Ta'amu pleads guilty, gets probation

[Spike]

Steelers lineman Ta'amu pleads guilty in drunken South Side rampage

http://db66abc2c256b763aaef-ce5d943d4869ae027976e5ad085dd9b0.r76.cf2.rackcdn.c om/2013/93/724/taamu-and-del-greco_420.jpg

The Steelers rookie nose tackle who was arrested last year after a drunken chase with Pittsburgh police through the South Side pleaded guilty this morning.

Alameda Ta'amu was sentenced to serve 18 months probation, four days in a DUI housing program and 150 hours of community service.

Mr. Ta'amu pleaded guilty to three counts of recklessly endangering another person, resisting arrest and driving under the influence.


Under the court's order, Mr. Ta'amu must also pay more than $10,000 in restitution.

Ta'amu was cut by the team shortly after the incident but resigned before the last game of the year. He hopes to make the team out of training camp in the summer.

http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/neighborhoods-city/steelers-lineman-taamu-pleads-guilty-in-drunken-south-side-rampage-682115/

[Dwinsgames]

relatively light sentence for all that transpired , albeit not nearly as Light as Donte Stallworths ( considering a man died in that tragic event )

[NJarhead]

relatively light sentence for all that transpired , albeit not nearly as Light as Donte Stallworths ( considering a man died in that tragic event )

I always felt that Donte's incident was partly the fault of the man he killed. He also struck me as the type of person who was truely remorseful about his involvement, not that that means everything, but when compared to someone who's only sorry they got caught... I don't recall for sure, but I don't think Donte's accident would have been prevented had he not been drinking. It just made it look worse.

Anyway, if you're looking for a piece of shit to compare light sentences with, then look no further than Leonard Little. Manslaughter in 1998 (drunk), terroristic threats towards the police in 2003 and DWI in 2004.

Total sentence: 6 years probabtion and 1000 hours of community service. He also was allowed to play in the NFL.

[Craic]

I always felt that Donte's incident was partly the fault of the man he killed. He also struck me as the type of person who was truely remorseful about his involvement, not that that means everything, but when compared to someone who's only sorry they got caught... I don't recall for sure, but I don't think Donte's accident would have been prevented had he not been drinking. It just made it look worse.

Anyway, if you're looking for a piece of shit to compare light sentences with, then look no further than Leonard Little. Manslaughter in 1998 (drunk), terroristic threats towards the police in 2003 and DWI in 2004.

Total sentence: 6 years probabtion and 1000 hours of community service. He also was allowed to play in the NFL.

I agree, I think that's a better comparison. While I despise DD and think anyone who does so is an idiot, it doesn't negate someone else's responsibility for their own actions either. In this case, I'm just glad that no one got hurt and hopefully, Ta'amu grows up.

[GBMelBlount]

Why does this type of stuff seem to happen to Preacher's kids at a higher rate than the general population.

Any ideas Preacher? :chuckle:

[Devilsdancefloor]

Well he is a luck young man, he best make the best of his second chance. On a side note was he represented by Pittsburgh dad? (he reminds of him for some reason :noidea:)

[43Hitman]

Why does this type of stuff seem to happen to Preacher's kids at a higher rate than the general population.

Any ideas Preacher? :chuckle:
My guess would be because those kids' have been kept under a thumb their whole lives and when they get a chance to spread their wings, they go wild.

[Spike]

My guess would be because those kids' have been kept under a thumb their whole lives and when they get a chance to spread their wings, they go wild.

I thought that was only preacher's daughters

[GodfatherofSoul]

I thought that was only preacher's daughters

No no he said WINGS.

[steelerdude15]

The Steelers should have never resigned him and should have let another team have taken him. This was his second DUI, he injured someone in a parked car, caused over twenty-two thousand dollars worth of damage, and ran from the police. He shouldn't wear a Steelers uniform ever again and hopefully he doesn't make the team this fall. I can't stand drinking and driving. Personally, I'm dead set against it.

[NCSteeler]

Before we get to judgey , How many of us know/knew that the officers involved , those that he evaded and attempted to run over, were off duty out of uniform? Did he even realize they were cops or in a drunken state not know what was going on?

No excuses for DUI but the rest of the charges are a bit less important to me.

[43Hitman]

I thought that was only preacher's daughters


No no he said WINGS.

:toofunny: :toofunny:

[steelerdude15]

Before we get to judgey , How many of us know/knew that the officers involved , those that he evaded and attempted to run over, were off duty out of uniform? Did he even realize they were cops or in a drunken state not know what was going on?

No excuses for DUI but the rest of the charges are a bit less important to me.

The only officer who was desribed as being off duty in the article was the one who saw him driving down the road and bridge going the wrong way. My guess would be that the other four officers were not off duty.

[NCSteeler]

The only officer who was desribed as being off duty in the article was the one who saw him driving down the road and bridge going the wrong way. My guess would be that the other four officers were not off duty.


For now, it remains to be seen what the NFL will do, given the relatively extreme facts of Ta’amu’s case. In fairness to Ta’amu, the three officers he encountered and evaded (and nearly ran over first with his car and later with his body) were off duty and not in uniform.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/04/04/nfl-will-review-taamu-case/

[Dwinsgames]

regardless uniform or not ... is it still not a human being that Ta'amu clearly did not concern him self with avoiding ?

He is lucky to get away with the sentence he did he is also lucky to be on the roster ... Rainey did a lot less and is gone because of it ...as I stated elsewhere Raineys past may have played a part but Ta'mu is not without a past either

[steeldevil]

Didn't even realize this guy was still on the team. Could have sworn we cut him.

[Dwinsgames]

Didn't even realize this guy was still on the team. Could have sworn we cut him.


we did ... then resigned him at less money

[steelreserve]

Slap on the wrist considering the severity of what he did. There are DUIs and then there are blatant DUIs that are dangerous. I thought there was no way in the world he was getting off without jail time, considering he ran from the cops and crashed into things.

Frankly, I think if it was you or me who did that, we'd be looking at a minimum of 90 days in jail, maybe even a year or two depending on how attempted-murdery they considered it. I guess it's good for the team (maybe) that he'll be around to play, but it REALLY smacks of favoritism.

[Animal Mother]

I'm not a fan of this guy and hope he doesn't make the team. There I said it.

[jb500ex]

If he was a Bengal everyone would be bashing them. Since he's a steeler everyone wishes him luck with his second chance. It's really his third and he's a piece of shit. No more talk of what a classy org the steelers are we have had more the. Our fair share of bad people recently

[zulater]

If he was a Bengal everyone would be bashing them. Since he's a steeler everyone wishes him luck with his second chance. It's really his third and he's a piece of shit. No more talk of what a classy org the steelers are we have had more the. Our fair share of bad people recently

Dude you're not a Steeler fan, so stop pretending you are.

- - - Updated - - -


Slap on the wrist considering the severity of what he did. There are DUIs and then there are blatant DUIs that are dangerous. I thought there was no way in the world he was getting off without jail time, considering he ran from the cops and crashed into things.

Frankly, I think if it was you or me who did that, we'd be looking at a minimum of 90 days in jail, maybe even a year or two depending on how attempted-murdery they considered it. I guess it's good for the team (maybe) that he'll be around to play, but it REALLY smacks of favoritism.

I see verdicts and light sentences all the time that defy explanation. Other than being able to afford solid legal representation I don't think his status as an NFL player made any difference whatsover.

[GBMelBlount]

The important thing to me is that he learns from this massive blunder.

Would love to see him make the team, become a valuable asset for the next 10 years and become a man we can all be proud of.

[salamander]

He better turn out to be one hell of a player because normally the Steelers would have gotten rid of him by now.

[Texasteel]

I'm a fan of any young man or woman that will learn from thier mistakes and turn thier lives around. If screwing up makes you unfit to have anything to do with the Steelers, then you all need to fire me as a Steeler fan, God know I have made my share, and then some. Ta'amu, fairly or unfairly has be given a chance to show he is ready to take his place, not only with the Steelers, but society as well. How ever he also need to realise that a mistake is a mistake for only so long, then it becomes a pattern, a way of life. I wish him luck, but will also be watching closely.

[BlastFurnace]

I like the look on his attorneys face.

[GBMelBlount]

If screwing up makes you unfit to have anything to do with the Steelers, then you all need to fire me as a Steeler fan, God know I have made my share, and then some. Ta'amu, fairly or unfairly has be given a chance to show he is ready to take his place, not only with the Steelers, but society as well. How ever he also need to realise that a mistake is a mistake for only so long, then it becomes a pattern, a way of life. I wish him luck, but will also be watching closely.

I completely agree Tex.

We all make mistakes...often very big ones.

Greatness is sometimes determined by how a person responds to adversity.

One of my favorite quotes is:

"Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed on an equal or greater benefit." - Napoleon Hill

However I think we may be fooked in this case. :grin:

[Psycho Ward 86]

Before we get to judgey , How many of us know/knew that the officers involved , those that he evaded and attempted to run over, were off duty out of uniform? Did he even realize they were cops or in a drunken state not know what was going on?

No excuses for DUI but the rest of the charges are a bit less important to me.

yeah i think that part is really overlooked. there have been people brutally beaten for trying to flee off duty cops out of uniform because they think theyre getting jumped. not that this excuses taamu for the one hundred other acts of stupidity

[Craic]

The other problem with "Look at all those charges!" (not said in this thread, but said when it first happened) is that it really doesn't work that way. The DA, officers involved, etc. etc, find any and EVERY charge they can possibly throw at the guy, and charge him with it just to cover themselves. For instance if I was driving down the street and missed a stoplight, causing an accident. A DA might decide to charge me with Reckless endangerment, driving while distracted, criminal negligence, failure to yield, felony reckless endangerment, attempted manslaughter in the 3rd degree, attempted manslaughter in the 2nd degree, attempted manslaughter in the 1st degree, and a few other charges.

The point of all those charges is to have wiggle room for the DA. If, during the court part of the trial, he realizes there's not enough evidence to get a conviction on 1st or 2nd degree manslaughter, he still is able to go for 3rd degree. Or, he might be able to skip that altogether and jump over to something like felony reckless endangerment (if there is something such as that), which may carry the same sentence as 3rd degree, then be able to add on driving while distracted and tack on enough time to make it the same as 2nd degree manslaughter.

It also gives him room to start dealing. "Tell you what, we'll drop all the manslaughter and negligence charges, if you'll just cop to reckless endangerment and failure to yield. In return, we'll give you blah blah blah.

In this case, it looks like there were three core charges. One was for something he did against another person, one was for something he did against an officer, and one was for a DUI. All the other charges were just piled on for the DA to have that wiggle room.