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Report- Mark Bell Will Serve Time In Jail
by Paul on 08/14/07 at 09:59 PM ET
Comments (8)
from Sportsnet,
Newly acquired Toronto Maple Leaf Mark Bell is headed to jail, Sportsnet has learned.
Bell pleaded guilty in a San Jose courtroom Tuesday to charges of drunk driving causing injury and hit and run.
The Leaf forward, picked up in the Vesa Toskala trade with San Jose in June, will be sentenced to six months in a Santa Clara ,California county jail to be served at the end of this upcoming season.
Official sentencing will be in October.
Filed in: Toronto Maple Leafs | KK Hockey | Permalink
Comments
Yeah, what the heck? If I asked the judge to suspend my sentence until I could get time off work, he/she would laugh in my face. Why won’t he just face up to the consequences like everyone else has to? Based on his play from last year, he shouldn’t be asking for preferred treatment from anyone. Mark Bell, I hope either the Maple Leafs terminate your contract or you’re so distracted that you have another bad year can’t find NHL work after your jail time.
Posted by Muero on 08/15/07 at 12:06 AM ET
If only he were paris hilton or mel gibson, he wouldnt have to go to jail at all!! USA USA USA!!
Posted by callmedrw on 08/15/07 at 04:28 AM ET
Yeah the end of season is kinda odd. But i honestly expected him to have been sentenced some public service hours and a fine. No jail time
Posted by rdgamblr on 08/15/07 at 05:46 AM ET
Maybe it was more severe because he was a repeat offender? If he had no previous offenses, then it would be logical to give him a lesser sentence and probation, since no one was seriously hurt.
Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 08/15/07 at 06:11 AM ET
With something like this, where nobody was hurt, it’s not that surprising that he’s allowed to do his jail time after the season. Many “normal” people, who get alcohol related jail terms like this, are allowed to serve their sentence on weekends so as not to screw up their jobs.
Posted by Tyler on 08/15/07 at 07:47 AM ET
It is routine to allow people to serve misdemeanor sentences so they don’t lose their jobs or pay fines on a schedule so they don’t go bankrupt. It’s less common with felonies, but not unheard-of. I doubt he’s getting special treatment, but simply can afford really good lawyers.
Posted by false_cause from DC on 08/15/07 at 08:51 AM ET
My guess is that it was a condition of his plea-bargain. The state doesn’t have to fight a full court case, and they determined he’s not a flight risk. Bell doesn’t have to miss any of this upcoming season. He’ll probably only serve a month or two if he behaves, and doesn’t miss any part of this season or the next. Win/win, in that sense.
The best part? Bell isn’t a Shark anymore.
Posted by Ian from San Francisco on 08/15/07 at 04:58 PM ET
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Oh, so in America you get to go to jail when it is convenient?
No wonder the country is falling apart, with a legal system like that.
Disgusting.
Posted by Joshua from Melbourne, Australia on 08/14/07 at 10:55 PM ET