Darrell Williams charged with rape

[Sooner_In_MI]

Obviously he should be suspended now and if he pleads guilty then he should get kicked off the team, and go to jail for a long time. However I don't see where y'all are coming from saying he should have sat out during the investigation. Let's face it...if it was an OU player under investigation we'd all want him to play until charges were actually filed.

 

[Dignon003]

Paul,

The man had a very important meeting. duh.

I just hope I don't run into any "unstable girls" this week.

I wouldn't expect him to be on the conference call. He's probably been meeting with Holder, Williams and the team. The media can wait.

 

[GParker]

The charges detailed:


Source Link

 

[MNsooner]

I think it is hard to say you need to suspend him until there are formal charges. On the other hand, once you know their are formal charges coming you have to suspend him, right? I don't think Capel would have let this happen. He suspended players for getting a ticket (not a charge) for looking like they were going to shoplift. I think that OSU has had enough recent character problems that it might behoove them to keep act more decisively on these type of issues. Still, the way it was handled is defensible.

 

[Sooner_In_MI]

I think it is hard to say you need to suspend him until there are formal charges. On the other hand, once you know their are formal charges coming you have to suspend him, right? I don't think Capel would have let this happen. He suspended players for getting a ticket (not a charge) for looking like they were going to shoplift. I think that OSU has had enough recent character problems that it might behoove them to keep act more decisively on these type of issues. Still, the way it was handled is defensible.

Well that's where it gets sketchy...because it is suspicious that these come out 2 days after Bedlam. But that's basically all speculation...looking at the facts of the situation I'd say that they handled this correctly.

 

[trueou]

On further thinking, it is almost impossible for this arraignment to happen today without Williams knowing on Friday at the latest. Arraignments have to be somewhat scheduled between the DA, the judge and the accused and his attorney. This is especially true of the accused is not in custody. Because he has the absolute right to be present when he is arraigned. How would they know that he would be there today unless they arrested him before hand or arranged for him to turn himself in by contacting the accused and his attorney.

Therefore Williams had to know on Saturday. Ford almost assuredly knew too.

It would be my guess that any chance of a friendly rivalry with mutual respect between Ford and Capel are history. We are back to the days of distrust and dislike of Sampson and Sutton. It is just as well. It is never good when you have respect for your opponent's coach. That is why I wish Barnes would retire at UT.

 

[campbest]

Well that's where it gets sketchy...because it is suspicious that these come out 2 days after Bedlam. But that's basically all speculation...looking at the facts of the situation I'd say that they handled this correctly.

Agree, just given the facts you suspend him now. We don't know when Ford/Holder knew charges were imminent (if I had to guess, probably sometime late last week), therefore it's tough to make a judgement. It's a heinous crime and Williams will get his day(s) in court soon enough, but the until the chargees were made formal, just don't see how you can suspend him for almost two months.

 

[soonerbms]

I wish they had made the arrest before the Bedlam game.

 

[ByronHoustonsSweatyPalms]

Obviously I don't know all the facts, but this young man innocent or guilty has more important things to take care of than playing basketball. I would lean towards suspending him until this plays out. Kind of hard to say he's gone forever until the legal process runs it's course.

 

[Sooner_In_MI]

On further thinking, it is almost impossible for this arraignment to happen today without Williams knowing on Friday at the latest. Arraignments have to be somewhat scheduled between the DA, the judge and the accused and his attorney. This is especially true of the accused is not in custody. Because he has the absolute right to be present when he is arraigned. How would they know that he would be there today unless they arrested him before hand or arranged for him to turn himself in by contacting the accused and his attorney.

Therefore Williams had to know on Saturday. Ford almost assuredly knew too.

It would be my guess that any chance of a friendly rivalry with mutual respect between Ford and Capel are history. We are back to the days of distrust and dislike of Sampson and Sutton. It is just as well. It is never good when you have respect for your opponent's coach. That is why I wish Barnes would retire at UT.

You are correct about this...they probably knew about it on Saturday and in that case it is absolutely terrible that he still played against us.

 

[Escape Goat]

Reading the allegations (if true) makes this a hundred times worse.

 

[campbest]

On further thinking, it is almost impossible for this arraignment to happen today without Williams knowing on Friday at the latest. Arraignments have to be somewhat scheduled between the DA, the judge and the accused and his attorney. This is especially true of the accused is not in custody. Because he has the absolute right to be present when he is arraigned. How would they know that he would be there today unless they arrested him before hand or arranged for him to turn himself in by contacting the accused and his attorney.

Therefore Williams had to know on Saturday. Ford almost assuredly knew too.

If this is true, than it's pretty disgusting he played on Saturday.

 

[Sooner_In_MI]

If this is true, than it's pretty disgusting he played on Saturday.

Exactly. And based on the basic knowledge of the legal system that I have...I'm fairly sure that his post is correct. I believe you know you're being arranged about 2 weeks before it actually happens, although I could be wrong. So he probably should not have been playing in the last two weeks, huge smh @ OSUx for allowing him to play then.

 

[skyvue]

Like many others, I'm hesitant to see a player suspended on rumors alone.

But once a player and his coach know charges will be brought by the authorities, even if they are a few days away, it's mere loophole-leaping to allow that player to participate in a game. If Ford knew the charges were coming -- and I strongly suspect he did -- then it's inexcusable that he allowed the young man to play. It's a cynical manipulation of the system to the coach's and the program's benefit.

 

[tensman]

Both the DA and the assistant DA are undergrads of OSU. The assistant DA went to Tulsa law school while the DA went to OU law.

 

[oSuJeff97]

I was more replying to OSUJeff basically taking the wait and see approach. I might see his point if the guy was just getting arrested but the guy is getting arraigned for rape.

'm sure all the girls are getting in line to blame a player who was a virtual unknown until the Mizzou game. Had charges been levied against a higher profile player -- Big Country, Desmond Mason, or James Anderson -- then maybe I'd buy the "unstable girl" line. The accuser has nothing to gain from accusing this player, other than for justice to be served.

The first part wasn't about Williams specifically - I was speaking in the general about suspending players based on unsubstantiaed accusations.

Would you like to be fired from your job based on one person's accusation?

Again - I don't want to confuse the matter here... I'm not defending Williams in this particular case. If the D.A. has enough to file charges, then he should be off the team. Period.

I just don't think coaches should suspsend players based on individual accusations.

On further thinking, it is almost impossible for this arraignment to happen today without Williams knowing on Friday at the latest. Arraignments have to be somewhat scheduled between the DA, the judge and the accused and his attorney. This is especially true of the accused is not in custody. Because he has the absolute right to be present when he is arraigned. How would they know that he would be there today unless they arrested him before hand or arranged for him to turn himself in by contacting the accused and his attorney.

So you're telling me that it's common practice for the D.A. to schedule an arraignment BEFORE formal charges are filed in district court? That doesn't seem right.

It seems like the process would be file charges (like they did this morning), arrest the person, and then schedule the arraignment based on the Court's schedule.

 

[sheepdogs]

Would you like to be fired from your job based on one person's accusation?

If you knowingly broke the law it is irrelevant how many accusers there are.

 

[Big Old Booger]

The first part wasn't about Williams specifically - I was speaking in the general about suspending players based on unsubstantiaed accusations.

Would you like to be fired from your job based on one person's accusation?

Again - I don't want to confuse the matter here... I'm not defending Williams in this particular case. If the D.A. has enough to file charges, then he should be off the team. Period.

I just don't think coaches should suspsend players based on individual accusations.



So you're telling me that it's common practice for the D.A. to schedule an arraignment BEFORE formal charges are filed in district court? That doesn't seem right.

It seems like the process would be file charges (like they did this morning), arrest the person, and then schedule the arraignment based on the Court's schedule.

First, it's not a job it's college. He's getting the honor to attend college for free and to play basketball representing a BCS level institution. If he allows himself to be placed in that position by being someplace where a rape is occuring, then yes, he should lose his opportunity to compete on the field of play until the allegations are either proven true or false.

Second, I wouldn't be put in this position so it's not really relevant whether I should be fired if the same level of charges were levied against me. I would hope, though, that if a co-worker were accused of something like this that they were either fired or suspended with pay, or allowed to resign with the promise of getting the job back once their name is cleared of any wrongdoing.

 

[trueou]

So you're telling me that it's common practice for the D.A. to schedule an arraignment BEFORE formal charges are filed in district court? That doesn't seem right.

It seems like the process would be file charges (like they did this morning), arrest the person, and then schedule the arraignment based on the Court's schedule.

He is being arraigned today at 1:30 p.m. Also, you do not normally file charges in district court before arresting someone and putting them in custody. Before filing charges the accused has to be served (get a copy of the charges) before the court will allow filing. The DA has to swear that the accused was served. If you do that in a criminal case without having the accused in custody or having a huge bail posted, the accused becomes a flight risk. Just try to get a guy to show up for his arraignment if he is in Mexico. The DA would be extremely negligent to file these charges and schedule an arraignment without a prior arrangement in place for the accused to show up. There would have to be all kinds of assurances from the accused person's attorney to avoid an arrest before filing charges and scheduling the arraignment. Williams knew on Saturday. Ford knew too.

Ford better not come out an pretend that he did not know or the DA will prove him the liar in order to keep himself from looking bad.

 

[ByronHoustonsSweatyPalms]

My emotions have run amok, just like everyone elses about this case. However I do remember the Duke lacrosse case. I made a lot of unwarranted assumptions on that one also.