Jordan Jefferson Presumed Guilty: QB Abandoned by Team, Coach, Tiger Fans?

Is Jefferson still allowed to practice or travel with the team? Be in on film sessions, etc?

 Just a couple of observations

FIRST, I question WHY “Coach Miles really had no choice in making the decision to suspend Jefferson and Johns once the arrests were made.” Because it was the politically correct thing to do? Because they were already under the microscope from the “probation” and the Willie Lyles thing and couldn’t afford to take a principled stand? In other words, did JJ and Johns pay for someone else’s sins?

SECONLY, I’m not sure (and perhaps I just choose not to believe) that Miles abandoned these kids. I think the University abandoned these kids (for the reasons stated above) and Miles took his marching orders from above.

As I understand it and you have recounted, the arrest warrant was based solely on the accusations of the “marine” and the underaged girl (neither of whom, by the way, were present at Shady’s when the cops first arrived, but mysteriously appeared after the cops had left and come back).

BTR has an unbelievable homicide and unsolved crime rate, but that doesn’t get you on ESPN. The police chief was enjoying his 15 mins.

We live in a country where a person is innocent until proven guilty. Yet, because of the practical ramifications of the arrest – AND LSU’S POLITICALLY CORRECT RESPONSE TO THE ARREST – on JJ’s future, the BRPD effectively acted as judge, jury and executioner and did so, it appears, solely on the basis of the affidavits of some opportunistic punk and a girl who had no business being in a bar parking lot @ 2:00 am anyway.

I have no doubt that this case will be eviscerated at or before trial. Unfortunately, as you point out, it will be too late for JJ. The kid needed this year to show his future employers – pro scouts – what he could really do on a high profile national stage. He will no longer have that opportunity unless LSU steps up and does the right thing. Reinstate him until such time as he is PROVEN guilty.

I expect as much from the police; especially a PD trying to distract the public’s attention from the horrendous job it does day in and day out. I am very disappointed that an institution of higher learning has exhibited such cowardice and more interest in covering its own backside politically than doing the right thing.

Jefferson and Johns should be immediately reinstated to the LSU football team by Coach Les Miles, if for no other reason than to give substance to the principle that the accused in a criminal case must be presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. To simply give lip service to this most important principle of our criminal justice system is simply wrong. Personally, I believe the time for Coach Miles to take action against Jefferson and Johns is only after they’ve been found guilty of the accusations against them. If that never occurs, then no one is hurt by the immediate reinstatement of Jefferson and Johns. However, as things now stand, two young men are being punished for an alleged crime that no court of law has found them guilty of committing and that a number of disinterested witnesses say they did not do. What has happened so far to Jefferson and Johns is the very definition of injustice, which is something we must all strive to rid from our society lest we find ourselves to be the next person punished before being found guilty of any crime.

is they fail to take into consideration the unfortunate and inescapable fact that the BRPD, as the local law authority, has spoken on the matter, however suspicious the circumstances appear. While the circumstances surrounding this case and its victims are indeed, suspect, unless the DA intervenes, which they are not, then LSU, Coach Miles and his team can do nothing about the case and they have no choice but to await the results of the investigation. Unfortunately, innocent until proven guilty does not apply to NCAA rules. To accuse Coach Miles of turning his back on JJ is absurd. He has a responsibility to his university, his team and the other players. He doesn’t have time to become an activist. Bloggers on this site, however, might themselves have time to direct their passions into writing letters pleading the case to the DA’s office. Since many here believe that a travesty of justice has occurred and evidence exists that supports Jefferson’s and John’s innocence, why not channel all this rage into a focused, organized movement on the arrested player’s behalf? Call state reps and council members, start a petition, find a publicist to help spread the word. If the evidence truly supports the case, then contact anyone of weight to help champion the cause. But first consider on whose behalf are you advocating and why—-yours, as LSU fans, or that of two innocent young men? Which ever the answer, be consistent in your arguments or you will have no cause.

I think the kids sb innocent until proven guilty. Clearly Miles would not have done this unless LSU administration forced it by policy or otherwise. BRPD and the DA should quickly resolve this one. IMO they should never have been arrested.

 . . ., according to Les Miles, et al, he WAS THE TOP QUARTERBACK on the team prior to the arrest. He was the starter. He won the job. Yes, there are a lot of people who never accepted JJ as the starting QB of this team, for whatever reasons. I happen to disagree with your opinions across the board as to whether the team is better or worse off without him. That’s one reason it’s being discussed; because “a lot of LSU fans I know” think JJ is by far the superior choice.

More important, however (and this is “an LSU topic”), is the demonstration of how a kid’s life can be ruined by an incompetent police force and a university which, at least in my opinion, didn’t have the stones to stand up and say “this is BS. This kid is innocent until proven guilty and we’re going to treat him as innocent until proven guilty. We don’t care if we’re already under the NCAA microscope for past transgressions. We’re not going to throw an INNOCENT kid (at least in our system of justice) under the bus to cover our own butts.”

Is that enough of an “LSU topic” to justify this discussion in your mind?

Remember – we’re on NCAA probation. If he lets them back on and they somehow are convicted, who knows what the NCAA will say / do? The NCAA has no burden of proof or the like – they basically do whatever they want, however they want ( see Miami players taking money getting a 1 game suspension yet RS gets 6, knocked down to 3, for basically being honest ).

That said, the BRPD / DA needs to be called out in a big way. Sadly, this is the sort of thing most anyone in BR expects from both parties – complete incompetence. Attention needs to be brought to the ridiculous job the BRPD and DA’s office have done in this case and most every other one. I’m tired of them making up their minds on who’s guilty or innocent despite witnesses and evidence, refusing to acknowledge witnesses or evidence, running the town how they see fit, while almost daily the news is about another murder / rape / arson / whatever. Baton Rouge needs to be cleaned up, starting right there.