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BBC Johnson free to play for Sunderland

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janey said:
If he pleads guilty (unlikely I'd think) I'd imagine he will be sent to Crown for sentencing because the Mags woukdnt have the powers to hand down the sentence he'd likely get.
If he pleads not guilty it will be committed to Crown for trial, and I'd imagine it woukd take months.
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Was just going to say if it goes to crown god knows how long it'll go on for.
 

Gaz said:
It


Was just going to say if it goes to crown god knows how long it'll go on for.
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I said earlier if it goes to Crown we could feasibly stop up this year and be in the same position this time next year before there is a trial
It also raises the question of where he'd get a fair trial, he's not going to get that in front of a jury of Mags, let's be honest
 
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Dogbark said:
You're really scared of what opposition fans will say? :eek: :lol:
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It wouldn't look good to have fielded him, when it was known he could later be convicted. If he ends up being exonerated then that's a different mater. It's a gamble. Would you prefer the club to be tainted?
 
janey said:
If he pleads guilty (unlikely I'd think) I'd imagine he will be sent to Crown for sentencing because the Mags (that's magistrates not mags as in Newcastle wouldn't have the powers to hand down the sentence he'd likely get.
If he pleads not guilty it will be committed to Crown for trial, and I'd imagine it woukd take months.
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Not quite. Grooming and USI are both triable either way so it could be heard in either. He can elect a Jury trial at Crown or it can go there if, as you say, he is likely to get a sentence in excess if 6 months. Mags can deal with grooming and impose a 6 month sentence and fine. Any conviction for UsI is likey to be concurrent so in theory Mags could well hear it if a not guilty plea is entered.
 
janey said:
I said earlier if it goes to Crown we could feasibly stop up this year and be in the same position this time next year before there is a trial
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janey said:
I said earlier if it goes to Crown we could feasibly stop up this year and be in the same position this time next year before there is a trial
It also raises the question of where he'd get a fair trial, he's not going to get that in front of a jury of Mags, let's be honest
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It also raises problems with contract imo. It runs out next year i think, so club might not be able to renew before trial and other clubs unlikely to sign him while its ongoing

What a mess
 
Big-G said:
Legal question for those with a bit more knowledge (and sorry if SEB). He is due in magistrates court in May. Do they have the power to deal with this kind of case, or is that magistrates appearance just to get referred to a higher court?
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Maximum sentence a Mags court can give is 6 month so if they think it is possibly more severe they will refer it to the crown court. Or if the max sentence is less than 6 months then Johnson may think he has a better chance of being acquitted in a crown court with a jury rather than leaving his fate in the hands of 3 magistrates so he could ask for a crown court hearing. I taught law, badly, but thats the crack.
 
janey said:
I said earlier if it goes to Crown we could feasibly stop up this year and be in the same position this time next year before there is a trial
It also raises the question of where he'd get a fair trial, he's not going to get that in front of a jury of Mags, let's be honest
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It wouldn't be heard at Newcastle Crown though! Leeds most likely.
 
Gaz said:
It also raises problems with contract imo. It runs out next year i think, so club might not be able to renew before trial and other clubs unlikely to sign him while its ongoing

What a mess
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Exactly, I wouldn't imagine anybody would sign him. I'm completely undecided about the right action, arguably one of our better players, suspended, might be found not guilty, might not get to court even, sitting doing nowt for a year, vs playing a player who is found guilty of something nobody is comfortable with.
I honestly feel a bit sorry for the people making the decisions, damned if they do, damned if they don't. No easy answer to this like
 
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I am Boss said:
:eek:

Relegation would destroy us! I'd rather we had other fans giving us stick for a couple of seasons than going down and probably not be back for a very long time
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I'd rather people realised there's more to life than money
 
I am ambivalent about this as a key part of the legal system is innocent until proven, however being charged with taking advantage of under age girls is f***ing horrific for a man in his position and it doesn't sit comfortably for me.
 
UrbanFox said:
[The club will have no doubt consulted their retained law firm and acted in accordance with their advice. Where's the deceitfulness in that ?]

If the gravity of the case warranted suspension following mere arrest but now apparently doesn't warrant suspension at the real prospect of imprisonment then yes, there is a strong whiff of duplicity or "doubleness" in this. Like others, I wonder whether this strange "volte face" by the club is brought on by the fear of losing an influential player at such a financially critical stage of the season.
I wonder whether the club would have twisted on their decision had it involved say, Bridcutt, with only a dozen games played?
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The original suspension was to allow an investigation to take place and establish the situation. It's not considered as a disciplinary action and in law suspensions are recommended for creating a space for consideration to be made in response to events. In effect there has been a decision made to allow the law to take it's course as people are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. It's not an 'about face' at all.
 
Stantheman said:
Maximum sentence a Mags court can give is 6 month so if they think it is possibly more severe they will refer it to the crown court. Or if the max sentence is less than 6 months then Johnson may think he has a better chance of being acquitted in a crown court with a jury rather than leaving his fate in the hands of 3 magistrates so he could ask for a crown court hearing. I taught law, badly, but thats the crack.
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The max for grooming if tried summarily is 6 months but its ten years on indictment .
 
I am Boss said:
:eek:

Relegation would destroy us! I'd rather we had other fans giving us stick for a couple of seasons than going down and probably not be back for a very long time
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Bollocks.

Relegation wouldn't destroy us. We've been there before and no doubt will be again.

This isn't about 'other fans giving us stick' - it's rather more fundamental than that....
 
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