*** DOLPHINS NEWS ***
Aug 26, 1999: -- Tony Martin Acquitted --
WR Tony Martin, signed by the Dolphins in the spring to
provide that deep receiving threat that the Dolphins need this year,
was found innocent today of all charges stemming from his relationship
to Rickey Brownlee. Martin was acquitted on 4 counts of laundering
drug money and on one count of conspiracy to hide drug profits.
Martin had admitted that he wrote checks to pay for some of
Brownlee's expenses and that he was reimbursed with cash, but denied
any knowledge that Brownlee was involved with drugs. Martin's claim
was that he was helping an old friend in difficult times.
According to the ESPN published report, Brownlee was found
guilty on all the money-laundering charges and convicted of possessing
heroin or cocaine with the intent to distribute and conspiracy to
possess and distribute.
Unless the prosecution appeals the decision, the verdict frees
Martin to play for the Dolphins this season. Martin is also now
eligible to collect the remainder of his $3.3 million signing bonus.
When he signed with the Dolphins, he only collected $150,000 of his
signing bonus initially, pending the outcome of his trial.
My Comments:
So, the trial is over and Tony Martin is free. Now he will
have no excuse to drop any more of Dan's passes and should appear in
practice every day. We'll see him line up opposite OJ McDuffie as
the starter in September and hopefully, we'll see him make a bunch of
big plays this season.
That much we know.
What we don't know if Martin is genuinely guilty or innocent.
The fact that he took cash from Rickey Brownlee and wrote checks to
pay for things for his friend doesn't make him guilty of money
laundering.
On the other hand, the fact that he was acquitted doesn't make
him genuinely innocent, either.
About the trial and Tony Martin, all we know for sure is that
Martin has a good lawyer and bad judgement when it comes to money
matters. We don't know - and probably will never know - if Martin
was genuinely guilty of money laundering or not.
As to what I believe - well, I think that this trial proves
two things:
- Stupidity is a more fundamental force in the universe than
evil.
- A jury consists of 12 persons chosen to decide who has the
better lawyer - Robert Frost.
And now it's time for some football.
Related Info:
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Curt Fennell,
curt@phins.com, DOLFAN in New Rochelle (almost)
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