Possible pot charges against Olympian Phelps go up in smoke

Possible pot charges against Olympian Phelps go up in smoke

rawstory.com

The investigation into Olympian Michael Phelps' bong rip has officially smoked out.

The most decorated Olympic athlete in history will not face criminal charges after being photographed with his lips to a water-pipe some believe to have contained marijuana. The sheriff pursuing Phelps' case, South Carolina officer Leon Lott, announced the investigation's end Monday afternoon at a nationally-televised press conference.

After making eight arrests and promising to follow-up on possible legal penalties for Phelps, the sheriff concluded there was not enough evidence to pursue the swimmer any further, even as speculation on and criticism of the Richland County cop ran rampant.

"I think they should leave him the f--k alone," writer and comedian Mario Cantone told New York Magazine. "I think it’s appalling, I think that that sheriff is like that guy that Dom DeLuise played in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, you know, he’s just not stopping and he’s trying to arrest everybody."

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My god!! What an absolute waste of taxpayer money. The police arrested and questioned 8 people over a silly picture!! Way to go South Carolina police, Im sure everyones sleeping a lot better tonight knowing that a few college kids who smoke pot aren't falling asleep on their couch this afternoon!

"Joseph McCulloch, a lawyer for one of the eight, said the deputies ordered one home's three occupants to the ground, seized computers, cellphones and cameras, and later questioned the three extensively about Mr. Phelps," reported the Journal. "Dick Harpootlian, who represents another of the arrested men, said deputies appeared to be interested primarily in gathering evidence against Mr. Phelps."

Officer 1: Hey guys got nothin better to do, you wanna try and deface an american hero for a silly picture from college?

Officer 2: Screw it! Go get the tazers and lets have some fun!

I really wonder what goes through their heads. Good work spending your city's money on NOTHING, harassing a few college kids, and then coming up with nothing.

rawstory.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

The police should now follow through and arrest the scum at the sun for going out of their way to try and ruin a promising young athletes carreer.

That's the ONLY thing they could have been thinking when they printed the story.

SCUM.

[edit on 17/2/2009 by Acidtastic]

It's too bad our government didn't try hard enough to protect their and his image better. It's a free country until you get busted by someone else trying to be a flash in the pan and to make a buck.

Without the picture and the greed involved, we wouldn't have known. I guess this swimmer still needed to be put in his proper place and NOT some super hero. Hopefully, this is the last and worst thing he'll do.

Those Gold Medals may have well have been gold colored tin foil covered chocolate candy left out in the SUN. What would Red from the 70's show call him?

I am glad that the this is going to end up in nothing, it was a silly charge to begin with and nothing short of wasted tax payer money at its finest.

yeah im amazed at the greed that was involved. Hey lets sell out an old friend and a national hero for $500! I know money is hard to come by in college but come on.

I'm still boycotting Kellogs. What really bothers me is that this crap still makes bigger headlines than Chris Brown beating on Rhianna.. That says alot about our society and what values we try to uphold.

As a matter of fact, I bet Chris Brown gets more sympathy for what he did than Phelps.

[edit on 17-2-2009 by ExistenceUnknown]

Wow. I thought possession was what they could arrest someone for? Wasting the peoples money for what results in harrasment. I hope these people file suits themselves.

I (along with many) feel that giving up alcohol/dui's for a harmless plant is a much safer recreational activity. Big change is on the way coming out of Seattle in the form of a new DEA head. About time!

reply to post by ExistenceUnknown


Great point EU. I believe events like this one only help to open the publics eye to a truth. That truth is, pot is far less harmless than alcohol, and we are wasting time, money and resources on persecuting people who use it.

Im sure 90% of Americans have at least tried it and know it isn't that bad. The govt scare tactics are no longer working. It was just decriminalized in Mass and I did not see that coming.

I dont know if you saw the recent weekend update on SNL with seth myers talking about what a joke Kellogs was for coming out against phelps. Ill try and find it because it was hilarious.

Here it is

weekend update kellogs

"everyone of your products sounds like a wish granted by a genie at a phish concert"

[edit on 17-2-2009 by bringthelight]

[edit on 17-2-2009 by bringthelight]

I cant watch it because im at work and those websites are blocked. But I will definitely check it out later. Shows like SNL, Bill Maher, Colbert Report, and the Daily Show all do a wonderful job at pointing out how stupid the war on drugs is despite being mostly comedy shows. Hopefully people in the future will look back on our prohibition and laugh.

good. the whole thing was ridiculous anyway.

Only on ATS will you find hypocrisy like this. Look no matter what you think SHOULD of happened for this "minor" offense...lets look at the facts and reality.

1. Phelps "mr hero" made the choice to take a hit on the bong. Regardless of what was in it, HE made the choice to do so.

2. His friends decided to take the picture and sell it, keep it, use it, etc... at a party with ILLEGAL narcotics. Agree or disagree with the legality of it, thats irrelevant.

THEY (phelps & friends) put themselves in this position, THEY made the decisions to get this ball rolling. Noone else! They weren't forced, bribed, etc...they/he knew what COULD come of the activities. So there is NOONE to blame but THELSELVES for all of the hoopla of this event!! But of course on ATS the cops are blamed, governments blamed, everyone BUT the retards involved are blamed. I don't care if he won 100 gold medals in swimming...if your that kind of ICON and not smart enough to use in PRIVACY and not put yourself out there with retards for friends...why should I feel sorry for you and be mad at people doing their jobs???

Anyway...I don't really give a poop about him or what did/would of happened in this case...I'm just amazed how less then 2% of ATS members actually blamed the person who put himself in this position...that being PHELPS!

Oh please spare me your rhetoric. Michael Phelps is to blame for his actions no one is questioning that. But you should see the hypocrisy in the attempts of the SC police dept. to try and prosecute him based on a photo which as far as they know COULD be tobacco (seeing as they lack any tangible evidence.) Phelps apologized for his behavior and sponsors have dropped him and he has been suspended for 3 months from doing what he obviously loves. It's people like you, who are after blood, that we have a problem with.


Edit: Rapper Juvenile arrested for pot.

Where's the headline news? Where's the public outcry and subsequent apology? Where's the sponsorship drops? Why hasn't he been suspended from rapping for 3 months? Isn't Juvenile also a role model to millions of kids? Not to mention that he was actually caught with a substance on his person. Hypocrisy!



[edit on 17-2-2009 by ExistenceUnknown]

Not after blood at all....seeking people who understand the ONLY person to blame is PHELPS & FRIENDS! All I have been reading are excuses, this and that, blah blah blah....bottom line is he is NO different then the other guy, but just like America to put someone one a pedistal because of fame. In my eyes his ban for 3 months and his endorsment losses were enough. Its the excuses and the trying to blame OTHERS for his punishments that makes me sick. Be a man, step up, say yeah I did it, sorry, I'll take whats coming and move on, then win more gold medals...its that simple..but this is America...home of excuses and people who DO NOT take responsibility for THEIR actions.

ahh rcwj my cop friend rears his head after awhile lol
i agree with you 100%- he put himself in that position-noone one forced him to hit a bong. how many athletes do we see these days doing things that are illegal? noone forces them todo them- that is a personal choice that they made THEMSELVES.
phelps could have just declined and said "no thanks just give me a beer"
i agree that smoking pot is not a big deal but still illegal.
how about palxico buress shooting himself in a nightclub?
a rod and clemens and many others in trouble for phg- the list goes on. don't tell me they didn't know whatthey were doing
and another point- maybe phelps won all those medals because he had a few tokes got the munchies and had a bag of doritos waiting for him at the end of the pool!

reply to post by rcwj75


Michael Phelps did just that, he stood up and took it like a man. He offered no excuse besides bad decisions. And not once has he complained about his punishments. People are speaking up on his behalf even though he has and still is accepting responsibility for his actions. Because let's be honest do you think he should be charged with a crime over a picture of him allegedly smoking marijuana?

In a sense, I agree with you. It was stupid for him to try to be a regular guy. The problem is that they are in an area that has special task forces just to deal with mobile meth labs in car trunks. They have much bigger issues to deal with than a group of college kids who are allegedly (The only proof is a pic of a bong which is no proof at all.) smoking a little pot at a party. They put on a show for the media and nothing more. The most they could have hoped for is a few simple possession charges. What a gross waste of money in an area with a tremendous meth problem.

The problem with the PTB is that a guy that won twelve gold medals in the Olympics smokes pot and that completely destroys the evil loser image they try to portray of pot smokers. There are tens of billions of dollars at stake.

As for any "he's a role model" arguments, if you kids have to use other people as role models, you are a failure as a parent. YOU should be the person your kids look up to the most.

Originally posted by rcwj75I'm just amazed how less then 2% of ATS members actually blamed the person who put himself in this position...that being PHELPS!

Sorry, it's hard to sympathize with the enforcement of stupid laws, and as I told Kelloggs, they can make their choices, but so can I. Personally, I think the guy who took and sold the picture ought to face a little boycotting himself.

No I wouldn't have persued legal means from that photo. I would of sat back and watched the media run with it like they did and let him deal with the backlash from the olympics committee etc... just like what happened.

And Kreeper I agree 100%....I liked pro athletes growing up, bet never to the point that I idolized any of them....these days it makes me sick how kids and hell even adults cry over these people, try to be just like them, etc...its pathetic.