Conquer Club

Ryan Lochte, shamed Olympian, has been charged with filing a false robbery charge in Brazil.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2016/aug/25/ryan-lochte-charged-rio-police-false-report

Brazilian police charge swimmer with filing false robbery report
Lochte could be tried in absentia if he doesn’t return to face charge
Charge carries a maximum penalty of up to 18 months in prison

Should he face the music?

Of course he should. Very unlikely that he will, though.

Dukasaur wrote:Of course he should. Very unlikely that he will, though.

I'm a bit torn, he seems like the kind of guy who will get away with it because he's famous, but also the kind of guy who will be made an example of because he's famous.

He's pretty screwed either way.

Symmetry wrote:

Dukasaur wrote:Of course he should. Very unlikely that he will, though.

I'm a bit torn, he seems like the kind of guy who will get away with it because he's famous, but also the kind of guy who will be made an example of because he's famous.

He's pretty screwed either way.

Well, financially he'll take a beating from his lost endorsements and stuff, but I don't think the criminal charges will result in anything tangible.

The U.S. has a lot of pull, and they don't like leaving high-profile national heroes, or former nation heroes, in foreign jails.

Dukasaur wrote:

Symmetry wrote:

Dukasaur wrote:Of course he should. Very unlikely that he will, though.

I'm a bit torn, he seems like the kind of guy who will get away with it because he's famous, but also the kind of guy who will be made an example of because he's famous.

He's pretty screwed either way.

Well, financially he'll take a beating from his lost endorsements and stuff, but I don't think the criminal charges will result in anything tangible.

The U.S. has a lot of pull, and they don't like leaving high-profile national heroes, or former nation heroes, in foreign jails.

True, although the US is kinda losing some of that pull over bigger cases than this. I'm not sure, given his very public corporate disowning, if he's the guy the US will fight for.

If he does, he'll only have his own dumbass self to blame.

muy_thaiguy wrote:If he does, he'll only have his own dumbass self to blame.

Do you think he'll get out of it?

To my grave I will defend Lochte in this instance.

Question 1: what sort of cunted-out bizarro legal system requires that vandalism repartitions are paid immediately? That is vigilante justice, and illegal in any modern system.
Question 2: since when does breaking a half dozen objects require a gun being pulled out? Hadn't the security guards ever learned "draw it to shoot it, shoot to kill"

Lochte's lie made Brazil seem better than the "truth" so he probably only lied to save the Brazilians from making a total ass of themselves. He should be lauded as a gentleman for taking their bosom interests into account before making the matter public.

DoomYoshi wrote:To my grave I will defend Lochte in this instance.

Question 1: what sort of cunted-out bizarro legal system requires that vandalism repartitions are paid immediately? That is vigilante justice, and illegal in any modern system.
Question 2: since when does breaking a half dozen objects require a gun being pulled out? Hadn't the security guards ever learned "draw it to shoot it, shoot to kill"

Lochte's lie made Brazil seem better than the "truth" so he probably only lied to save the Brazilians from making a total ass of themselves. He should be lauded as a gentleman for taking their bosom interests into account before making the matter public.

Sounds like he should face the charges, no?

Symmetry wrote:

muy_thaiguy wrote:If he does, he'll only have his own dumbass self to blame.

Do you think he'll get out of it?

I honestly don't know. Though vandalism and drunk and disorderly conduct aren't exactly the mos convincing things to use extradition for. And Lochte has lost quite a bit in sponsorship.

It might be settled out of court (happens often enough in the US in similar cases), if Lochte ponies up the cash to fix things up and give the owner a more comfortable life for a while.

DoomYoshi wrote:To my grave I will defend Lochte in this instance.

Question 1: what sort of cunted-out bizarro legal system requires that vandalism repartitions are paid immediately? That is vigilante justice, and illegal in any modern system.
Question 2: since when does breaking a half dozen objects require a gun being pulled out? Hadn't the security guards ever learned "draw it to shoot it, shoot to kill"

Lochte's lie made Brazil seem better than the "truth" so he probably only lied to save the Brazilians from making a total ass of themselves. He should be lauded as a gentleman for taking their bosom interests into account before making the matter public.

1: Vigilante justice is better than no justice. Yes, the rule of law is preferable, but if you live in a place where the rule of law is rather ineffective, you do what you can.

2. When you work the night shift in the bad part of town, you have a lot to fear, and fear can feed over-reaction. Don't judge until you've been in that position.

When I was driving cab, a guy flipped out on the night clerk at the gas station at Niagara-Facer-Vine. The guy was drunk, verbally abusive, he smashed the interac machine and started knocking stuff off the counter. The night clerk pulled out a baseball bat, gave the drunk a couple of quick cracks and knocked him out. I hung around for the cops to come because I wanted to see how it would turn out. Given the prejudice against weapon use in Canadian law, I expected the cops would charge the clerk for excessive use of force or concealed weapon, but they did not. The cops agreed, the guy is working the night shift in a scummy neighbourhood, he has to live in a degree of fear and you have to give him some latitude in situations like that.

I love street justice.

muy_thaiguy wrote:

Symmetry wrote:

muy_thaiguy wrote:If he does, he'll only have his own dumbass self to blame.

Do you think he'll get out of it?

I honestly don't know. Though vandalism and drunk and disorderly conduct aren't exactly the mos convincing things to use extradition for. And Lochte has lost quite a bit in sponsorship.

It might be settled out of court (happens often enough in the US in similar cases), if Lochte ponies up the cash to fix things up and give the owner a more comfortable life for a while.

I suspect it's become a matter of national pride, on both sides. Brazil hates the fact that the US looks down on them, and that a prominent figure did so at a point when they should rightfully be proud. The US doesn't trust anything south of Texas.

Symmetry wrote:

muy_thaiguy wrote:

Symmetry wrote:

muy_thaiguy wrote:If he does, he'll only have his own dumbass self to blame.

Do you think he'll get out of it?

I honestly don't know. Though vandalism and drunk and disorderly conduct aren't exactly the mos convincing things to use extradition for. And Lochte has lost quite a bit in sponsorship.

It might be settled out of court (happens often enough in the US in similar cases), if Lochte ponies up the cash to fix things up and give the owner a more comfortable life for a while.

I suspect it's become a matter of national pride, on both sides. Brazil hates the fact that the US looks down on them, and that a prominent figure did so at a point when they should rightfully be proud. The US doesn't trust anything south of Texas.

The US doesn't trust what comes from Texas sometimes, in all fairness.