Sheriff Leon Lott Says He will Charge Swimmer Michael Phelps with Crime if Smoking Bong Took Place in Richland County

UPDATE

Cereal and snack maker Kellogg Co. says it will not renew its sponsorship contract with Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps because he has acknowledged smoking marijuana last fall.

The Battle Creek, Mich.-based company said Thursday that Phelps's behavior - caught on camera and published Sunday - is "not consistent with the image of Kellogg."

The company put Phelps on boxes of its Frosted Flakes and Corn Flakes.


According to the State, Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott says that he will charge Michael Phelps with a crime if he determines the he smoked marijuana in Richland County. As you will recall, Phelps was photographed smoking a bong at a November party in Columbia, SC. He apologized Sunday, calling his behavior “inappropriate.”

“This case is no different than any other case,” Lott said. “This one might be a lot easier since we have photographs of someone using drugs and a partial confession. It’s a relatively easy case once we can determine where the crime occurred.” Possession of marijuana is a misdemeanor, punishable by up to 30 days in jail or a $570 fine, plus court costs. But Lott seems to be the only person talking about making a case against Phelps. Both the USC and Columbia Police Departments said they would not pursue charges.

It was unclear Monday where the party took place, including whether it was on campus. Meanwhile, on Monday, Phelps’ sponsors — from apparel company Speedo to luxury Swiss watchmaker Omega — issued statements calling the incident a “nonissue.” The International Olympic Committee accepted his apology. “We have no reason to doubt his sincerity and his commitment to continue to act as a role model,” the IOC said in a statement. At the University of South Carolina, where Phelps was visiting when the picture was taken, the mood was largely “who cares?” Source: The State.

Personally, all I would like to see is that he is meted the same treatment as a black or Latino athlete. We know that there is a serious disconnect in expectations of a white athlete and a black one. As I said, let's see if this were Kobe Bryant or Usain Bolt, for that matter. Would their sponsors just laugh it off as a non-issue? That remains to be seen, but conventional wisdom begs to differ. Remember Michael Irvin, wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys? Well, didn't he use marijuana and was blacklisted? Wait, what about Rasheed Wallace and Damon Stoudamire, co-captains, Portland Trail Blazers, 11-22-02? They were charged with a misdemeanor on November 22, 2002, for possession of marijuana. Have you seen them in any TV ads? I am not saying that Michael Phelps should be banished, but this incident should not be treated as a non-issue. All these athletes were young when they got into trouble and others were't so forgiving of them then.

The major problem for me in all this is that today, public figures justify past drug use as "youthful indiscretions" and the matter is dropped. But large numbers of ordinary Americans are introduced to the correction system because of minor drug offenses. As the records blatantly show, the vastly disproportionate nature of drug arrests creates a justified perception of injustice and both economic and racial bias. Michael Phelps will not go to jail, but at the same time, poor Americans, overwhelmingly minority in ethnicity, will continue to be arrested by local police for the possession of small amounts of pot. How fair is that?