In a day I thought would never come, former New York Met and Yankee baseball player Darryl Strawberry is now behind bars – that’s right – jail – for the next 18 months, because a Florida judge had the stones to look beyond Strawberry’s notoriety and recognize him for what he was – a man who broke the law and a man who like any other lawbreaker, needs to pay his debt to society.
Strawberry (being fingerprinted, right) was sentenced to his 18-month term for violating his probation on six occasions following his 1999 arrest on drug and solicitation of prostitution charges. Previous attempts by the state to send him to prison had been successfully fought off by putting him into “drug rehabilitation”. Tell me folks, do you think any of us would get off with a simple trip to rehab if we had multiple convictions on drug charges? Give me a break! Such action only goes to reinforce the widely held belief that there really are two standards of justice – one for those who can afford it and one for those who cannot.
When Strawberry was in rehab, he saw himself above the rules of the other residents – as if he were better than the others – what a crock! When one is in a treatment program, certain rules are set in place for a reason for the safety and protection of oneself and other residents. Strawberry violated them by smoking cigarettes, having sex with a resident, trading baseballs for cigarettes, signing autographs and verbally abusing his counselors.
Fortunately for Strawberry, the judge who seemed to be in his pocket was on medical leave, and thus he was spared another “medical referral”. The judge filling on, retired judge Ralph Steinberg put the pedal to the metal and refused to accept any more excuses, ordering Strawberry to serve the sentence. Assuming he behaves while in the joint, he will be eligible for release in 13 months.
With Robert Blake (left) now looking at the possibility at life in prison without parole for the execution-style slaying of his wife Bonny Lee Blakely (right), it is hoped that the jurors in Los Angeles County will take to heart the lessons of Judge Steinberg in Florida and remember the words from the Constitution that “all men (and women) are created equal” and like Strawberry’s case, look past the celebrity factor.
The image of Lady Justice is blindfolded for a reason in that it is supposed to reflect the fact that all are equal before the law. The Founding Fathers did not have to deal with the ‘celebrity factor’ in their day and in all likelihood did not anticipate problems the likes of O.J. Simpson, John DeLorean and now Robert Blake. Unfortunately, we now find Lady Justice to be nothing more than a whore available for sale to the highest bidder as evidenced so clearly by Darryl Strawberry.
Perhaps with this sentencing yesterday, we will now begin to see some long overdue changes in the American judicial that will truly make us “one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”
Timothy Rollins
This article may not be reproduced in any form without the expressed written consent of its author.
Former New York Baseball Player Darryl Strawberry (AP)
Actor Robert Blake (AP)
Bonny Lee Bakley (AP)