Trouble in Austin

[PonyTales]

Texas' Benson arrested
Big 12 freshman of the year faces drug, alcohol charges

MIDLAND, Texas (AP) -- Texas running back Cedric Benson, the Big 12 freshman of the year last season, was arrested on drug and alcohol possession charges over the weekend.

Benson was charged with possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia and being a minor in possession of alcohol at a Midland apartment about 2 a.m. Saturday morning when police responded to a call about loud music, the
Midland Reporter-Telegram reported Monday.

Benson, 19, was taken to the Midland County Central Detention Center and released after posting $1,365 that morning.

"We weren't targeting him or anything," Midland Police Sgt. Dale Seago told the newspaper.

"Nobody really knew who was who," until Benson was booked, he said.

Seago said Officer Jeff Handley entered the apartment and found alcohol and marijuana. A 20-year-old woman also was arrested on possession charges. Her name and further details were not immediately available. Midland police did not immediately return calls from The Associated Press.

University of Texas spokesman John Bianco said the team was looking into the arrest but would not comment further.

"We are aware of the situation and right now we are gathering all the facts. Obviously it is a legal issue and because of that there isn't anything further we can say," Bianco said.

"We will handle it as we handle everything else within the team and respond when it is worked out in the court system,"

Benson set a Longhorns freshman record last season when he gained 1,053 yards on 223 carries and scored 12 touchdowns. He was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers and is expected to play in the minor leagues this summer.

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From CNNSI.com

[SMUguy]

Can't you just see the editors at the Austin (err, Dallas) Morning News trying to kickstart their pacemakers over this? They graced us with a full-page story on him last year (that said something like "he's a good player and he's enrolling in college - how exciting" .... complete with a huge picture of him carrying a TV into his dorm -- gripping journalism). I bet this gets a small mention on page 8 of the sports section.

If there's anyone out there who gets the DMN's longhorns Newsletter, I'd be interested to see what they say about this. My guess is that they say absolutely nothing.

[ALL4SMU]

Keep deleting it...I'll keep posting it.

Funny, I don't see any mention of SMU athletes when they go to jail or when they get caught smoking pot. Maybe, just maybe, they feel there is no good reason to put news like that on the front page in 42 pt. font. I would however, be willing to bet, that there is mention of it in the "college news" section in tomorrows paper.

Don't for a second act like SMU players dont smoke pot, drink alcohol under age, and partake in "other" activities that are illegal. And don't think that there have been no arrests of SMU players.

[Silk]

ALL4UT: wouldn't you agree that if a star (OK, a starting) SMU player got arrested, it would be on the front page of the sports section? I think so. As I recall, they've done it before (with that defensive back who was in the middle of the Malin mess a few years ago - he made the top of the front page of the whole paper). When police arrest a college athlete, I think the severity of the charge determines how much play the story gets as much as the school the player goes to.

With that said, you are absolutely right - this is recieving national attention (CNNSI.com, ESPN.com, etc.) because Benson is a star RB on a nationally-ranked team that some expect to win the national championship. If Benson was a third-string punter for Central Montana Community College, his local paper would be the only one to pick up the story.

This is a story only because of who he is. Benson will be OK.

[This message has been edited by Silk (edited 04-29-2002).]

[MustangOrange]

F*ck. This makes my already bad day, worse. Hate to see either of my teams (UT & SMU, hence the name) get in trouble. I think the only reason this is getting national press is because it's a player of Benson's caliber. He was a freshman all-american after all. Hopefully the team and school handle this in a respectful manner. I'm sure the Sooners are going nuts over this. Wasn't it Hunter Wall who was kicked off OU's team earlier this semester for some kind of a similar arrest? This kind of thing does happen at every school though; college athletes are college students too and are tempted to party, drink and do drugs. Remember when Kwame Cavil got kicked off UT's team three years ago?

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"Texas is a state of mind. Texas is an obsession. Above all, Texas is a nation in every sense of the word."--John Steinbeck

[Dement-ed]

I'm sure UT will handle this properly. (And I didn't remember that Cavil got kicked off the team - did he return?) Let's not hang this kid over something that hasn't yet been proven.

And as I recall, I believe I might have bent a rule or two when I was at SMU - perhaps I had a beer the night before I turned 21, and I think I jaywalked once or twice. I'm not making light of the situation in Austin, but remember, he's a student who ALLEGEDLY has done something thousands of students across the country do every day. From everything I've read about him, Benson is a good kid. This will go away, just like it has for others.

[MustangOrange]

One more interesting point is that he is not on scholarship at Texas, which could make the situation even more cloudy. The LA Dodgers are paying for his education through his minor league contract. Wonder if there are any clauses about this in there?

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"Texas is a state of mind. Texas is an obsession. Above all, Texas is a nation in every sense of the word."--John Steinbeck

[ALL4SMU]

Comparing Corlin Donaldson and Cedric Benson is really an unfair comparison on many levels.

First, I believe Corlin, at the time of the Malin deal, had been kicked off the team for several violations of selling and smoking dope. Big surprise there. Then, for whatever reason, he decides to make it known that he and Steve Malin were involved in an illegal scheme to allow him to get into school. This story made headlines and front pages simple because it was another S.M.U. recruiting scandal.

I agree with your statement that the severity of the arrest has more to do with the coverage than the school. However, if SMU's starting quarterback John Doe was arrested for smoking pot, I don't think it would get front page coverage. If he was arrested for selling and distributing pot, then I think it would.

The facts in Ced's case have yet to all come out. He might simply have been in a house where pot was or he might have been high as a kite. You never know. We will see.

Don't get me wrong; I have little doubt that Cedric smokes dope. But that does not make him any different than any other college student. Why should he get treated any different?

[This message has been edited by ALL4SMU (edited 04-29-2002).]

[Silk]

You're right, the charges against Benson and the allegations involving Donaldson are a case of apples and oranges. My intent in making that comparison was simply to point out that a player who runs afoul of the rules - whether at Texas, SMU, or a JUCO will make the paper, if the situation merits. And you're dead-on with the idea that Benson's status as a freshman All-America makes this bigger news than if a non-star on a bad team had been caught in the situation.

I think the best point you make is when you point out that the facts have yet to come out. He's not guilty of anything yet.

[SMUPonyFan]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR><font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by ALL4SMU:
<B>Don't for a second act like SMU players dont smoke pot, drink alcohol under age, and partake in "other" activities that are illegal. And don't think that there have been no arrests of SMU players.</B></font><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Who ever said they don't? I don't remember seeing that. The fact is, this was reported on CNNSI, and a PonyFan posted it, just posting a message that Cedric Benson was arrested. PonyTales said nothing bad about Benson and UT, just relayed an article he saw. Why are you getting so defensive? And if you are ALL4SMU, why are you calling SMU out like this? I am confused at your motivation ALL4SMU.

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Go Red, Go Blue, Go Mustangs, S M U

[ALL4SMU]

SMUPonyFan-

Get you facts straight.

1) I was not even talking to PonyTales. All he did was post an article. I was addressing SMUGuy's statement that "no mention" of this event will be in the DMN b/c of it's pro-UT bias.

2) I am ALL4SMU, but I am a huge UT fan as well. MY motivation was to argue a point made by another poster. Simple.

Oh, and in case you are interested"

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR><font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Police broke window to enter apartment, attorneys say

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Associated Press


AUSTIN -- Midland police broke a window to open a door and enter an apartment without a warrant before arresting Texas running back Cedric Benson and a female acquaintance on misdemeanor drug and alcohol charges, their attorneys said Wednesday.


Midland police said they arrested the Big 12 freshman of the year and the woman about 2 a.m. Saturday after responding to a call about loud music. They said they met with some resistance but eventually were allowed inside.


Police have refused to release the arrest report.


Meanwhile, Houston television station KRIV reported that Benson passed a drug screening.


"He tested negative for any drugs in his system on Tuesday," Benson attorney Brian Carney of Midland said in an interview Wednesday night with The Associated Press. Carney noted that traces of marijuana can remain in the system for seven days or longer. "Had he been using marijuana before or at the time of his arrest, it would have shown up in the drug test he was given."


Carney said Benson requested the drug test, which was administered in Austin in a state-licensed toxicology, NCAA-approved lab used by the university.


He was not tested by police at the time of the arrest because there was no indication he was under the influence.


Benson, 19, and 20-year-old Melanie Robinson have pleaded innocent and their lawyers said they likely will challenge the police search and seizure as unfounded.


Carney said any resistance officers met was the locked door, which Benson did not open because the apartment was not his.


"It's not his place to let them in. The police broke a window and entered and started searching," Carney said, adding he didn't know where the window was in relation to the door. He said prosecutors told him about the broken window.


"I don't know if they crawled in or just reached in to open it," he said.


Midland County Assistant District Attorney Bob Stevens refused comment on any details of the arrest. He said he will interview the arresting officers later this week.


A woman who identified herself as the apartment manager would not confirm or deny that a window had been broken.


Robinson, who leases the apartment, also did not invite officers inside, said her attorney, Ian Cantacuzene of Midland.


Cantacuzene said police may have asked an apartment maintenance worker to break the glass to gain entry.


He said the window has been replaced but that Robinson has taken pictures of the broken glass. He also was unsure of the window's location in the apartment.


The lawyers also say there was no stereo in the apartment, so loud music could not have been playing. The lawyers said marijuana and drug paraphernalia were found in a closet and a purse, but not on either defendant.


Police spokeswoman Tina Jauz said officers had no search warrant but refused further comment.


"Those are the kinds of details that will be in the report," she said.


Jauz said the arrest report will be withheld for at least 10 days as allowed under state law while officials decide if it contains information that should not be released. She said that is standard department policy on any request for arrest reports.


Several news organizations, including The Associated Press, have filed formal requests seeking copies of the report under state public information laws.


Although arrest reports are typically made public, Texas Attorney General's office spokesman Mike Viesca said the decision to release it early is up to the local agency.


If police want to withhold the report beyond 10 days, they must ask for an opinion from the attorney general, explaining their reasoning. The AG's office would have 45 days to rule on the request.


However, Attorney General John Cornyn said in a February 2000 opinion that public information not excepted from required disclosure under the Public Information Act must be released promptly.


The law "does not entitle a governmental body automatically to withhold for 10 business days public information not excepted from disclosure," Cornyn's opinion said.


Both Benson and Robinson were charged with possession of marijuana under 2 ounces and drug paraphernalia and being a minor in possession of alcohol.


The marijuana possession charge -- a Class B misdemeanor -- carries up to a $2,000 fine and six months in jail if convicted. The paraphernalia and minor in possession of alcohol charges are Class C misdemeanor offenses and carry up to a $500 fine each.


Benson set a UT freshman rushing record last season with 1,053 yards on 223 carries and 12 touchdowns.


Benson's baseball adviser, Brian Peters, told KRIV that Benson took the drug test to protect his image.


"The bottom line is he didn't want the perception that he was involved with drugs out there," Peters said.
</font><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

[SMUPonyFan]

ALL4SMU,
I don’t see how saying SMU players commit crimes argues a point that this will or will not be in the DMN. SMUguy made absolutely no statement that SMU players do or don’t do drugs/commit crimes. Here is what he said…
“Can't you just see the editors at the Austin (err, Dallas) Morning News trying to kickstart their pacemakers over this? They graced us with a full-page story on him last year (that said something like "he's a good player and he's enrolling in college - how exciting" .... complete with a huge picture of him carrying a TV into his dorm -- gripping journalism). I bet this gets a small mention on page 8 of the sports section.
If there's anyone out there who gets the DMN's longhorns Newsletter, I'd be interested to see what they say about this. My guess is that they say absolutely nothing.”

I don’t see how that statement led you to say this…
“Don't for a second act like SMU players dont smoke pot, drink alcohol under age, and partake in "other" activities that are illegal. And don't think that there have been no arrests of SMU players.”

And I am curious, this is an honest question, was there anything in the DMN about this Benson incident? If there was, where was the article? (section and page) Anyone who knows feel free to answer.

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Go Red, Go Blue, Go Mustangs, S M U

[SMUPonyFan]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR><font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by ALL4SMU:
<B>Maybe, just maybe, they feel there is no good reason to put news like that on the front page in 42 pt. font.</B></font><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I don't think there was much of a reason to put a picture of him carrying a TV into a dorm on the front page with a big headline, just like they shouldn't put this story ont he front page with a giant headline.

[SMUguy]

Broke a window to get it? Wow.
That doesn't exactly sound like the actions of officers who have a warrant, don't you think?
There's no way this will stick.

[Bo 17]

Check this out fellas'

This kid was not found with any Marijuana on him and he dioes not reside at the apartment. He was in the wrong place at the wrong time. He says he did noy even know the Weed was there. regardless of wether he wa shigh or not does not matter here.

Let me break this thing down:

There are going to be phone calls being made from some Federal Judges, District Attorneys, High-Powered Attoneys, etc....

These calls will be made to the Officials in Midland telling them to drop all charges against Benson.

We will then see all charges being dropped and Benson will get off scott-free. The reason being is that all these high-powered individuals are UT alumns and they will be calling in favors. help out our guy here and we will help you out in the future.

If that approach doesn't work these Ut Alumns will get nasty. These poor Midland Folk won't stand a chance. The UT Alumns will turn up the heat and then this thing will disaappear.

This is how things work. It may sound ugly, but this is life in Texas, especially when you are dealing with Texas Football.

Come on Folks...do you really think anything is going to happen to this guy. The girl in this case is going to get stuck holding the bag and taking the rap and this poor Benson guy is going to be the victim. How dare them use drugs around our star athlete is what they will be saying.

Anyway, this is how I see it breaking down.