Saturday 4 May 2024 21:55:35 1714859735

Usual stuff. Paper seems to have lost the Trump-bashing feed and had one from Jimmy. I believe I do see one of his occasionally. Not much news. NEA Report has the usual low-level crime stuff, no killings lately. What's the Telly folks got?

Oh yeah, that. Rang a bell so looked back a bit. (This is from 1 May)

The charge stems from an April 27 incident at Kum & Go, 2214 E. Johnson Ave.

According to the initial incident report from Arkansas State University Police, the store clerk said Lual reached behind the counter and grabbed three packs of Honey Berry Backwoods cigars valued at $24.68 then left the store.

When the clerk tried to confront Lual, he said Lual 'ran up behind him and punched him in the back of the head.'

(KAIT.com 1 May 2024)

I like Backwoods. A little pricey for gas-station seegars but they got some tasty ones including the referenced Honey Berry. You can chew on them things for a while and they don't come apart. But I digress.

OK, that was on 27 April, just a few days ago. I googled the name and came up with this. Okey-dokey. That was 11 June of last year. I was wondering because one of the articles referred to the perp as an ASU player and another as a former player. Maybe the first arrest and guilty plea had something to do with him becoming former. OK, here's the beef on that one:

The three are accused of shoplifting $278.91 worth of merchandise from Walmart, 1815 Highland Dr. Officers pulled the group over at the Old Navy on South Caraway, according to the initial incident report.

'There was a large TV in the back of the car that prevented the trunk from closing,' the report said.

After removing the TV, officers discovered more Walmart bags in the trunk. Officers also found Walmart merchandise in the car.

'We then consulted the receipt and placed the merchandise that had been proven as paid for in the vehicle,' the report said.

(KAIT.com 26 July 2023)

So they settled up for that one. KAIT covered it:

The law firm of Stanley + Woodard, which is representing Dyondre Dominguez, Julian Lual, and Terrance Ford, tells us the deal includes a 90-day pre-trial diversion with each player paying $100 in court costs.

It will also include the three appearing in court on Monday, October 23 at 9:00 a.m. with an apology letter. The three originally appeared in court on Monday, July 17.

If the three comply with those terms with no additional problems, the charges will be dismissed.

Dominguez, 22, Lual, 21, and Ford, 19, were booked into the Craighead County Detention at 6:37 p.m. Saturday, June 10, on suspicion of 'theft of $1,000 or less.' According to Craighead County Sheriff's Office records, the trio was released two hours later.

(KAIT.com 26 July 2023)

He did make it 90 days without getting caught doing any more illegal stuff, so there's that.

What was he doing stealing cigars? I've heard of them being used to make blunts, what the kid that precipitated the big deal in Ferguson, Misery a while back was apparently doing. One account said he punched a store employee too but accounts varied widely. When you steal cigars do you hafta punch a clerk, or only punch the clerk if insert-pronoun-here objects?

Anyone want to guess how this one will turn out? If the perp had suffered some meaningful consequences the first time he got caught he might have thought twice about doing it again. Or not, some people live largely Non Impediti Ratione Cogitationis.

This also reminded me of another former ASU player. Whether it's Rae Carruth or Henry Ruggs III or the archetype - OJ Simpson - elevating people who have no redeeming value to high positions in society (with the attendant wealth and privilege) solely because of the financial value of their athletic ability is just not a good idea. Change my mind.