In December of 2007 Nobel Peace Prize Winner Al Gore gave an interview to Time Magazine in which he said, "When I was in the Snow and Ice Data Center receiving a full briefing on the polar ice caps, (the North Pole used to have ice) afterwards I would turn on my TV and there were two networks with the bulletin: Britney Spears loses custody of her children. We're living in a madhouse if our priorities focus on the embalming of Anna Nicole Smith, or the trial of OJ Simpson, while we ignore the greatest crisis this nation has ever faced."
Most crimes are not televised world wide in progress with audio and video. In this case we have the audio and the video in technicolor. Let us watch the two minute video here, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZcDn8JWCLo and now let us apply the facts to the law and judge for ourselves.
Venus and Serena Williams were raised as Jehovah's Witnie by their mother Oracene Williams. Lets let all of the eye witnesses, the whole world testify. Jesus Christ said, "You strain at gnats yet you swallow tennis balls whole." As the commentators and the media focused on whether or not Serena Williams foot faulted for the third time in the match, (stepping back an inch may help), the alleged criminal offense of menacing went completely unreported. Had Barack Obama been sitting in the chair the secret service may have gunned Serena Williams down into the red dirt of Roland Garros.
The main incident occurs at 49 seconds of the video tape. After what the BBC has reported was a clear foot fault, (there was no side camera, only a rear one it's imposssible to call unless you are the lineswoman with the perfect view), Serena Williams walks over to the tiny glasses wearing oriental lineswoman (you can see the differences in their size at 1:44 of the tape). John McEnroe said, "That's as angry as I've ever seen her. You can't call (a foot fault) there." Can you call a double fault there?
According to ESPN which has the tape, as does CBS, Serena Williams screamed at the seated lineswoman as she was fencing with her face, "I swear to God, I'm F****ing going to take this F****ing ball and shove it down your F****ing throat, you hear that? I swear to God." Serena Williams was then penalized one point for taking the Lord's name in Vain, because earlier, after losing the first set to mommy Clijsters, Serena Williams twice threw her racket into the ground and mangled the frame. Was that not a death threat? Try deep breathing Yoga exercises with a tennis ball lodged deep in your throat.
A Psychopath is a person without a conscience, incapable of feeling remorse. Recently a team of scientists at the Institute of Psychiatry at King's College, London found that psychopaths have potholes in the brain road connecting the part of the brain dealing with emotions and the part which handles impulses and decision making, said Dr. Michael Craig, of Craigslist.
In 2008 People Magazine reported that Serena Williams was dating the rapper, Common, Serena's character witness. In his hit song, "Bitc* in You", Common sings, "A bitc* nigg**** with an attitude named Cube, Step to come wit a feud," Natural born killa, nigg***, you natural born God..Hypocrite I'm filling out your death certificate..It'll take the nation of millions to hold me back, from giving you mouth shots or hit wit the pipe Ralph"Ain't none of y'all muthafu****ers got a chance on the mic." At least he didn't foot fault.
Now let us examine the New York Penal Code for the applicable law, so that we can apply the facts to the law and judge for ourselves if Serena Williams committed the criminal offense of menacing. In the dictionary "To menace" means "a threat or the act of threatening, anything threatening harm or evil." We punish threats of death or bodily harm to nip the offender in the bud before it escalates into OJism.
Menacing like climate change is a matter of degrees. New York Penal Law section 120.14 defines second degree menacing. "A person is guilty of second degree menacing when she intentionally places or attempts to place another person in reasonable fear of physical injury, serious physical injury or death by displaying a " dangerous instrument or she repeatedly follows a person or engages in a course of conduct (Serena moved towards the lineswoman pointing, screaming filth, holding up the ball, threatening, 3 or 4 times) intentionally placing the other person in reasonable fear of physical injury, serious physical injury or death.
Section 120.15 Menacing in the third degree is when by physical menace she intentionally places or attempts to place another person in fear of death, imminent serious physical injury or physical injury. Menacing in the first degree is when you are guilty of menacing in the second degree and have been convicted of it before within the past 10 years. A foot fault is a fault against the server called for failure to keep both feet behind the baseline prior to serving. Tennis, like most important things is a game of inches.
The USTA is protecting the lineswoman by refusing to release her name. She is now the Dixie Chick of tennis. The modest Serena released her autobiography in March, "Serena Williams Queen of the Court." Queens do not get charged with menacing they have wealth and power and armies to charge other people with threatening bodily harm. After the match Serena said, "I didn't threaten her. I don't know why she would have felt threatened." Serena refused to apologize. Serena said "I haven't really thought about it to have any regrets." The reason that the elegant Kim Clijsters was a point from the match was because the former US Open Champion ran Serena around the court like a child for two sets. This is why Serena Williams lost it.
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