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Five plead guilrty in Antigua taxi dispute


jleq

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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']

Didn't the article read that the police were not in uniform and they did not identify themselves as police? I stand behind my statement. You weren't there you don't know. One of the articles I read stated they did not identify themselves as officers and the uniform was not recognized as officers.

I didn't say they reacted intellegently, I simply stated we don't know all the why's and wherefores.

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Those cops were wearing pretty expensive watches and chains... :eek:

Agreed, and the compound they were taken to was not familiar as a police compound, it scared them, they're from Brooklyn, they felt they were defending themselves. Smart ? no but criminal? not gonna be so quick to judge.

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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

 

 

I have never been arrested on bogus charges. I have never been harrassed by the police. There are bad people in all professions. The police do the right thing 99 percent of the time yet everyone latches on to the few times they mess up. Are they suppose to be perfect?

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My father at 68 years old got arrested in is own front yard for mowing the grass. The poor guy was never in trouble with the law in his life but because of a tragedy that happen three days earlier police were everywhere. Two officers had a problem with him being in his yard even though it had nothing to do with what was happening or why they were posted there to begin with. The charges were dropped at the magistrates office.

 

Goes to prove just because they are wearing a badge not every action officers take is justified.

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Hey Schultz,

 

If the people were 40+ would they be credible to listen to?

 

So the cab driver is telling the truth? What is his side of the story?

 

What would force a human being to bite someone? Thugs don't do that, people fighting for their life do.

 

What if these people were not taking to a police station but to some place with real thugs and the woman were raped or people were robbed or killed? I will take a month and jail and a fine over risking the lives of my wife or friends.

 

Maybe the people did break the law but I don't think they intended to go brawl with police officers. Guilty or not guilty we shouldn't be going to Antigua if this is how law enforement acts.

 

 

Thugs don't bite people? Where did you get that info from?

 

It's sad how little people respect law enforcement.

 

They might not have intended to brawl with police officers but the fact remains that they did. Why should everyone avoid Antigua because a few got into trouble there?

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Are you kidding me?

 

I deal with the police and thier treatment of citizens almost every weekend. Thanks to what I have seen I am not sure what my reactions would have been, but get Andy and Barney off your mind because reality is far different.

 

This past weekend a lady mid 50ish hit a deer down by the river. The deer was badly injured but still alive. The lady called the sheriff's dept who sent out a deputy. The deputy shot the deer, but if did not die, except now it was making crying noises. The lady asked the deputy to shoot it angain to kill it. The duputy said, "It will die" while the deer is still crying and trying to get up. At that time the lady's son in law drives up with his gun.He saw what was going on and ask if the deputy was going to finish the deer off. The lady was crying. The deputy said no, it would die pretty soon. The deer is now in the road still crying and trying to get up so the sil says he will just finish him off and went to get his gun. When he came back with it, he found the lady in handcuffs being put under arrest for interferring with a deputy. He was told to put the gun back in his truch and he was then arrested also for the same thing. Backup showed up, shot the deer, dragged it out of the road and took the two people to jail. Gives you a warm and fuzzy feeling knowing those thugs are out protecting me, how about you?

 

Everyone in jail is innocent, ask any defense lawyer, and it sounds like a one sided story to me.

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My father at 68 years old got arrested in is own front yard for mowing the grass.

Unless he was doing it at midnight, or he was mowing in the nude, or he was shouting profanities, or unless they passed a law making it illegal to cut grass, I don't know why police would have a reason to arrest someone in his own yard. Makes you wonder what the country is coming to.

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Why should everyone avoid Antigua because a few got into trouble there?

Agreed. It would be small-minded indeed to base a decision to go somewhere on the actions of these people.

 

That's why I don't think Carnival's recent decision was based on this event. Carnival may have been using it as a bargaining chip to squeeze more money out of the authorities, though.

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Maybe the people did break the law but I don't think they intended to go brawl with police officers. Guilty or not guilty we shouldn't be going to Antigua if this is how law enforement acts.

 

Age has nothing to do with it.

 

I'll go to Antigua any day before I go to Brooklyn.

 

In the realm of Internet hearsay, both sides indicated the taxi driver said $50 to go and come. That means $50 each way, not $50 round trip.

 

I wonder how many people would prefer to be judged by Internet hearsay over facts presented in a court of law?

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Didn't the article read that the police were not in uniform and they did not identify themselves as police? I stand behind my statement. You weren't there you don't know. One of the articles I read stated they did not identify themselves as officers and the uniform was not recognized as officers.

I didn't say they reacted intellegently, I simply stated we don't know all the why's and wherefores.

 

Have you read ALL the articles that were written during trial. Some officers were in uniform, some officers identified themselves as such.

 

Of course this is a "he said, she said" story. Pretty much all criminal trials (and other trials) are such. It comes down to who you believe. I do not believe that anybody posting in this thread is going to convince anybody on the other side of the argument that they are wrong. No one is going to convince me that they did not know what they were doing and to whom they were doing it.

 

Some people have said they pled (plead) guilty to "cut their losses". On that we agree. I believe they were guilty, were convinced by their defense team that the best they could do is plea the charges down, because otherwise they were going to be in deep kimshee. The losses they were cutting were possibly some jail time and/or heavy fines.

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Agreed, and the compound they were taken to was not familiar as a police compound, it scared them, they're from Brooklyn, they felt they were defending themselves. Smart ? no but criminal? not gonna be so quick to judge.

 

I just find it odd that a cop would wear anything that expensive in that line of work. :confused:

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I just find it odd that a cop would wear anything that expensive in that line of work. :confused:

 

Nunu,

 

Are you saying that the cost of the damaged articles is inflated or they should not be wearing that expensive jewelry.

 

Have you looked at the peoples of the Caribbean. A whole lot of so called "bling" is being worn by a lot of the folks who live and work there (including the police). Would I? Not on a bet.

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Some people have said they pled (plead) guilty to "cut their losses".

 

 

While they may feel there cutting their loses.

 

There left with a record for rest of their lives .

 

Wonder if they will file that on their application for employment :rolleyes:.

 

Ever been arrested ? Well yea , I bit a cop in Antigua.

 

Perhaps that record will only be in Antigua.

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Have you read ALL the articles that were written during trial. Some officers were in uniform, some officers identified themselves as such.

 

Of course this is a "he said, she said" story. Pretty much all criminal trials (and other trials) are such. It comes down to who you believe. I do not believe that anybody posting in this thread is going to convince anybody on the other side of the argument that they are wrong. No one is going to convince me that they did not know what they were doing and to whom they were doing it.

 

Some people have said they pled (plead) guilty to "cut their losses". On that we agree. I believe they were guilty, were convinced by their defense team that the best they could do is plea the charges down, because otherwise they were going to be in deep kimshee. The losses they were cutting were possibly some jail time and/or heavy fines.

my only intention in my post was to point out that we really don't know, we were not there. But there are a lot of very judgmental people on this boards calling these people hoodlums and celebrating the fact that they are jailed.

I have no idea how it actually went and whether or not they are guilty. But I DO know that people are going to judge no matter what, and to argue this subject further is not constructive.

The moral of the story, use a reputable company if your going outside a ship excursion and if something unfair happens to you outside the ship, suck it up and just pay them off and get out, lest you be found to be a horrible hoodlum that attacks police, who are always right no matter what. :rolleyes:

And I agree with Nunu, why the heck are the "police" wearig bling at work, they'd get called on the carpet for it here. Oh wait this isn't "here" is it? It's a different country!!!!

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my only intention in my post was to point out that we really don't know, we were not there. But there are a lot of very judgmental people on this boards calling these people hoodlums and celebrating the fact that they are jailed.

I have no idea how it actually went and whether or not they are guilty. But I DO know that people are going to judge no matter what, and to argue this subject further is not constructive.

The moral of the story, use a reputable company if your going outside a ship excursion and if something unfair happens to you outside the ship, suck it up and just pay them off and get out, lest you be found to be a horrible hoodlum that attacks police, who are always right no matter what. :rolleyes:

And I agree with Nunu, why the heck are the "police" wearig bling at work, they'd get called on the carpet for it here. Oh wait this isn't "here" is it? It's a different country!!!!

 

 

I don't know where you live but here they are allowed to wear some "bling". Most choose not to because they don't want it snatched off or damaged.

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Have you read ALL the articles that were written during trial. Some officers were in uniform, some officers identified themselves as such.

 

Of course this is a "he said, she said" story. Pretty much all criminal trials (and other trials) are such. It comes down to who you believe. I do not believe that anybody posting in this thread is going to convince anybody on the other side of the argument that they are wrong. No one is going to convince me that they did not know what they were doing and to whom they were doing it.

 

Some people have said they pled (plead) guilty to "cut their losses". On that we agree. I believe they were guilty, were convinced by their defense team that the best they could do is plea the charges down, because otherwise they were going to be in deep kimshee. The losses they were cutting were possibly some jail time and/or heavy fines.

 

My thoughts are on the same lines as yours in this matter and you're right, it's just what I personally believe. This doesn't make them guilty. I just think they are.

Fortunately, what I think doesn't matter to them or affect them in any way.

 

Thugs don't bite people? Where did you get that info from?

 

It's sad how little people respect law enforcement.

 

They might not have intended to brawl with police officers but the fact remains that they did. Why should everyone avoid Antigua because a few got into trouble there?

 

I agree with all that as well.

CCL's decision to pull is solely based on the almighty dollar. I really don't enjoy being cynical but thinking they pulled from Antigua because of this is just silly. NO big business has the welfare of their cutomers as a priority. I don't believe for one second that this one incident caused CCL to remove Antigua from their itineraries.

 

I don't know where you live but here they are allowed to wear some "bling". Most choose not to because they don't want it snatched off or damaged.

again I agree!!

Maybe police wear bling in Antigua because they usually don't usually get fricking attacked!!!

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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. It actually happened to me three years ago, IN ANTIGUA with a cab driver named John Baptist. Just because we were smart enough to pay the extra money after being told one price, doesn't mean we were happy about it or that it was right, it just means we knew we couldn't win that particular battle..... and there was no alcohol involved either! :cool:

 

We were at a beach about 3 miles away and needed to find a taxi to get us back to the ship. A cab driver had just dropped two people off and we asked him how much to get back to the boat. Somehow after we got there, $14.00 turned into $40.00, and we WERE going to pay it!

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I have never been arrested on bogus charges. I have never been harrassed by the police. There are bad people in all professions. The police do the right thing 99 percent of the time yet everyone latches on to the few times they mess up. Are they suppose to be perfect?

 

With the power they wield.............yes they had better strive to be perfect.

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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

 

Whether the taxi driver was trying to rip them off or not. They choose to do an excursion on their own and not one with Carnival. So any one doing independent excursions take the risk of something happening. Whether it does or not you take that chance. As for the rip off of the tour, $50 as the tourist say or $50 each way as the taxi driver said. The extra $50 divided by the six people is less than $8.34 per-person. Let's see, $8.34 and my freedom and being able to get back on the ship, or argue and go to jail. I don't have to think about that one very long, I'll simply pay the $8.34 and get to go home.

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Nunu,

 

Are you saying that the cost of the damaged articles is inflated or they should not be wearing that expensive jewelry.

 

 

If they bought the jewelry at some of the "preferred shopping sights" they very well might be inflated.:D

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