If Ray Rice was not a famous NFL player would anyone care?
In February of 2014, NFL player Ray Rice of the Baltimore Ravens, and his fiancee Janay Plamer, were arrested in Atlantic City. The arrest was the result of a “simple domestic assault” which took place between Rice and Palmer. At the time Rice’s attorney said the incident was nothing more than a misunderstanding.
On February 19th TMZ released surveillance video of Rice dragging his unconscious fiancee out of an elevator. The video caused many to think that the incident was more than a “minor physical altercation” as described by Rice’s attorney. The NFL stated that they would look into the incident and asses a punishment through their personal conduct policy.
Police later said that they obtained video showing Rice had knocked Palmer unconscious. That footage was not leaked to the public. On March 27th Ray Rice was indicted for aggravated assault charges. The very next day he married Janay Palmer. Rice later agreed to a plea deal which kept his case from going to trial. In July the commissioner of the NFL, Roger Goodell, suspend Rice for two (2) games for the incident and the NFL case was closed.
On Monday, September 8th, the video from the inside of the elevator was released by TMZ. The video showed Rice hitting Palmer and knocking her out inside the elevator. Public outrage immediately followed and in response the NFL and the Baltimore Ravens suspended Rice indefinitely from the league. The public and the media than started calling for Goodell’s head for not suspending Rice much earlier. The Ravens Organization wasn’t spared from the public outrage either.
Domestic violence is a terrible plague upon our society. This horrible act happens on a daily bases in every city and state in our country. However, the only time the media and the general public raise any concern is when a celebrity is caught committing such a horrific act. The national news has been dominated by the Ray Rice story for the past week. Some say because it’s good for ratings, while others genuinely want to bring attention to the issue of domestic violence. Some have gone as far as saying a boycott of the NFL is in order. But will any of this stop domestic violence?
I am interested to see what happens when a new “better” story comes around. Will this topic get as much attention or will it be forgotten?
At the Law Offices of Arash Hashemi, our team of expert criminal defense lawyers is dedicated to fighting aggressively for our clients’ rights. To schedule a consultation with a lawyer at our firm, call us at (310) 448-1529 or contact us online. Located in Westside Towers in LA, our office is minutes from Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, and Westwood and steps away from the Expo/Bundy Station. We have flexible hours and offer weekend appointments, and we will visit you in jail for consultation on your case.
