jediwands

Some good news: 5 takeaways from the Democrats' big night

everwoodfan52

So glad NJ now has a Democratic governor.





What the heck?????

UCLA basketball players 'arrested in China for shoplifting' - BBC News

jediwands

This could potentially be really serious:

LiAngelo Ball Reportedly Could Face 3-10 Years in Jail for Shoplifting in China | Bleacher Report

What complete idiots. They are in a foreign country, a communist country, one that has very strict laws. Shoplifting here in America is a Petty Misdemeanor which usually is a slap on the wrist and/or a fine and almost never jail time. Even if you would get jail time for shoplifting we are talking days in jail, not years!

This is China, this is not America. If these three UCLA basketball players are found guilty, they are going to need all the help they can get from the US. If they weren’t UCLA basketball players with probable connections, from what I have read and listen to they would get 3 to 10 years without question. Now will they get that? It may come down to the UCLA president making calls but extra help will be needed.

jediwands

Ha we posted the UCLA bit at the same time. LOL

Great night last night in politics! Given the results last night the American people are speaking loud and clear.

everwoodfan52

We are in sync again! Seriously though...what idiots!

jediwands

I know! Shoplifting is ridiculously stupid no matter what part of the world you are in but to go to China of all places and shoplift? It's just ludicrous. Of course the Ball family thinks everything is going to be just fine. I hope that's just outwardly and internally they are scared shtless because they should be! I was listening to a lawyer on First Take talk about this and how China is so different. People in China convicted of shoplifting go to prison, for real, for years. They also get lost in the system sometimes and it takes forever to even get the sentence. It's incredible.

everwoodfan52

Right now they're out on bail. I'm surprised.

jediwands

I am too. That’s the thing, does bail indicate that a deal is in the works? Maybe. Unless the Chinese government cares about appearances and they don’t want intense critical media coverage. I don’t believe the Chinese would be out to get them. It’s just their laws that are across the board and have been in place for many many years. They are very traditional when it comes to laws and you absolutely have to respect their culture if you enter their country. They aren’t allowed to leave that certain hotel until everything is settled. I read that it could take months. I sincerely doubt it’s going to take months. I just know if they can prove all three committed this offense they can sentence them in strict fashion. Maybe they won’t be able to prove it though because apparently they relied on word-of-mouth before they arrested all three. They went to both teams to get information at which point they arrested them. Now I don’t know if that means they were picking up hearsay information or just validating what they knew. I guess we have to wait and see what comes next.

Jerry D

I'm surprised too. That was a really stupid move. It reminds me of that case where Otto Warmbier was arrested in North Korea for allegedly trying to steal a propaganda poster and was sentenced to 15 years hard labor, and his parents lobbied to get him back, but when he was sent back, he was in a coma and he died and it was very obvious that he had been tortured. Those Communist regimes are brutal. It may go better for them because their case has received more publicity and China is more cognizant of world opinion than North Korea is, but still, they’ve put themselves in a very bad position due to their stupidity.

jediwands

Otto Warmbier was definitely tortured. Horrible situation.

I just read that the prosecutors in China, their conviction rate is roughly 99.2%. Wow. A woman there got sentenced to 10 years in prison for stealing a cell phone and apparently that was a light sentence.

jediwands

jediwands

UCLA trio could face lengthy legal proceeding in China; basketball team moves on without them - LA Times

This part is so scary:

ds44

Ouch! Don't go to a dicatorship and committ a stupid crime. It's just dumb.

jediwands

Basketball is definitely massively popular in China. This sounds strange but basketball could be what allows these three to not receive prison sentences. I really don't know but it's very concerning. To Americans this seems not right and even ridiculous. We are talking a pair of sunglasses too. But this is China.

everwoodfan52

Just don't commit a crime anywhere!
Really stupid and embarrassing.

It's definitely a scary situation, but...they need to pay some kind of consequence.Not communist China kind of punnishment, but I don't think they should get away with it. Plus...what about UCLA? How are they going to handle it. In a perfect world they would be dropped from the team and perhaps expelled. They were representing the University and they do this?
A pair of sunglasses....I'm sure they didn't steal those because they couldn't afford it. So asinine.