BURRESS COULD BE FACING 3.5 YEARS IN JAIL
Posted by Mike Florio on November 29, 2008, 5:55 p.m.
As it turns out, the accidental self-shooting of Giants receiver Plaxico Burress occurred in a Manhattan night club on Friday night. Per
ESPN’s Jeremy Schaap,
the incident occurred at the Latin Quarter, a 15,000-square foot restaurant and club located in a Radisson Hotel.
ESPN’s Sal Paolantonio reports that the bullet went through skin and muscle tissue in the right thigh. No arteries were struck, and no bones were broken.
The Giants have confirmed generally that Burress suffered a bullet wound to his right thigh. However, the team’s statement did not address the cause of the shooting.
“We are aware of the fact that Plaxico was involved in an apparent accidental shooting last night. We have been in contact with Plaxico since shortly after the incident,” the statement said. “Obviously, our primary concern is for Plaxico’s health and well-being, and given the circumstances, we are relieved to say he was released from a New York City hospital at approximately 2 p.m. today.
Per the ESPN report, police said that Burress could face criminal charges if he was not licensed to carry a concealed weapon in New York.
And that’s where things get problematic for Burress. (Apart from, you know, the bullet in the thigh.)
If, as we’ve heard it, the accidental bullet came from a gun that Burress was carrying and if Burress was not in legal possession of the loaded weapon at the time of the incident, he could be facing a mandatory minimum jail sentence of 3.5 years.
In 2006, New York beefed up its laws regarding illegal gun possession. The following year, New York City officials embarked on a campaign aimed at communicating to all citizens the serious consequences of illegal gun possession.
“GUNS = PRISON” was the message.
“Last year, our Administration succeeded in pushing through a law that gives New York the toughest penalty in the country for carrying an illegal loaded handgun,” New York mayor Michael Bloomberg said in July 2007. “Now, if you are convicted,
you will serve a minimum of 3-1/2 years behind bars — no exceptions.”
Though it’s entirely possible that Burress dotted every “i” and crossed every “t” required to ensure that he would have the ability to legally take a loaded gun into a public club, he doesn’t have a reputation for following rules, either when imposed by society or by his employer. The Giants and the
NFL have fined him multiple times, and he has had problems with
unpaid parking tickets and
delinquent taxes in the past.
It’ll be very interesting to see how this one plays out.
