Hakeem Bourne-McFarlane update\tidbit

[OnTheFifty]

Facing 86 months in prison.....even though he is a "good guy"???


http://www.winonadailynews.com/news/...cc4c03286.html


Former WSU player admits punching man
Story Discussion By Nolan Rosenkrans nolan.rosenkrans@lee.net | Posted: Thursday, May 6, 2010 12:00 am | 1 Comment

Font Size: Default font size Larger font size A former Winona State University football player admitted Wednesday he punched a man in the mouth, knocking out a tooth.

Gregory Hakeem Bourne-McFarlane, 21, of Bloomington, Minn., pleaded guilty to first-degree assault by causing substantial bodily harm. Bourne-McFarlane, known on the football roster without the "Gregory," was a freshman wide receiver at Winona State at the time of the 2008 incident.

Under the plea agreement, prosecutors will argue Bourne-McFarlane should be sentenced to 86 months in prison, the presumptive sentence under state sentencing guidelines. Clayton Tyler, his attorney, will argue that Judge Mary Leahy should depart from that sentence and not send his client to prison at the July 14 sentencing hearing.

According to police reports, officers were dispatched to Community Memorial Hospital late on Oct. 18, 2008, on a report of an assault. The 18-year-old victim told officers he was "sucker-punched"

by a man at a birthday party earlier in the evening.

Bourne-McFarlane admitted Wednesday that he was with a group of friends that night when they bumped into another group of people. The two groups exchanged words when someone pushed Bourne-McFarlane. He said he swung around a punched, knocking one of the man's teeth out.

The victim appeared in court Wednesday and called Bourne-McFarlane a friend. He said the two men resolved their differences weeks after the incident and told Leahy the fight was a misunderstanding.

"(Bourne-McFarlane) is a good guy," the man said.

[mebisonII]

Seriously, 7 years in prison for a punch and one tooth knocked out? I'm usually in favor of fairly harsh penalties and have a low tolerance for high-temper stupidity, but that's pretty ridiculous unless I'm missing something.

[TheBisonator]

Even if it ends up being felonious assault, is 7.2 years in the slammer too much?? I thought it was usually less than 3 years or so...

[onbison09]

7 years for a punch is stupid IMO

[Elite]

That’s just a recommended sentence. The judge hasn't ordered anything yet. Secondly, it needs to be recognized that he didn’t just punch someone, he caused substantial bodily injury (knocked a tooth out). If he just punched the victim, and the victim suffered some bumps and bruises, it’s a much different sentence.

Additionally, this article doesn’t make a lot of sense because 1st Degree Assault in Minnesota requires “great bodily harm” and he admitted, according to the article, that he caused “substantial bodily harm.” Assault causing substantial bodily harm in MN is 3rd Degree Assault, and 3rd Degree carries a maximum sentence of 5 years or $10,000 or both (1st Degree’s maximum is 20 years or $30,000 or both). 86 months is more than 5 years, but is the recommended sentence for 1st Degree Assault of an individual with no prior offenses, so I suspect the reporter maybe have just used the wrong word.

[X-Factor]

This is actually kind of frightening, and not because McFarlane punched the dude. I am frightened that we may now resort to burning at the stake and the guillotine if we can send someone to prison for over 7 years for just punching a dude and all that amounts is a tooth knocked out. Insane.

[ndsubison1]

Seriously, 7 years in prison for a punch and one tooth knocked out? I'm usually in favor of fairly harsh penalties and have a low tolerance for high-temper stupidity, but that's pretty ridiculous unless I'm missing something.

Yeah and we have child predators walking the streets

[tony]

Hey, if it's the law, it's the law. However, if poorer people consistently get seven years for the same crime that rich people get probation for, then I'd say that calling it a "justice system" is a an oxymoron.

[tjbison]

Just glad this clown isn't on our team anymore! And the 7 years could be because of other "issues" aka Probation he violated?? Which would mean a maximum sentance I don't know but just throwing it out there

[BisonNeil]

Just glad this clown isn't on our team anymore!

Couldn't agree more.

I find it somewhat interesting that he was part of, and supposedly the big catch, in what is turning out to be the most dismally bad 2008 recruiting class, arguably Bohl's worst and it wasn't that long ago