Five plead guilrty in Antigua taxi dispute

[jleq]

http://www.sfexaminer.com/world/ap/63452267.html

[salty dingo]

I heard they have already dug five graves and the scaffold is being constructed.

[jessemon]

It would have been much simpler if they had pled guilty a month ago.....:rolleyes:

[jetskier]

It would have been much simpler if they had pled guilty a month ago.....:rolleyes:

 

Or paid the taxi driver. :p

Dave

[jessemon]

Or paid the taxi driver. :p

Dave

That's a yepper Dave.....;)

Hope you all are well.....

[marshhawk]

How nice of those people to put up, at their own expense, these hoodlums who eventually do plead guilty and take the responsability of their actions. And for all of us here who thought it was taking soooooo long to handle this case, the nice people in Antigua actually postponed other cases to expedite the Americans. We are too used to Law and Order...court cases do not take a day. or an hour. What do you want to bet that alcohol was involved?:eek:

[deepnite10]

thanks for the update of the trial..

 

i wonder what will be their sentence?.

 

the locals who put them up while awaiting trial..who were they?..they certainly have my thanks..perhaps they re *thinking they are residence who have a financial interest in the outcome of this case*..

[big_duck]

I thought there were six. :confused:

[deepnite10]

they drop d the charges against the sixth defendent..

[kyrisong1]

Not sure why some are calling them hoodlums and such. We were not there and do not know how it all went down.

But I've heard reports of cab drivers saying one thing and then at the end refusing to take them back until they pay a way higher price. If this is the case the cab driver was ripping them off.

Did they act appropriately? No they acted childish and stupid, pay the cab and take your lumps for not sticking with a reputable cabbie or tourguide. But calling them hoodlums and judging them before you know all the facts.............well you just don't know and people should not assume.

JMO, Carole

[deepnite10]

if they pleaded guilty to assault and battery on a police officer..i guess that could classify them as hoodlums:confused:

[Little]

if they pleaded guilty to assault and battery on a police officer..i guess that could classify them as hoodlums:confused:

 

 

Agreed. That qualifys as Hoodlum behavior in my book.

[lknight27]

Not sure why some are calling them hoodlums and such. We were not there and do not know how it all went down.

But I've heard reports of cab drivers saying one thing and then at the end refusing to take them back until they pay a way higher price. If this is the case the cab driver was ripping them off.

Did they act appropriately? No they acted childish and stupid, pay the cab and take your lumps for not sticking with a reputable cabbie or tourguide. But calling them hoodlums and judging them before you know all the facts.............well you just don't know and people should not assume.

JMO, Carole

 

Exactly! Must be a hoodlum themself to even post that comment.:mad: Nothing has been said about the cabbie price gouging, which is why this mess happened in the first place. But one thing is sure, Carnival is dropping this port effective Janaury and swapping it with St. Maarten. Thank goodness!

[Mskala]

Just because someone pleads guilty doesn't make them a hoodlum. A lot of times, it doesn't even make them guilty!!

 

Since they were expediting the trial, it is my guess they were advised to plead to lesser charges, resulting in people being able to get back to their lives much quicker, especially with the amount of pressure of some of the parties involved, either directly or indirectly.

[Sargent_Schultz]

Starting a brawl with police doesn't exactly qualify them to be called model citizens, Ambassadors of America, etc.

[CruzVinnieCruz]

Not sure why some are calling them hoodlums and such. We were not there and do not know how it all went down.

But I've heard reports of cab drivers saying one thing and then at the end refusing to take them back until they pay a way higher price. If this is the case the cab driver was ripping them off.

Did they act appropriately? No they acted childish and stupid, pay the cab and take your lumps for not sticking with a reputable cabbie or tourguide. But calling them hoodlums and judging them before you know all the facts.............well you just don't know and people should not assume.

JMO, Carole

 

I agree and pleading guilty maybe the only way to end this thing with any speed. It has already been a month and I am sure they have jobs and families to get home too. The plea is part of taking your lumps and getting on with your life. None of us were there and the truth usually in somewhere in the middle of the versions of the story.

[sharonny]

First of all let me say that I think they reacted badly, so quickly and there is evidence that they caused bodily harm but.......think about it. How would you react if you were fearful. Your in another country and your taken somewhere questionable. Did you read there side of the story? Me, I would have just paid the $100.00, but hindsights 20/20. You hear horror story of things happening. DH went into town with a friend in Grand Turk, to get diapers no less and said that at one point they got a little suspicious and concerned going into the unknown. They said they were glad the wives and kids weren't with them.

 

There version...

 

http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-333312

 

Think about it.

[G'ma]

Not sure why some are calling them hoodlums and such. We were not there and do not know how it all went down.

But I've heard reports of cab drivers saying one thing and then at the end refusing to take them back until they pay a way higher price. If this is the case the cab driver was ripping them off.

Did they act appropriately? No they acted childish and stupid, pay the cab and take your lumps for not sticking with a reputable cabbie or tourguide. But calling them hoodlums and judging them before you know all the facts.............well you just don't know and people should not assume.

JMO, Carole

 

They weren't on trial for not paying the taxi driver...they were on trial for malicious damage and assaulting a police officer.

 

Charges to which they pled guilty.

 

That puts them in the classification of hoodlums...and thugs....

 

In our country, assaulting a police office can get you 10 to life,.

[TahoeBob]

delete

[realtreebar]

lets see pay 100.00 dollars or start a fight and have documents taken away and kept in antigua for a month and be away from home on an extended vacation:eek: must be some real upstanding citizens!! I would have to say defending them being called hoodlums PRICELESS!!!

[G'ma]

Exactly! Must be a hoodlum themself to even post that comment.:mad: Nothing has been said about the cabbie price gouging, which is why this mess happened in the first place. But one thing is sure, Carnival is dropping this port effective Janaury and swapping it with St. Maarten. Thank goodness!

 

A cruise line doesn't simply drop a port arbitrarily and at the last minute unless there is a travel advisory, a state of emergency, insurrection, etc. I'm confident this was in the planning stages for a while...and it is coincidental to this trial.

 

If Carnival dropped every port where passengers were arrested, jailed and put on trial, Jamaica would have been long gone...and Cozumel would follow.

 

People, use your heads... Carnival is shifting ships around all the time and have lately made radical changes in scheduling for many ships.

 

Those who were on trial committed serious crimes....and they would have been jailed anywhere, including here.

[TahoeBob]

lets see pay 100.00 dollars or start a fight and have documents taken away and kept in antigua for a month and be away from home on an extended vacation:eek: must be some real upstanding citizens!! I would have to say defending them being called hoodlums PRICELESS!!!

 

Its not like the cops could have overreacted, did they I don't know.

 

Have the police ever overreacted. Yes they have, If you don't think this is true please watch this youtube clip.

 

Has anyone ever been arrested on bogus charges, it has happened in the USA. The truth in this matter is somewhere in between the polices story and the story of the 6

[G'ma]

First of all let me say that I think they reacted badly, so quickly and there is evidence that they caused bodily harm but.......think about it. How would you react if you were fearful. Your in another country and your taken somewhere questionable. Did you read there side of the story? Me, I would have just paid the $100.00, but hindsights 20/20. You hear horror story of things happening. DH went into town with a friend in Grand Turk, to get diapers no less and said that at one point they got a little suspicious and concerned going into the unknown. They said they were glad the wives and kids weren't with them.

 

There version...

 

http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-333312

 

Think about it.

 

1. I would never have used a rogue cab. Taxi's in Antigua are licensed and rates are set - and posted. They probably chose this cabbie because they were able to get the ride cheaper.

2. If I were in the same situation, I would have paid the cabbie. There is no other option in a case like that.

3. I would have chalked it up as a learning experience.

 

If one is so fearful of the unknown, so afraid of the places and people they visit, then, stay home where you're comfortable.

 

Antigua is not some backwoods 3rd world country....to assume that somehow these idiots were being treated unfairly by police is silly.

 

They got what they deserved and hopefully will learn from it.

[sharonny]

They weren't on trial for not paying the taxi driver...they were on trial for malicious damage and assaulting a police officer.

 

Charges to which they pled guilty.

 

That puts them in the classification of hoodlums...and thugs....

 

In our country' date=' assaulting a police office can get you 10 to life,.[/quote']

 

Yes, they were on trial for assaulting, etc. but it was the dispute with the cab fare :eek: that put them into there journey in to the unknown (Twightlight Zone theme playing). :)

[TahoeBob]

 

Those who were on trial committed serious crimes....and they would have been jailed anywhere' date=' including here.[/quote'] A slight correction is needed in your statement. it seams that not all of them that were on trial committed a crime. One of them had the charges dropped.

 

 

....to assume that somehow these idiots were being treated unfairly by police is silly.

 

 

The fact is that many people get arrested for crimes they did not commit. sometimes people get arrested on bogus charges. This happened to my son when he was 14 years old. The good thing was when the charges went to the DA's office they were dismissed. As teh DA told me they were dismissed because there is no case they have nothing except a cop who is out of control.

 

This happened in Davis, California