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Thursday, June 14, 2012 | 2 a.m.
Floyd Mayweather denied house arrest
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KSNV reports that a judge denied boxer Floyd Mayweather's plea to be transferred from the Clark County Detention Center to house arrest due to inhumane conditions, June 13.
Sun coverage
So the jailed Floyd Mayweather Jr. was crying uncle, and who could blame him? To believe his court papers, his boxing career is at risk of collapsing because he’s withering away in jail, serving a 90-day sentence that began June 1 for domestic violence against his ex-girlfriend.
He has to drink tap water instead of bottled water, the jail food isn’t as good and plentiful as what his private chef prepares back home, and he’s right, there just isn’t room in his cell for his fitness equipment. Well, damn.
But none of that won the sympathy of Melissa Saragosa, a justice of the peace. On Wednesday she denied Mayweather’s request to finish his sentence under house arrest, crushing the crazy notions of his legal team that the “inhumane” conditions of the champion’s incarceration will potentially end his career. No boxer had defeated Mayweather in more than 40 career fights. On Wednesday, a woman in a robe delivered a knockout blow.
His attorney had argued that because of his celebrity status, Mayweather was being unfairly treated as a hardened criminal, isolated in a small, one-man cell 23 hours a day. Cut him some slack, his lawyer asked; let him do his time at home.
Besides the rigor of house arrest — those ankle bracelets can chafe, you know — he still would have to finish 100 hours of community service and complete a year of domestic violence classes for assaulting ex-girlfriend Josie Harris last September while their children were present. (He’s paid a $2,500 fine, maybe from loose change he found in his sofa.)
Here are snippets from the lawsuit seeking Mayweather’s release from jail. Then I’ll give you my take.
• Dr. William Voy, a respected local doctor and Mayweather’s longtime physician, declares: “I am concerned about Floyd withdrawing, developing anger he cannot dissipate through the usual means of dedicated exercise and training, while he begrudging(ly) tries to accept the way he believes he is treated in a very unfair and inhumane way.
“I am also concerned that Mr. Mayweahter (sic) may have difficulty in dissipating his anxieties and natural anger because of a lack of exercise and training and this may lead to his withdrawal and the onset of depression.”
My take: So, when Mayweather pulled Josie Harris’ hair, punched her and twisted her arm while their children watched, he was a much calmer, collected and mature man.
• The document states: “Dr. Voy expressed deep concern for Mr. Mayweather’s health and explained any lengthy period of time with an inappropriate diet, coupled with lack of regular exercise, will most likely lead to irreversible damage at Mr. Mayweather’s physique. Such damage could and, most likely, would lead to Mr. Mayweather being unable to continue his boxing career.”
My take: We’re talking three months in jail, not three years. For an undefeated fighter, Mayweather certainly has a low tolerance level. If he can’t fully tend to his body, maybe he could at least work on his soul.
• The document says Mayweather can’t participate in group counseling, education or meetings available to general population inmates. Lawyers also write Mayweather can’t eat, watch TV or play cards with the others.
My take: Although I agree Mayweather needs to be involved with those therapeutic sessions as part of the rehabilitation process, the fact he isn’t playing cards and watching television with other inmates is comical. I’m a little surprised that with the NBA Finals having started this week, Mayweather — a basketball fan who regularly posts his bets on Twitter — wasn’t upset about not having a TV in is cell.
I was fundamentally opposed to the idea of early release or special privileges to make the sentence easier. It would have made a mockery of the legal system in my beloved hometown.
But I think there is room for negotiation moving forward. So let’s talk money.
Floyd, as a condition of receiving bottled water in your cell or some time in the jail’s workout room, how about donating a few million dollars from your next fight to the Clark County School District so it can hire back some teachers? And a few million for a shelter for battered women? Or to a youth boxing organization — one with a code of ethics for young men?
Because here’s the thing, Floyd. Your reputation in Las Vegas, a place you call home, is at an all-time low. Let’s talk redemption.
Ray Brewer can be reached at 990-2662 or ray.brewer@lasvegassun.com. Follow Ray on Twitter at twitter.com/raybrewer21.
Suck it up Thug.
His attorneys are a joke. That sales pitch of reasoning why he should get out made me laugh so hard when i read this story the other day. Floyd would have been better off requesting a special diet and commissary privileges. His buddy 50cent should have schooled him better on how to handle himself while jailing...damn...lol. His body's metabolism will slow down and he'll manage to get by as the rest of us do, in time. And have to workout a little harder when he gets out and be back to his normal flow in a few months. What a whiner.
"Suck it up..." whiner not thug.
Put him out there with O.J.
Comment removed by moderator. Personal Attack
I gained a bit more respect for our legal system when Judge Saragosa stood her ground and told his attorneys NO.
He has played the system in this town for years and it is about time he play by the same rules as the rest of us.
Sorry Mr. Brewer, I don't believe in letting him buy his way out of this one this time, not even for the schools.
Excellent article, hit the nail on the head.
Ray, your comment on giving money to district etc... has a noble meaning but would absolutely be garbage.
This is a man who has paid his way out of his consequences. THis was not his first domestic violence conviction mind you. He beat up a woman. The self proclaimed greatest fighter alive felt it neccesary to beat up a woman because she was seeing anothet local star CJ Watson.
Mayweather is a coward. An arrogant coward. An arrogant and filthy rich coward.
His charity work does not consist of hours upon hours of dedication to any cause. It's just throwing money to make it look good. Mayweather buying people turkeys on thanksgiving does not make up for the rest of his actions.
Mayweathers well timed $100,000 donation to Susan G. Kolman was another media stunt to try to make him look good. That $100K would be the equivelant of me dropping $7 in the collection box based on his salary. Would the news do a story everytime one of us donated .20% of our income to charity?
Mr. Mayweather tap water and 23 hour confinement do not shorten your boxing career. Beating up woman does.
U can take the idiot out of the hood but you cant take the hood out of the idiot.
A couple million for the schools.... if they give him 4 for 1 on house arrest that sounds fair. it's usually 2 for 1 i think. Double it because he gets to stay in a mansion. 8 months on house arrest less $2 million sounds about equal to 60 more days in jail.
Don't bend over in the shower Floyd.
Donate money? What about the $100,000.00 he donated to habitat for humanity or the $100,000.00 he donated to 3square or all the money he brings to Las Vegas when he fights. He has not fought outside of Las Vegas in years. In no way am I defending what he did but for the writer to act as if he has done nothing for this town is ignorant.
Re: Davey9970's "His attorneys are a joke" comment...
They may very well be a joke, I don't know. But consider the other side. Their client undoubtedly asked them to find a way out of doing the time in jail. "Find a way to get me house arrest, instead" was something they must have heard.
They probably looked at each other and said "How the hell are we going to do this?" They already finagled the system so he could fight his fight and make his $50 mil. so they did a pretty good job there.
To get Mayweather switched from solitary to a mansion would require grasping at straws which they did. The request probably sounded silly to them as they were writing it down but I think they did their best under the circumstances.
I don't think they were the joke, per se. It sounds like their client is the joke for actually thinking he was better than everyone else who commits the same crime.
Dynamic... $100,000 is .20% of his last paycheck. Do you think i deserve the same credit for donating $7? It takes no effort for him to donate money, it means nothing to him. It's such a tiny fraction. It's less than what he gambles in a week. It's a tax deduction. I'd rather he donate nothing and spend a few hours a week volunteering. Giving away money you don't need takes zero effort please don't be so easily fooled
Remember this day Saragosa when Floyd is fighting in Dallas stadium! The hospitality industry makes a few bucks when he fights here and because of your decision, you won't have many friends in this town!! I heard through the grape vine, Floyd won't fight in Vegas again after this!
toloff, so what you;re saying is when economic impact is t risk beating women should be minimized? GTFO people
I think that most people reading this story do not understand Mayweather is in a jail inside the jail. He's in solitary confinement and it's a lot worse than just being in jail. I do agree he should do his time, except he shouldn't be treated differently (worse) than the other inmates. Heres a link on solitary confinement from Wikipedia on what he's being held in.
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solitary_...
anthony...he's a celeb. If he prefers to go in gen pop that's his choice but something would happen and then the county is on the hook. 100% easy way to avoid all of this mess? DOn't beat a woman. Nobody asked him or forced him for the third documented time in his life to put his hands on a woman. He made that choice. Hopefully after these terrible 90 days he will think about it next time he thinks about raising his hand
I guess he has to lay off the gambling at various casinos around town for a little while eh? Oh boo hoo!
He's got such a natural ability and more money than he could ever hope to spend. This guy should learn to represent his sport with class instead of being a thug everywhere he goes. I've seen this guy out at one of the resorts when I was playing one night and was appalled at the racist remarks towards casino employees that I brought it up to one of the shift bosses and the guy says "we'll take care of it" but yet nothing was done. I guess his gym bags of money do the talking everywhere except jail.
My applause to the justice of the peace for denying his request for home arrest. Maybe he actually learns something, but I'm leaning towards that not really happening.
I'm glad he failed. He is a world champion fighter with skills possessed by only a handful of people in the world. He is a multimillionaire many times over.
How would many describe such a person who physically abuses a female? Punk A--, at best. The only shame here is that he only has to do 90 days. Appearing before my bench would bring much, much more.
Mayweathers attorney seems to forget that as a convicted fellon or criminal you need to check inside the correctional facility as an ordinary prisoner and not a privileged person. Money can buy you a special status even if you have a lot of dough.
I don't quite understand why they don't put him in general population. He has money, and like any high profile person with money, the first thing he does when he enters general population is he finds the toughest, most feared inmate, pulls him aside, and says something to the effect of: "I want to pay you $1000 a week on your books to provide me with security and make sure nobody tries to shake me down or whatever. Do you want the job?" If the guy says "You're a millionaire, I want $10,000 a week" then you say "I'll can hire a few crack heads for $100 a week but I'm choosing you. Do you want the business or not?" 99 out of 100 times the person would take the gig after you BS them on offering them special perks when they get out of jail, get to hand with you on the streets, build a trusting friendship that can translate to big money on the streets, etc etc. I read a lot of crime stories and this is how mobsters and politicians like Michael Milken did it when they went to prison. Milken even had some of the prision staff on his payroll. Maybe that's what the jail is scared of, and if that's the case, they're not right. My guess is that Floyd could handle himself just fine in general population but the cops are scared he buys himself some special privileges since he makes more than the entire staff of the jail combined, times 10.
Forget about the tap water, the fake bologna sandwiches, etc.. Those were ancillary issues that probably should not have even been argued by Mayweather's defense team. His attorney guilded the lilly. The lilly of course is never even remotely identified by the article's reporter. The reporter's "take" is light years from the legitimate recognizable legal issue which was argued by Mayweather's counsel. This news article panders to the popular uninformed and elementary position typically grasped by the public, which is, in effect "you did the crime now do the time." The reporter and the public in general cannot comprehend the fundamental unfairness,specifically, that every prisoner inside of CCDC being held on a misdemeanor(s), is receiving preferential treatment compared to Mayweather. The system's decision that it cannot ensure his safety in the general population has nothing whatsoever to do with any bad act by Mayweather. Quite the contrary, he is a potential target in the general population owing to a lifetime of stellar achievement. And for that he is being awarded with solitary confinement. There is a legally permissable alternative to this wrong, and it too was argued by his attorney. Residential confinement is statutorily within the discretion of the Justice Court. The judge could have set maximum conditions on the residential confinement such as electronic monitoring, random visits, etc. It's not a question of whether Mayweather deserves residential confinment for his crime. The issue concerns our State's judicial tendencies when confronting a clear example of unwarranted punishment. My guess is that this particularly bright and fair judge was too overwhelmed by the ignorant populace so much so that she knew it would have called for her head had she done the correct thing. This news article fosters the perpetuation of unfair judicial decisions driven by the public's emotionally driven ignorant demands, i.e., hatred.