NFL never contacted casino to view Ray Rice tape: TMZ report

[joeybee12]

In its investigations of the Ray Rice domestic-assault case from earlier this year, the NFL never asked the casino in which the assault took place for a copy of security tapes, according to a new report by TMZ. Had the NFL done so, the casino would have handed over the tapes, per the report. Instead, the tapes were leaked over a period of several months, culminating in Monday's unsettling footage that resulted in Rice's release from the Ravens.

The NFL has maintained that it had not viewed the most significant moments of the assault, the time when Rice strikes his then-fiancee Janay Rice and renders her unconscious, until Monday. (This, despite earlier indications to multiple media outlets that the NFL indeed had seen the footage.)

Why hadn't the NFL seen the footage? They asked law enforcement but did not receive it, according to a statement released Monday: "Security for Atlantic City casinos is handled by the New Jersey State Police. Any videos related to an ongoing criminal investigation are held in the custody of the state police. As we said earlier today: We requested from law enforcement any and all information about the incident, including the video from inside the elevator. That video was not made available to us and no one in our office has seen it until [Monday]."

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-shutdown-corner/nfl-never-contacted-casino-to-view-ray-rice-tape--tmz-report-122256617.html

[bullwinkle428]

1. They were working hard, building their "Sgt. Schultz" defense.

[joeybee12]

2. Pretty much...don't tell us, and we won't ask...

They didn't want to know.

[yeoman6987]

3. That is a little unfair

If a guy working at Walgreen's did the same thing. Would we expect the Walgreen's corporate to request the video tape?

[fishwax]

12. If a guy working at Walgreen's did such a thing, would Walgreens support him in the media?

Would they plan a media campaign to reclaim his reputation, or tweet about how sorry the woman is for her role in such events?

[yeoman6987]

13. Extremely good points

I clearly didn't think of that. Thank you for the reality check.

[fishwax]

14. Yeah, I can understand

It's a bit easy to get lost in the brazenness of it all. I've found myself surprised by this unfolding, even though I know I shouldn't be.

[Johonny]

4. Given that video why the * did the DA give the man a golden stay out of jail ticket.

Who cares what the NFL did or didn't view it is not law enforcement. It seems like they got enough information to put Rice into their punishment program and hell its punishment was/is/seemingly will be worse than what the actual legal system did to the man and yet it is all people seem to want to talk about. I don't get it and frankly never will.

[justiceischeap]

5. From what I've read, he's got a clean record so they saw this as a one-off occurrence. nt

[joeybee12]

6. I get it...

Gooddell and his NFL goons pressured law enforcement and the prosecutor...they're much more culpable than simply not getting the video...the knew the truth and actively tried to bury it.

[Johonny]

15. You have to wonder don't you

so far I haven't seen any evidence of that but you got to think people are digging for it. If they find it then the NFL angle does become very interesting. Still it reflects even worse on the DA than it does now if he let the NFL bribe, pressure him.

[joeybee12]

16. I can't imagine why they let him off so easily unles there was

pressure from the BFL...either that, or the DA is the biggest Ravens fan ever.

[Johonny]

17. player's union

The player's union would likely have gone after them if they went over policy recommendations and started with a 1 year ban. Remember Rice managed to successfully escape a felony conviction. It looks bad to have a union fighting FOR the perpetrator, but they most likely would have given the light (lack) of sentence. That video makes it much harder for Rice to ask the union to defend him and so far the union has had no interest post video. So I'm a little lost as to why the NFL would not want it out there. The same might not have been said without that video out there. I have no idea what to do with so many DAs that let domestic violence slide... they should be investigated.

Right now the union is in the middle of negotiating changes to the policy including changing the drug rules to hopefully clarify the pot versus domestic violence stances and add HGH (which is actually football related) to testing. The NFL is in an odd position because they hide behind their policy and yet override their policy so often that suspensions and ruling have become nebulous to understand (or at least feel that way even to those people that follow it). There is hope the new contract will end that or at least alleviate the problem.

[Blue_Tires]

18. Well it is Jersey, and Rice was a demigod at Rutgers...

A lot of people keep forgetting that...

[uponit7771]

8. +1

[TeamPooka]

11. There are a lot of programs available to 1st time offenders that allow them to avoid jail

[lpbk2713]

7. They went with what would cause the fewest ripples, the hell with right or wrong.

IOW they made a business decision. Now that the truth is out for all the world
to see, the sanctimonious bastards are filled with false piety and remorse. They
put on whatever mask is suitable to the occasion.

[hughee99]

9. I don't believe this at all.

Even if the state police didn't "officially" turn the video over to the league office, I'll bet someone in the office sent it to someone in the commissioners office. If that was the case, I wouldn't be surprised if it came out that after "unofficially" viewing the tape, the NFL decided not to press the issue further, and plead ignorance when the video did eventually become public.

[geek tragedy]

10. Literally willful blindness. nt

[AngryAmish]

19. The casino would have emailed the video to them.

The nfl really screwed this one up. I am not sure where the nfl finds the authority to sua sponte ban Rice for life. There is a punishment policy in the cba. It was followed. The Ravens have breached his contract. The nfl may have tortiously caused that breach. There may be a civil conspiracy count. He may even get the union hung uo in this too if they don't fight like hell to reinstate him. Ray Rice, you have a good lawsuit right now.

[rustydog]

20. Unless I am dead wrong, the casino does not have to release video to the NFL.

it is evidence. it must be obtained through legal requests. (subpoenas) otherwise, I can just call up the local casino and demand to see video... It doesn't work that way.

Police investigating the assault will request the video. any involved attorneys can subpoena video footage. Just asking for it because one of your paid staff broke the law won't cut it.

We refuse video requests regularly. They must show they are legally entitled to view the video and go through legal channels to achieve that goal.

[joeybee12]

21. You're right, but they never even bothered to do that...

The NFL did not want to know what was on the tape...plausible deniability,

[True Earthling]

23. The NFL/Baltimore Ravens did not try because they have smart lawyers

They know the request would be denied because it's unlawful for the casino to release evidence to a third party in a pending criminal trial. Employers cannot subpoena evidence against employees just because the accused is in their employ.

[joeybee12]

25. I don't think you're right...

With the proper subpoena, regarding an emplpyment action, they could ask for it...more likely they didn't because they didn't want to know what was on it...

[True Earthling]

26. If the criminal act was committed in the course of employment

then the employer has a right to see evidence. Ray Rice was not acting as an Raven's employee while at the casino. Unless he was there working as a representative of the Ravens, the employer has no rights in the matter.

[joeybee12]

27. You're making a broad generalization...and unless you're familiar

with NJ statutes, you're not right...besides, it was not a criminal investigation for long...the charges were dropped very quickly, which in itself should tell you the proscutor was in cahoots with the NFL

[True Earthling]

28. The charges were dropped when Rice agreed to an intervention program

The casino refused the Raven's request to see the video as they should. Ray Rice was not at the casino acting as an employee of the Ravens. It would be improper, possibly illegal or at the very least would have exposed the casino to a possible lawsuit by Rice. The only parties who had a right to see the video were the police, prosecutor and Ray Rice and his attorney. The Raven's and NFL did have leverage to obtain the video from Rice's attorney but it would could only happen with Rice's cooperation. It's possible that Rice's attorney had the video all along but told the NFL/Ravens that they did not have it. That's the way I would have played it if I were Rice's lawyer.

If you know a law that gives an employer the right to see criminal evidence in an investigation of an employee who was not acting in the official capacity of an employee... I would like to see it.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000392274/article/goodell-we-never-were-granted-chance-to-see-video?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed

Paul Loriquet, a spokesperson for the New Jersey Attorney General's Office, confirmed to NFL Media on Tuesday, "It's grand jury material. It would have been improper -- in fact, illegal -- for the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office to provide (the video) to an outside/private/non law-enforcement entity."

http://www.sportingnews.com/nfl/story/2014-09-09/roger-goodell-interview-cbs-ray-rice-video-norah-o-donnell

Ravens owner Steven Bisciotti said Tuesday that the team was rebuffed in its attempts to obtain the full video shortly after the February incident.

"We contacted the casino management and asked if there was video of the incident from inside the elevator that we could see. The casino would not share such video. We asked the local New Jersey police and the police refused as well. We asked the prosecutor’s office and that office refused. It was our understanding at that time that Ray’s attorney had not yet seen the video. NFL officials had been informed, and we know they were also trying to retrieve and/or see the video."

[True Earthling]

22. It would be unlawful for the casino to release the video to the NFL

It would be a violation of privacy laws. Neither the NFL or the Baltimore Ravens had a legal right to subpoena the video. The NFL/Baltimore Ravens are the employer(s) of Ray Rice. How would you like it if employers could subpoena evidence on employees in pending criminal cases before trial?

[Capt. Obvious]

24. Hopefully TMZ doesn't get in trouble