Trendspotting: Insane Athlete Witch Hunts
Drugs, Michael Phelps, Olympics, Trendspotting February 13th. 2009, 11:45am
Richland County, S.C. is tough on crime. They are so intense that police raided a house-with guns raised- in February, based on a photograph of Michael Phelps taking a bong hit at a party in November.
They arrested and interrogated eight kids, not to uncover drug distribution networks but to find witnesses from the Phelps party.
Phelps, should he be convicted of the misdemeanor, faces a possible $200 fine and 30 days in jail. There is, however, no guarantee South Carolina could even extradite Phelps for such a minor crime.
According to the Richland County Sheriff’s Department website, the county has two unsolved homicide investigations. They have five sex offenders on the loose, and thirteen deadbeat dads. Their most wanted list contains criminals accused of murder, armed robbery, run of the mill robbery (two). assault with intent to kill, criminal sexual conduct and criminal sexual conduct with a minor.
All of these fine societal specimens are on the loose, yet the sheriff’s office has a dozen officers executing search warrants over a misdemeanor marijuana charge?
30 Responses to “Trendspotting: Insane Athlete Witch Hunts”
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February 13th, 2009 at 11:49 am
and older people wonder why young people don’t respect Cops.
February 13th, 2009 at 11:51 am
Did you just lump sex offenders and murders with dead beat dads?
What a stupid comment.
February 13th, 2009 at 11:53 am
Ty, did you have to send Demetri Martin a royalty check for using the word Trendspotting?
/ enjoyed his new show
February 13th, 2009 at 11:53 am
per the south carolina/phelps incident:
first, it’s south carolina.
second, one word: grandstanding.
February 13th, 2009 at 11:55 am
The only conclusion you can draw from this is that the Sheriff must feel like this whole thing has made his dept look inept, incompetent and unaware of what is going on in their town. If only they knew how many bong hits were being taken in their zip code every night.
Go arrest a real criminal. Or be smart about it, contact Phelps’ people and see if he’s interested in coming back to town to do a day’s worth of community service. It’d be good PR for him and put this ridiculous story to bed.
February 13th, 2009 at 11:58 am
I hate pigs. Legalize it already.
February 13th, 2009 at 12:00 pm
South Carolina is fucking retarded. Jesus. I hope the kids tell the cops to kiss their asses, that’s what I did. Of course, I spent the night in jail, but that’s not the point here. The point is, this sheriff should be fired.
February 13th, 2009 at 12:00 pm
Amen, brother.
February 13th, 2009 at 12:02 pm
A $200 fine. A misdemeanor. How much money is it costing the state to do this? I think the cops are high.
February 13th, 2009 at 12:02 pm
this whole ordeal seriously disgusts me.
February 13th, 2009 at 12:03 pm
spoken like a true deadbeat dad apologist.
February 13th, 2009 at 12:04 pm
And I’m still not giving a damn about this story.
February 13th, 2009 at 12:04 pm
I dislike Phelps, so I am OK with all this.
Wsa he the only guy in the Olympics this year? Did anyone even notice that an American won the decathlon? Maybe if they gave him 10 separate medals the media would have cared: Ooooh, a big number!!
February 13th, 2009 at 12:09 pm
this
February 13th, 2009 at 12:10 pm
aptly named.
February 13th, 2009 at 12:15 pm
ty - you write some great shit. Love your baseball stories. Love this story. But I’m conflicted… because I hate the soccer stuff.
February 13th, 2009 at 12:17 pm
I hope the prick sheriff loses his job over this, or at least gets suspended. Something to embarass him…
February 13th, 2009 at 12:21 pm
The Sheriff is probably just pissed that someone is moving herb in his county without him getting a cut of the proceeds.
February 13th, 2009 at 12:23 pm
Thats about right.
February 13th, 2009 at 12:24 pm
arrest Phelps and lock him up
February 13th, 2009 at 12:25 pm
Good job, Ty.
This whole Phelps witch-hunt provides a great microcosm of the entire War on Drugs. So much wasted money for something you can never stop.
Has anyone seen the MSNBC special “Marijuana Inc.?” They interview a guy running a medicinal marijuana shop in California and he claims he pays $300,000 a year in state taxes and $500,000 to $600,000 a year in federal taxes. That’s a single store in a single year. Multiply those numbers by however many shops you want to allow in a given state, and you see my point. But no, you see, if weed is decriminalized we’ll be supporting terrorism!
What a crock of shit.
February 13th, 2009 at 12:29 pm
I’m not conflicted. The fact that he choose to use his talent for soccer makes him evil and un-’mercian.
February 13th, 2009 at 12:29 pm
Acctually, mouth. I have custody of all my kids. The point that #1 not all dead beats are dads, second this is not the same as rapping a kid or killing someone.
February 13th, 2009 at 12:38 pm
amen.
and i hate the “weed = terrorism” argument. what terrorists come from mexico, california, texas, canada, or some hippie’s closet?
opium and blow i can understand, but what retard is going to spend a ton of money to fly shit in from South America or eastern Asia when you’re not making any profit off of weed? it just doesn’t make any sense.
February 13th, 2009 at 12:40 pm
this whole ordeal seriously disgusts me
Agreed.
February 13th, 2009 at 12:40 pm
i agree that is overblown. but you put yourself on a slippery slope by saying that because there are unsolved murders, low level crime shouldn’t be targeted too.
February 13th, 2009 at 1:03 pm
What’s wrong with trying to make a name for yourself through media-friendly prosecutions?
/Mike Nifong
February 13th, 2009 at 1:07 pm
No, it’s that resources should be better allocated to ensure the SAFETY OF THE PUBLIC. That’s a slope I’m willing to slide down.
February 13th, 2009 at 1:15 pm
Low level crime is important. But, you don’t call in the SWAT team every time someone j-walks.
As far as the deadbeat dad things, it’s not raping or murdering someone, but it’s still absolutely despicable.
February 13th, 2009 at 3:35 pm
Is there any evidence to even arrest Phelps? I’m no law enforcement person or attorney, but from the picture alone, I can’t tell that he is smoking pot or anything really. What is the crime? Holding a bong up to your mouth that may or may not have illegal smoke in it? Totally agree that this is a collosal waste of time, energy, and more importantly money.