Former 1st round #12 pick Henry Ruggs: 3 to 10 yrs prison for drunk driving fatal crash

[Beck Water]

 

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/38162272/ex-raiders-wr-henry-ruggs-iii-sentenced-3-10-years-fatal-dui

 

Quote

Ruggs, 24, had been under house arrest with alcohol and location electronic monitoring devices since pleading guilty in May to one count of DUI resulting in death and one count of misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter in the crash that killed Tina Tintor and her dog, Max. On Wednesday, Ruggs read from a statement directed at Tintor's family in which he apologized for his actions.

"To the parents and family of Ms. Tintor, I sincerely apologize for the pain and suffering," Ruggs said.

 

Pretty sure Ms Tintor's family don't think 3 years is nearly enough punishment for burning her alive.

Ruggs got what his attorneys asked for:

Quote

In court documents filed before the sentencing hearing, Ruggs' attorneys had asked the judge to keep the duration of their client's prison time to a range of three to 10 years. Chesnoff and Richard Schonfeld said Ruggs "wishes that he could turn back time and change the outcome of the tragic events of November 2, 2021."

 

I'm sure he does, what with being cut from the team and losing his career and all.  But he can't.

[GoBills808]

Should have been life 

[LABILLBACKER]

5 minutes ago, GoBills808 said:

Should have been life 

I agree.  We don't punish anyone anymore.

[Beck Water]

6 minutes ago, GoBills808 said:

Should have been life 

 

Agree

 

Same for Britt Reid, who also got 3 years.

Edited August 10, 2023 by Beck Water

[Doc Brown]

I don't want to destroy two young lives but three years is too lenient.  Should've at least been 15 minimum imo.

[HansLanda]

It's crazy this stuff still happens. There are so many options to not be behind the wheel - no matter your social status. 

[MJS]

At least he is doing some time, but I sure wish our society would come down harder on drunk drivers. We need to throw the book at them.

[JoPoy88]

17 minutes ago, Beck Water said:

 

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/38162272/ex-raiders-wr-henry-ruggs-iii-sentenced-3-10-years-fatal-dui

 

 

Pretty sure Ms Tintor's family don't think 3 years is nearly enough punishment for burning her alive.

Ruggs got what his attorneys asked for:

 

I'm sure he does, what with being cut from the team and losing his career and all.  But he can't.

So, a comparison just for everyone (and I’m just picking this since it happened a day before the Ruggs sentencing): Tory Lanez, a semi-famous rapper, just got 10 years for shooting a very famous rapper, Megan thee Stallion, in the foot following an argument. She’s fine now. And Ruggs kills a woman and her dog and gets a 3-10 sentence? 
 

There are a multitude of differences in the cases here (Lanez went to trial, for one) and I’m not attempting to make a 1:1 comparison here but damn, given the proximity of the announcements it sure does look really bad for those prosecutors out in Nevada that this is what they landed on for Ruggs.

[PetermansRedemption]

32 minutes ago, JoPoy88 said:

So, a comparison just for everyone (and I’m just picking this since it happened a day before the Ruggs sentencing): Tory Lanez, a semi-famous rapper, just got 10 years for shooting a very famous rapper, Megan thee Stallion, in the foot following an argument. She’s fine now. And Ruggs kills a woman and her dog and gets a 3-10 sentence? 
 

There are a multitude of differences in the cases here (Lanez went to trial, for one) and I’m not attempting to make a 1:1 comparison here but damn, given the proximity of the announcements it sure does look really bad for those prosecutors out in Nevada that this is what they landed on for Ruggs.

I’m all for mandatory sentencing. Murder = X years, manslaughter= X years. The amount of times I shake my head at the legal system is disgusting. You have legit murderers who can get a more lenient sentence than some assault cases. 

[Doc Brown]

Just now, PetermansRedemption said:

I’m all for mandatory sentencing. Murder = X years, manslaughter= X years. The amount of times I shake my head at the legal system is disgusting. You have legit murderers who can get a more lenient sentence than some assault cases. 

Two minds think alike.

 

 

[chongli]

Damn...OJ gets 33 years from Nevada for kidnapping and armed robbery, but Ruggs gets just 3-10 from the same state?

[Dr.Sack]

At least Rugg’s had the decency to plead guilty unlike OJ. 

[JoPoy88]

33 minutes ago, PetermansRedemption said:

I’m all for mandatory sentencing. Murder = X years, manslaughter= X years. The amount of times I shake my head at the legal system is disgusting. You have legit murderers who can get a more lenient sentence than some assault cases. 

yes trust me I get it - two entirely different cases, the intent to harm certainly wasn’t there for Ruggs - I’m just saying the optics are bad, especially considering the horrible way the woman Ruggs hit died.

[Brand J]

These are Texas laws if one gets caught selling heroine, cocaine, or another “group 1” drug:

 

Quote

Less than 1 gram: a state jail felony with possible punishment of up to 2 years (minimum 180 days) in jail and a fine of up to $10,000

 

1-4 grams: a 2nd degree felony punishable by a minimum of 2 years in prison and fine of up to $10,000

 

4-200 grams: a 1st-degree felony punishable by a minimum of 5 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000

 

200-400 grams: a 1st-degree enhanced felony punishable by a minimum of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $100,000

 

400 grams or more: a 1st-degree enhanced felony punishable by a minimum of 15 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000

 

Defendants who have been convicted of a prior drug crime will face harsher punishment. If a first-time offender is caught by the federal government with 200 grams of heroin for sale, they face 5 to 40 years in federal prison and a fine of up to $5 million. A second time offender arrested with the same 200 grams of heroin faces 10 years to life in prison and a fine of up to $8 million. Remember, the federal government and the states have different laws, so it is necessary to note the specific rules for each state or territory.

To put 200 grams into perspective, it basically measures out to a cup and a half. Ruggs killed a woman, she and her dog burned alive, but he’ll do far less time than someone caught trying to sell a cup and a half worth of cocaine. Something seems very wrong with that picture.

Edited August 10, 2023 by JayBaller10

[PetermansRedemption]

1 minute ago, JayBaller10 said:

These are Texas laws if one gets caught selling heroine, cocaine, or another “group 1” drug:

 

To put 200 grams into perspective, it basically measures out to a cup and a half. Ruggs killed a woman, she and her dog burned alive, but he’ll do far less time than someone caught trying to sell a cup and a half worth of a cocaine. Something seems wrong with that picture.

Absolutely. And I mentioned it before, you can have someone doing more time in prison for assault or armed robbery than someone who actually kills someone and pleads to murder.  The legal system is way too subjective to be considered even somewhat “fair”. 

[unbillievable]

He'll still be young enough  to sign as an NFL FB when he gets out.

[Beck Water]

14 minutes ago, JoPoy88 said:

yes trust me I get it - two entirely different cases, the intent to harm certainly wasn’t there for Ruggs - I’m just saying the optics are bad, especially considering the horrible way the woman Ruggs hit died.

 

Apparently there was a problem with the blood alcohol evidence in Ruggs case, and the DA was afraid the defense would win a motion to suppress the evidence.

 

I'm all for "probable cause" but this sounds sketchy AF

Quote

The statement said a field sobriety test couldn’t be administered to Ruggs because he was transported from the accident scene to University Medical Center of Southern Nevada. Law-enforcement officers sought a search warrant by telephone while at the scene so blood could be drawn from Ruggs at the hospital for an alcohol-content test.

Wolfson said the test revealed Ruggs’ blood-alcohol content to be 0.16 percent. The legal limit for drivers in Nevada is 0.08 percent.

In May 2022, Ruggs’ attorneys filed a motion to suppress results of evidentiary blood-sample testing, arguing there was insufficient probable cause for Judge Harmony Letizia to approve the warrant that allowed the blood draw.

“This presented a potential legal impediment to the prosecution,” the statement from the District Attorney’s Office read. “If the result of the blood draw was suppressed, there was virtually no other evidence to prove Ruggs was under the influence. Had the suppression motion been granted – and there was a strong likelihood because no (field sobriety tests) were performed and there was not information given to the judge that Ruggs had bloodshot/watery eyes, smelled of alcohol or had been drinking prior to the crash – the DUI death charge would have been dismissed.”

The statement from the District Attorney’s Office does not include that Judge Ann Zimmerman ruled on July 12 that the results of the blood-alcohol test could be used as evidence.

 

So they didn't perform a field sobriety test because Ruggs needed to be transported to a hospital for treatment and LEO rightly didn't want to interfere with that, but then the judge wasn't informed that Ruggs had bloodshot eyes, smelled of alcohol, or had been drinking prior to the crash - so the lack of interfering with hospital transport by insisting on a field sobriety test would then be used against the DA to suppress legitimate properly collected and handled blood evidence.

 

Makes me queasy to consider. 

 

I think a guy driving into a young woman's car at 156 mph so that she burns to death should be considered probable cause to test for alcohol and drugs.

[JoPoy88]

6 minutes ago, Beck Water said:

 

Apparently there was a problem with the blood alcohol evidence in Ruggs case, and the DA was afraid the defense would win a motion to suppress the evidence.

 

I'm all for "probable cause" but this sounds sketchy AF

 

So they didn't perform a field sobriety test because Ruggs needed to be transported to a hospital for treatment and LEO rightly didn't want to interfere with that, but then the judge wasn't informed that Ruggs had bloodshot eyes, smelled of alcohol, or had been drinking prior to the crash - so the lack of interfering with hospital transport by insisting on a field sobriety test would then be used against the DA to suppress legitimate properly collected and handled blood evidence.

 

Makes me queasy to consider. 

 

I think a guy driving into a young woman's car at 156 mph so that she burns to death should be considered probable cause to test for alcohol and drugs.

great info and yeah I vaguely remember back when it happened they had to do a blood draw. 
 

And honestly just the sole fact that you’re driving 156MPH through a residential area at night, you’re beyond reckless, and if you kill someone I don’t even care if you had anything in your system at that point. You go away for more than 3 years.

[Punching Bag]

42 minutes ago, Dr.Sack said:

At least Rugg’s had the decency to plead guilty unlike OJ. 

 

Nothing due to decency.  His laywer plea bargained because he determined his client would lose in court.

[Dopey]

Right now, I wonder what kind of person he’ll be when he gets out. No NFL money. Will he do right or come out with no hope and hits the streets. Sadly, I’ll forget about this by lunchtime. 

[BuffaloBillyG]

6 hours ago, JoPoy88 said:

yes trust me I get it - two entirely different cases, the intent to harm certainly wasn’t there for Ruggs - I’m just saying the optics are bad, especially considering the horrible way the woman Ruggs hit died.

Disagree. It could be and I've seen it successfully argued in a court of law that getting behind the wheel while intoxicated IS intent to harm. As would be driving 156MPH on a public road. 

[Lost]

misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter has to be one of the biggest oxymorons in the English language.  Under what context should taking someone's life ever be considered "no big deal"?    

[MJS]

30 minutes ago, BuffaloBillyG said:

Disagree. It could be and I've seen it successfully argued in a court of law that getting behind the wheel while intoxicated IS intent to harm. As would be driving 156MPH on a public road. 

I was going to say the same thing. Everyone knows the risks and he refused to acknowledge them. It was willful endangerment. It is as close to intent to harm as you can get.

[Rc2catch]

Just crazy. The amount of people doing more time for so much less. And this dude will be back in the league before he’s 30 after killing someone. Not sure of the good behavior rules at this level of crime etc etc but when I was younger you only had to do 2/3 of your time with good behavior. Money might not buy happiness as they say, but it sure can keep you out of trouble. 

[Ridgewaycynic2013]

32 minutes ago, BuffaloBillyG said:

Disagree. It could be and I've seen it successfully argued in a court of law that getting behind the wheel while intoxicated IS intent to harm. As would be driving 156MPH on a public road. 

 

15 minutes ago, Lost said:

misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter has to be one of the biggest oxymorons in the English language.  Under what context should taking someone's life ever be considered "no big deal"?    

"The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers".

Henry VI, part 2, Act IV, Scene 2.

Throw in a bunch of legislators and judges while you're at it...

[Doc]

Ridiculous. The poor girl burned to death, which is one of the worst ways to die and all this guy gets is 3-10 years?

[Goin Breakdown]

8 hours ago, HansLanda said:

It's crazy this stuff still happens. There are so many options to not be behind the wheel - no matter your social status. 

This on top of weed and texting. No one even bothers to check for weed it seems. 

[Matt_In_NH]

Leanard Little killed someone drunk driving and kept playing

 

"Little didn't play the rest of the season, and he would be placed on the non-football injury list. But the outrage was only beginning. Months later, when he pled guilty to involuntary manslaughter, he was given a sentence of 90 nights in jail and 1,000 hours of community service"

 

There was a receiver for the Ravens who got no jail time for the same thing...he just payed the family 5M to not push it.

[Behindenemylines]

1 hour ago, Dopey said:

Right now, I wonder what kind of person he’ll be when he gets out. No NFL money. Will he do right or come out with no hope and hits the streets. Sadly, I’ll forget about this by lunchtime. 

It’s not sad to forget about him-he’s a killer.  What he did wasn’t some stupid mistake, it was purely criminal.   The only sad part is what the victim went through and what her family will continue to go through. 
 

If he only does 3 of the 10, he’s still very young.  What are the chances he tries to come back to the NFL?  Can they actually ban him if he’s done his time?  I would think there are felons currently playing but I could be wrong.   And what team would even consider him? 
 

as you mentioned his prospects will be very limited when he’s out.  

[Utah John]

10 hours ago, Doc Brown said:

I don't want to destroy two young lives but three years is too lenient.  Should've at least been 15 minimum imo.

Well, Ruggs destroyed (ended) two young lives, in a most horrific way.  The victim was alive after the crash and couldn't get out of her car while she burned to death.  Of course neither could her dog.

[Utah John]

9 hours ago, chongli said:

Damn...OJ gets 33 years from Nevada for kidnapping and armed robbery, but Ruggs gets just 3-10 from the same state?

Yeah, well, OJ was really sentenced to that big term for murder.  It's not how the system is supposed to work, but everyone knows he did kill those people, and he finally got something close to the right punishment.  Again, I'm not saying that's how things should work, but if the original trial had reached the obvious conclusion, the kidnapping charge wouldn't have been grabbed by the justice system to put him away for so long.

[ChronicAndKnuckles]

Burned that poor lady and her dog alive. Pathetic, but I guess that’s what having money can do for u. Hopefully he comes out a much better person

[Beck Water]

9 hours ago, Limeaid said:

 

Nothing due to decency.  His laywer plea bargained because he determined his client would lose in court.

 

Ruggs was offered a plea bargain allegedly because the DA feared he would win in court.

 

3 hours ago, BuffaloBillyG said:

Disagree. It could be and I've seen it successfully argued in a court of law that getting behind the wheel while intoxicated IS intent to harm. As would be driving 156MPH on a public road. 

 

I certainly agree with you completely.  Get behind the wheel while drunk and drive, just like taking a gun and randomly shooting it along a residential street.  There may not be a specific intent to harm a specific individual, but every adult should realize there's a high probability of causing serious harm to SOMEONE.

 

Same with driving that fast on a public street.

 

There used to be an attitude to excuse actions when someone was drunk "he didn't mean it, he was drunk".  That's changed, but not far enough.

Edited August 10, 2023 by Beck Water

[Nextmanup]

11 hours ago, HansLanda said:

It's crazy this stuff still happens. There are so many options to not be behind the wheel - no matter your social status. 

And yet here in FLORIDA it is LEGAL to drive while holding your phone and talking or playing with it.

 

Studies have shown this is MORE DANGEROUS than driving drunk; it's more distracting.

 

Way to go Florida and every other state that allows this crap.

 

This country is so f-ing stupid.

 

 

[Beast]

Jalen Carter was racing and killed 2 people and got probation. It could be said those people that were killed were OK with Carter racing….but were they?

 

Carter wasn’t reported to be intoxicated but should that matter?  In fact, shouldn’t you be more culpable when you are sober?

 

Regardless, vehicle deaths aren’t taken nearly as serious as they should be.
 

 

[RobbRiddick]

I'm sure Mahomes will enjoy throwing this guy passes in about 3 years

[Beast]

4 minutes ago, Nextmanup said:

And yet here in FLORIDA it is LEGAL to drive while holding your phone and talking or playing with it.

 

Studies have shown this is MORE DANGEROUS than driving drunk; it's more distracting.

 

Way to go Florida and every other state that allows this crap.

 

This country is so f-ing stupid.

 

 

I agree and also disagree. Phones certainly can be an obvious distraction but so can eating fast food, putting on makeup, changing the radio station, turning around to look at a backseat passenger….

 

Where does it end? 

[muppy]

the poor victim suffered a horrific death. I don't think this sentence is long enough.  3 year possible minimum sentence? SMH Even a decade seems short . 

 

I hope he redeems his life after this. 

Edited August 10, 2023 by muppy

[Brand J]

7 minutes ago, Beast said:

Jalen Carter was racing and killed 2 people and got probation. It could be said those people that were killed were OK with Carter racing….but were they?

 

Carter wasn’t reported to be intoxicated but should that matter?  In fact, shouldn’t you be more culpable when you are sober?

 

Regardless, vehicle deaths aren’t taken nearly as serious as they should be.
 

 

He was racing, but the other drunk woman lost control of her vehicle and killed herself and her passenger. I don’t know if you can blame Carter directly for their deaths, sure he bears a responsibility, but he wasn’t the driver of the vehicle that wrecked. 

[Matt_In_NH]

12 minutes ago, RobbRiddick said:

I'm sure Mahomes will enjoy throwing this guy passes in about 3 years

why mahomes?