damage after shooting himself than he did when he actually shot himself. The gunshot, after all, wasn't going to get in the way of his career, but refusing a pay cut from the Giants and refusing to take a plea may force him out of football all the same.