MARION JONES ASKS BUSH TO COMMUTE HER SENTENCE
WASHINGTON (July 21) - Disgraced Olympic track star Marion Jones has asked President Bush to commute her six-month prison sentence for lying to federal agents about her use of performance-enhancing drugs and a check-fraud scam
The Justice Department confirmed Monday that Jones is among hundreds of convicted felons who have applied for presidential pardons or sentence commutations, but would provide no further details. A pardon removes a conviction from someone's record, while a commutation only reduces or eliminates the person's sentence.
Such applications are reviewed by the Justice Department, which makes a recommendation to the president.
It's unclear when Jones, who won three gold and two bronze medals at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, made the request. She entered prison March 7 in Fort Worth, Texas.
After frequently denying that she ever used performance-enhancing drugs, Jones admitted last October she had lied to federal investigators in November 2003. Jones also admitted lying about her knowledge of the involvement of Tim Montgomery, the father of her older son and a former 100-meter world-record holder, in a scheme to cash millions of dollars worth of stolen or forged checks.
Jones was sentenced in January to six months in prison and 400 hours of community service in each of the two years following her release. She was sentenced to six months on the steroids case and two months on the check-fraud case, but was permitted to serve those sentences concurrently.
The judge in Jones' case said the check-fraud scheme was a major crime, and the wide use of steroids "affects the integrity of athletic competition.''
Jones deserves every minute of time she's gotten. She lied to her fans, many of whom are young athletes who look up to her. A lot of those kids believed and supported her when she adamantly claimed she had never used steroids. She mande herself out to be a victim, knowing all along it was a packmof lies. That she nadmitted it all to save her self diminishes her even more
Jones is already getting off easy; people have gotten years in prison on check scams. She got siz monts. She only has 2 more months to go. Instead of asking for a commutation, you'd think she'd be asking for a pardon and a clean slate.
Unless her nickname is "Scooter" she can forget a pardon from Bush.
i agree she not only had a chance to come clean, she lied to the feds. that thing with the checks, isn't that a felony. what did BARETTA say "don't do the crime if can't do the time". her and all the other athletes who cannot compete fairly, that is without enhancement drugs should all do some time..sending wrong messages to the youth of america or any other place..last week the bicycle rider in tour de france was caught, let's not talk abot the baseball players and the phoney wrestlers. CHEATS ALL OF THEM!!!
"Jones deserves every minute of time she's gotten."
I couldn't agree more.
Her sentence was not commensurate with her crimes, as is.
I'm ambivalent about these lying to the investigator charges. It seems odd to convict someone, not of the conduct, but of lying about the conduct. I think most of us wiuld lie about a unseemly conduct. It's unnatural to expect someone to come clean under these circumstances. This is what brought down Clinton-- lying about cheating, not the actual act of cheating.
In Jones' case, there was actual crime involved-- check fraud, so I guess she was properly convicted. I'm not sure she should be punished for doing steroids-- the only victim in this case is herself.
Bill Clinton didn't commit a crime, but was impeached for lying about a non-crime.
In any event, everytime I hear about this kind of thing, my antenna go up. I have to ask myself, who was hurt by the conduct, not if they lied.
Everyone deserves a second chance, and although Jones should have come clean, I can understand the pressure which was on her not to tell the truth.
Others have done more and have gotten less.
And the bottom line is that for someone who makes a living with endorsements, once convicted those too would disappear.
Her punishment should have been just community service, so that she could preach the evils of drugs.
The rules are not the same for everyone, as so many of us have realized.
I say pardon her, she will have to live with the shame.
My dear friend, obamamama, we part company on this issue. Not only is it a slippery slope, it's an abyss. To justify lying in any context is reprehensible to me. There may be circumstances where it is understandable, that doesn't make it right, in my humble opinion. The purpose for taking steroids is to gain a competitive edge. If the use of the particular drug(s) is banned in sports, it undermines what athletics is all about. Ms Jones was a champion. We will never know if her winning was the result of her cheating or her tremendous natural talents. To minimize the severity of her infraction is to tell young athletes, "it's OK to cheat as long as you don't get caught". I recognize that is a mantra which is condoned in a considerable part of American society, however, in the long run, no one wins. The challenge becomes who can be sneakier and more effective in hiding the way they cheat.
I agree with a pardon ... she has showen clear remorse for her crimes ... far more serious offenders have been set free.... I believe she can be a productive citizen.
I'm not saying lying is justifiable I just think that the enforcement branch ought to make a case for the crime, not rely upon lying under oath or obstruction of justice in order to convict. It's akin to entrapment, IMHO.
I guess I'm not that into athletics as most people in this country. If drugs are that frowned upon, require screening before any event, as with other drugs. I agree with you that we'll never know the impact upon of the drugs, which is why I think its much ado about nothing. We don't think enough is known about the impact of these drugs on an athlete's performance-- would Marion have been as good if she hadn't taken the steroids? Did she even take enough to affect her performance? Maybe performance enhancing drugs should be incorporated into the training routine. Maybe the old Soviet system had it right. If we are going to make gods and goddesses of an athlete, why not go all out?
Recall the athlete who died from use of steroid? Can't remember his name, but he made public service announcements after he knew he was dying. If that didn't deter athletes, why would prison sentence. It's like the pusher on the corner, offering quick reward. We hold out athletics as the best route to success, rather than ancillary to a good life. As long as we do that, certain of our youth will opt for the even faster route.
You guys can be as hardline ae you want. I know that forgiveness is valid only in situations that demand an effort to forgive exist. I forgive her. She deserves a second chance just as I had the blessing to receive such a chance. Jesus died for our sins while we are undeserving of such a sacrifice.
