[BJWilliams]

Emails are in order Im sure

[thepostman]

Do they realize the nightmare this could cause the entire athletic department? I mean, yes, we don't know the entire story here but with all the progress we've made as far as fundraising goes I would think they would be much more careful with these kind of situations. As seen yesterday, the lack of discipline off the field could easily be the reason for the lack if discipline when the going gets touch like it did last night.

I hate to jump to conclusions, but its so hard not to in this situation.

[jmdickens]

I've sort of known this for a while. Really unfortunate, and IMO this could be Barber's undoing. I wouldn't be shocked if getting his court date pushed back was intentional so he can come back.

DUDE! Where the crap did this come from? How could they push the date back? Please tell me Barber and Rocco really aren't considering this.

Good question.....but that is really just good lawyering if you are concerned about the well being of your client. That is what attorneys are supposed to do, right?

[flameshaw]

IF everything we think we know, is as it seems, I do not like this. However, JFJR and the rest of the leadership involved have always made the right decision (at least from this outsiders perspective), in these kinds of situations. I hope and pray that they make the correct one here as well.

[jmdickens]

flameshaw.....serious? this is about winning. The past few years we have seen this play out with athletes. Particularly college football players all across the US.

[FlamingChick]

Who knows what will happen with this, but I would just like to say that one thing that I admire about the football staff at LU and Mr. Barber is that they are not just concerned about the athlete, but they really care about the WHOLE person. If Asa does indeed come back, I wouldn't think it's just about winning. Also, I was very curious as to why he wasn't kicked out of school, with Liberty Way being so stringent. Obviously, there are things that are going on that the general public aren't privy to regarding this whole thing. Interesting...

[BJWilliams]

I've sort of known this for a while. Really unfortunate, and IMO this could be Barber's undoing. I wouldn't be shocked if getting his court date pushed back was intentional so he can come back.

DUDE! Where the crap did this come from? How could they push the date back? Please tell me Barber and Rocco really aren't considering this.

I looked at this and getting a continuance isnt a rare occurrence...I know mine was a totally different circumstance but I got a court date postponed this summer (I didnt have a lawyer for the record) because the issuing officer was a no show. Now we dont know what happened in the hearing that led to Asa's date getting pushed back necessarily and itd be safe to not speculate at this point.

[NG33]

From the outside this looks like a terrible decision, but before I jump to any conclusions I want to hear Rocco's take on this. I really hope there's more to the story, because the backlash to this would be huge..

[flameshaw]

flameshaw.....serious? this is about winning. The past few years we have seen this play out with athletes. Particularly college football players all across the US.

But so far, not at this university. I have confidence that the leadership will make the right decision. You play the game to win, but there are more important things than winning at any cost. I don't believe we are there yet and hopefully never will be.

[flameshaw]

double post.

[bigsmooth]

IF this is indeed the case we are just like any other school out there.

[Purple Haize]

Soap box time: you do not need football to turn your life around from a mistake like this. LU is perfectly able to assist the young man in ways that have nothing to do with athletics. Why must the apologists insist that by letting him play football we are helping him turn his life around? It's an implicit admission that he and the school can ONLY accomplish this live saving task by playing football. I don't buy it .

[jinxy]

Huge mistake if we do this, i would have to re-consider my support for the program if this happens and there is not a BIG time hole in the story that we know so far. I would be incredibly dissappointed.

[jbock13]

All I got to say is this. If I got pulled over and arrested for a felony, I'm pretty sure I would be suspended from campus for 2 semesters. So apparently there's a double standard here (shocker).

That's right folks. It's not the Liberty Way. Apparently, it's become the Liberty Suggestion.

[thepostman]

Who knows what will happen with this, but I would just like to say that one thing that I admire about the football staff at LU and Mr. Barber is that they are not just concerned about the athlete, but they really care about the WHOLE person. If Asa does indeed come back, I wouldn't think it's just about winning. Also, I was very curious as to why he wasn't kicked out of school, with Liberty Way being so stringent. Obviously, there are things that are going on that the general public aren't privy to regarding this whole thing. Interesting...

If this was another athlete that they didn't have high hopes they wouldn't reinstate them its already been proven so this statement is null

[ballah09]

we don't know the whole story.

robertson got hit with a felony (robbery). sat a few games. his charges were dropped.

i'm not saying they're the same but wait until we will see how this plays out before we jump over rocco and co.


until then welcome back asa

[jmdickens]

Anyone else been caught with cocaine???? Dont kid yourselves guys

[jbock13]

sorry this is off topic but I think we've found another song to play at the Liberty games... Eric Clapton.

[Hold My Own]

we don't know the whole story.

robertson got hit with a felony (robbery). sat a few games. his charges were dropped.

i'm not saying they're the same but wait until we will see how this plays out before we jump over rocco and co.


until then welcome back asa

Agreed...the one thing that I'm thankful for is this is pretty cut and dry whereas other things are hard to prove like robbery. You either had the drugs or you didnt, plain and simple.

I think Asa has been welcomed back well....he's been able to attend class and if there was any mistreatment towards him then I'm sure it would have come out by now, especially considering it seems everyone is watching this pretty close, in fact much closer than anything else around LU and the eyes extend even further. He needs to continue to be treated that way and receiving support from those tasked with that responsibility. I think of all places LU understands the need to worry about the person and not the player. Do everything you can to get the person on the right track and to not allow any distractions get in the way of getting his life straight...helping him restore order in his life is a process.

[SuperJon]

Why is Asa different than Aldreakis? Is it because he has NFL potential?

One of my best friends was almost kicked out of Liberty for a semester for having a beer at a Super Bowl party. He was of age, was not drunk, and did nothing illegal and they fined him close to $500, gave him 48 reps, made him perform over 30 hours of community service, and forced him to move on campus.

Asa is charged with a felony that, according to the letter of the law, can't even be brought against him unless there is cocaine present, and we're going to not only let him stay in school but also pay for his school and allow him to play football?

That's a joke.

There's grace in everything but there's also consequences for things as well.

We're sending a great message to the alumni and students if this actually happens. If it does, I have a feeling I'll be burning some bridges with my opinion on it.

[Schfourteenteen]

I think Asa has been welcomed back well....he's been able to attend class and if there was any mistreatment towards him then I'm sure it would have come out by now

I'm sure people are lining up to taunt the 400lb lineman!

Have fun with that Rocco interview, Mr. Lang!

[pbow]

I'm not trying to justify this situation, but the Liberty Way isn't enforced the same for all students whether the students in trouble are athletes or not. Not just by the deans, but by the RA's as well...and frankly I was very thankful for that when I was a student. No place that has rules enforces them the exact same way for everyone.

[R i]

What are the possible options for charges being dropped in this case?

[jafojimbo]

Hmm..ok, let's look at this from the legal side. Need to know if there was anyone else in the car when he was stopped, and we will presume that the stop was valid with reasonable suspicion and that there was probable cause to search the vehicle, or him.(those issues are for a different discussion, but could, depending on the facts, result in a dismissal) Was Asa found with the substances actually on him, i.e. actual possession, or was it in the car, constructive possession. In order for the Commonwealth to prove and convict on constructive possession, they need to prove dominion and control over the substances, i.e., that he had knowledge of the substances being in the car, and could get to them, i.e. under his seat or in the consol next to him. Prove that it was behind him in the back seat,on the floor beneath the passenger's seat, or possibly in the glove box, no case. Virginia caselaw is replete with cases against defendants being dismissed because it was possible that the substances were left in the car by a prior passenger and the driver knew nothing about them. Ah yes, that pesky presumption of innocence that the Commonwealth hates so much! Commonwealth must also overcome any reasonable hypothesis of innocence. Also need to know what, if any, statements he made with regard to the substances. Not surprised case continued to December. The state labs are well-known to be slow, and for the Commonwealth to procede either on the felony cocaine charge, or the misdeamenor marijuana charge, there must be a certificate of analysis for both substances. Defense counsel, presumably is no fool, and has requested that the substances be analyzed and the results supplied to him pursuant to statute. No certificate, no case! In sum, please remember Asa is presumed innocent and it is entirely possible that depending on the facts, as outlined above, the charges could be dismissed. Please don't tell me, well, if he wasn't guilty, he wouldn't have been charged. Police charge all the time when they find a substance in the car often charging everyone in the car with possession even though they find it on the floor, hoping that someone will confess or roll-over on the other passengers. In addition, since he was not charged with driving under the influence of any intoxicant, there was no blood test administered and thus, there is no way to know if the substances were in his system as a way of proving that he knew the substances were in the car. Just some thoughts.

[R i]

What are the possible options for charges being dropped in this case?

ask and ye shall receive. Thanks for the input jimbo