New fan laws: What do we think?

1- I’m skeptical, since this is just an attempt rather than the actual "Sunday" incident taking place. If it's his first offense, he'll likely just get a warning at worst, though if he's a repeat offender, he might face a fine... and a visit from the local precinct could be on the cards too...

2-He's following the Sports Fan Act, provided they can prove he was right there at the game immediately beforehand.

John Martin18 said:I don't buy it. It’s an attempt, not a done deal. If this is his first offense, he’ll probably just get a warning at worst. If he’s lucky? Maybe a small fine. But honestly, if he keeps this up, he might end up getting absolutely wrecked in the ring.

It all comes down to the Sports Fan Act. If they can prove those guys were right there at the game just before it went down, then yeah, they’re going after them. Simple as that.

I just hope things don't turn into a total war zone out there. Honestly, I was thinking the same thing, though it feels pretty weird. We’re talking about being right here in our own hometown, so I don't really get why that part of the Sports Fan Act includes the route back home. Makes zero sense.

So, because of that massive blowout at the youth game in a small town in rural US, the club got hit with a fine. The National Sports Organization acknowledged that clubs are struggling financially right now and that an outburst like this is hard to prevent, so the folks in that small town in rural US will only be paying $133. But here’s the real question: is the Department of Justice going to step in? Are they going to act on their own authority, or if they don't, did the right people even report this? We’re talking about a parent physically attacking a referee at a kids' game. Look, the Sports Fan Act is enforced strictly when it comes to organized fan groups—you light one flare, even if you don't throw it on the field, and you're looking at a long ban from stadiums. But this isn't a group issue. This is a straight-up thug running onto a pitch in front of 22 little kids to assault an official. It would be a total joke if this guy just gets to keep showing up to children's games without any consequences.

It's funny how there's zero investigation just because the guy isn't part of some organized fan group. If one of us had done that, we'd probably be looking at a few years behind bars 🙂

Regarding what Maletnik said about the flare thing, I actually know a guy from my small town in rural US who got banned for doing the exact same stuff at sixteen, and he was out for a whole year, though they didn't hit him with a fine at the time...

I have a question for those who are perhaps a bit more legally inclined—looking at you, valsimota or Laura Mitchell87: has any petition been filed to challenge the constitutionality of the Sports Fan Act?
In my estimation, Section 32, Subsection 7 is highly contentious. It is precisely this specific clause that effectively bars our guys from entering the stadium.
The argument for why this needs to be struck down is based on the following: (the statute: )

The Right to Rehabilitation

Section 18.

Any individual convicted of a criminal offense, or subsequently acquitted, shall have the right—following the expiration of the timeframes established by law and under the conditions specified herein—to be considered an individual who did not commit said offense. Consequently, their rights and liberties shall not differ from those of individuals who have never committed a criminal offense.

Effectiveness of Rehabilitation

Section 19.

(1) Upon the completion, pardon, or expiration of a sentence involving incarceration, long-term imprisonment, or juvenile detention, as well as upon the payment of fines, convicted individuals possess all the rights of citizens as established by the Constitution, federal law, or other regulations. They may exercise all such rights except for those specifically limited by security measures or the legal consequences of a conviction.

(2) The provisions of subsection 1 shall also apply to offenders subject to special obligations, protective supervision, or those whom the court has acquitted of the charge.

(3) The provisions of subsection 1 apply to individuals on parole, provided their rights are not otherwise restricted by specific parole regulations.

(4) Provided that the offender is not subsequently convicted of a new crime, rehabilitation occurs automatically by operation of law once the following periods have elapsed:

– twenty years from the date of completion, expiration, or pardon of a sentence involving long-term imprisonment,

– fifteen years from the date of completion, expiration, or pardon of a sentence of ten years or more,

– ten years from the date of completion, expiration, or pardon of a sentence of three years or more,

– five years from the date of completion, expiration, or pardon of a sentence of one year or more, including juvenile detention,

– three years from the date of completion, expiration, or pardon of a sentence of up to one year, from the date a fine is paid, from the end of a parole probationary period, from the completion of community service, or from the date a judgment of acquittal becomes final.

(5) Once the timeframes specified in subsection 4 have passed, the offender is deemed to have no criminal record. Any use of data identifying the individual as a criminal offender is prohibited, and such data usage carries no legal weight. A rehabilitated person maintains the right to deny their prior conviction and, therefore, cannot be held liable or suffer any legal repercussions due to it.

This is vital reading; please, read it carefully.

An attorney should probably handle this. I heard some talk about getting things moving, but I'm not really in the loop.

It’s obviously unconstitutional...

Jesse Campbell said:An attorney should be the one drafting this. There were some whispers about moving forward with it, but I haven't kept up with the specifics.

It is quite obviously unconstitutional...

Dammit, if this hasn't been drafted yet... there’s still time, though. It’s never too late.
We need to hire an attorney immediately and get this done as soon as possible.
If we have to crowdfund the legal fees, then so be it.

I honestly wasn't aware of this because it feels like such a sudden shift in how things work. I’m sure I’m not the only one feeling this way, but according to this specific article, the police are now essentially acting as judge and jury just to lighten the court's workload. In my case, they hit me with everything—running a red light, not having a license, no ID... they even pulled me over in Rio to verify who I was, and then slapped me with massive fines via those automated payment slips. It cost me my driving privileges for a set period, a small fortune in fines, and legal fees, yet my case never even reached a judge. All I can do is appeal through the Department of Justice. I mean, seriously, how is that even possible?
Ridiculous....

ruggedcanyon2 said:I have two quick questions if anyone here has dealt with this before:
2. About thirty minutes after the game ended, some folks were picked up at the bar near the stadium offices... They all took the breathalyzer test, and now they're stressing out over whether that falls under the Sports Fan Act or what.

There’s a bit of a catch here. Technically, they shouldn't have blown into the breathalyzer. If they had just refused the alcohol test, there wouldn't be much proof against them under the Sports Fan Act; the police could still detain them, but they’d eventually be released without any real headache. But since they went ahead and cooperated with the test and blew positive, they could actually face a ban because of it...

Henry Grant51 said:There’s a loophole here... if they hadn't blown into the breathalyzer, they could have refused the alcohol test and we wouldn't be able to prove anything under the Sports Fan Act, maybe get detained briefly, but they'd let them go after a bit without any real trouble. But since they agreed to the test and blew a number, they can actually get banned for it...

They can't, but refusing the test is basically $1,000 less in their pocket😉 so you tell me...

Hey there! Quick question—how long does the misdemeanor process usually take, and what kind of penalties are we looking at these days if someone fails a breathalyzer test?

Look, I’ll cut to the chase because I really don't feel like rambling...

The prosecutor is trying to play it safe until the trial is over, but since I basically shut him down and wouldn't agree to anything, he immediately asked for an extension. So, I showed up in court today and instead of the usual 8 days, they slapped me with restrictions that last until the whole trial wraps up.
Now I see there's a way to appeal this, so does anyone actually have experience with this? Should I even bother if they're just going to brush me off, or will things get even worse for me here?
I should win the case, even though the prosecutor is pushing for the harshest penalties possible.
Also, if I file my appeal today or tomorrow, does that mean the restriction stays in effect? Most importantly, if they reject my appeal, can I at least make it to the game on Thursday?

Thanks in advance

Is this actually happening? Are those 300 of us who got processed yesterday over at Yankee Stadium really looking at anything from three months up to three years behind bars?? Especially since most of us don't even have a prior record.

Maybe, but on one condition... if you do it again...

Michael Moore19 said:Is it actually possible? Are all 300 of us who got processed yesterday at Yankee Stadium really looking at anything from three months up to three years in prison?? Especially since we don't even have prior records??

Probation, bans, and heavy fines.

It might not be all three at once, but damn, you better brace yourself for a bad scenario with those cops.

Honestly, everyone should just hire a lawyer. If you can't afford one, go ask someone who actually knows what they're doing or do some digging online to see what counts as mitigating circumstances in court. That could seriously slash the fines right out of the gate. But of course, everyone's playing the victim now, acting like Jerry Jones is some kind of saint and a local hero...
Just stay strong.

Not sure if this is even the right place for this, but feels about right.
The whole fan movement—organized cheering, choreo, flares, the chaos... it all started in England and Italy about 40 years ago and just bled across the continent. Every year, more clubs had these dedicated groups pulling off massive displays and lighting up the stands. Back then, flares and pyrotechnics were just part of the atmosphere; nobody saw them as some kind of crime. It didn't bother anyone. For example, when the Boston Red Sox hit their 100th anniversary, the whole city was out celebrating with flares, and nobody blinked. But now? A few guys light a flare and suddenly they’re treated like a national security threat. Today, those English and Italian crowds aren't even half of what they used to be because of these suffocating laws. It started with them, but it's spreading everywhere, and it's coming for the rest of us next. The groups that haven't been crushed yet are just coasting, knowing they're next in line. UEFA is basically suffocating the culture, and nobody seems to care enough to stop it. We're looking at the total death of fan culture just because every group sits by while the others get picked off one by one. They penalize clubs for using pyrotechnics—which is literally the soul of the movement—so now you hardly see any flares in major matches. Soon, there won't be anything left. These groups aren't united, which is why they're being dismantled so easily. Think about it: if every group in the Champions League quarterfinals decided to light 15 flares and force a stoppage, UEFA couldn't do a damn thing. They can't just cancel the whole tournament. They can ban two or three teams, sure, but they can't kick out everyone—they can't run a Champions League without the likes of Real Madrid, Chelsea, or Bayern. Solidarity is the only way to save this. But maybe by tomorrow it'll be too late and we'll just be sitting here with our arms crossed. In a couple of years, "fans" won't exist anymore; it'll just be a corporate theater show for the ultra-rich, and we'll wonder where we went wrong. FREEDOM FOR THE FANS! AMF! (Look, I wrote this while I was heated, so don't judge, but I hope you get the point.)

Dana Richardson89 said:I don't know if this is really the right place to write this, but it felt like the most appropriate spot, I guess.
The whole fan movement—you know, the organized cheering, the massive choreographies, the flares, even the chaos... it all really kicked off in England and Italy about forty years ago. It slowly spread across the rest of the continent, and every year more and more clubs had these dedicated groups of supporters who would organize everything, set up the displays, and light up the stands with pyrotechnics. For a few years there, flares and smoke were just part of the atmosphere in Europe; nobody looked at it like some kind of crime back then. It didn't bother people nearly as much. Like, for the 100th anniversary of the Boston Red Sox, the whole city and the surrounding areas were basically celebrating with flares everywhere, and nobody thought twice about it. But today? When a few individuals light them up at a stadium, it’s treated like a huge deal because those people are such a tiny minority now, and they get labeled as some kind of national security threat or a legal problem. Nowadays, the English and Italian scenes aren't even a shadow of what they used to be forty years ago because of these incredibly strict laws. It started with them, but it's spreading to other European countries, and honestly, it won't be long before it hits everyone else too. Some supporter groups that haven't faced heavy repression yet aren't even worrying that much, maybe because they don't realize they're next on the list. UEFA is slowly choking out the fan movement, and it feels like hardly anyone is trying to stop it. We're facing the total end of the fan culture we know just because one group after another gets crushed by regulations, while the others just watch and don't believe it could happen to them until it does. UEFA keeps banning and penalizing clubs whose fans use pyrotechnics—which is basically the symbol of the whole movement—and because of that, you rarely see flares in European matches anymore. Soon, the flares will be gone entirely. These fan groups aren't staying united, and that's why they're being picked off one by one... For example, imagine if in a Champions League quarterfinal (which sounds impossible, I know) all the fan groups for the teams in that round lit 10 or 15 flares and forced a stoppage. UEFA wouldn't be able to do anything! If they stopped every single Champions League match, the whole tournament would be postponed. They can't punish every club at once... UEFA simply can't kick every team out of Europe, which is why solidarity is the only thing that can save the fan movement. They might be able to ban two or three clubs, but they can't ban ten or fifteen—I mean, a Champions League without teams like Barca, Real, Chelsea, Bayern, Inter, Milan... it wouldn't exist. Only unity can save us, but maybe by tomorrow it'll be too late and we'll just be sitting here with our arms crossed. In a year or two, there won't be "fans" left; it'll just be a football theater designed by a small group of elites for the ultra-wealthy to watch, and we'll be left wondering where we went wrong. FREEDOM TO THE FAN MOVEMENT! AMF! (Look, I was writing this while I was pretty worked up, so please don't take it the wrong way, but I really hope you guys get what I'm saying)

That's probably exactly why, because some liberal-capitalist piece of trash decided they wanted to get rich off football without having to lift a finger. But to pull that off, you first have to deal with the biggest opposition in your criminal scheme, which means getting rid of the ultras, since they're the only real obstacle to this whole coordinated, crooked plan 🙂... It's the same story in real life, not just in America but across all of Europe, except for maybe a few places like Norway. The middle class has been wiped out; it just doesn't exist anymore. There's only the rich and the poor. That's how they're turning football into a business too, and they're bringing it to its conclusion. The only resistance left is the ultras. You ask where the ultras failed? In my opinion, they didn't fail anywhere. It was everyone else—that 90% majority—who failed. Those are just the sympathizers who simply don't care enough about their beloved club because they're too busy struggling just to survive. So, they were easily eliminated so they wouldn't act as an opposition to this same coordinated criminal organization that loves to brag about being "liberal-capitalist" being the only way, even if it hurts everyone else. And don't get me wrong, I'm not talking about any socialism or communism. I'm all about the truth—Boston Red Sox.😁

Michael Moore19 said:Is it actually possible that all 300 of us who got processed yesterday at Yankee Stadium are looking at anything from 3 months to 3 years in prison?? Especially since we don't even have any prior offenses??

I guess it really just boils down to what the charges are. If they're pushing the racism angle—you know, yelling slurs like Jerry Jones would—then just look up the footage from yesterday's press conference online. Read the articles too. There was that guy, the president of the international Roma association, claiming there wasn't any racism involved at all. He basically said nobody needs to speak for the Roma community; they can represent themselves. For a racism charge to stick, you usually need an aggrieved group, right? Well, the head of that global organization is saying there’s no racism here, and he’s apparently ready to tell UEFA the same thing—that the club is just a victim of false accusations and unfair penalties. And honestly, hearing those slurs doesn't seem to bother him one bit; if anything, he seems fine with it. So, I assume he'll be just as willing to say that in court. Anyway, we all saw it, we all heard it, and we all remember it... and I mean, who's more qualified to define what constitutes racism than the Roma people themselves, their own international president, and the actual victim of the outburst🙂...
basically, that's my plan. I'm going to request that he be called as a defense witness so he can repeat those exact same words under oath.

Aaron Richardson7 said:Look, let me skip the fluff because I don't have the patience to tell the whole life story... basically...

The prosecutor is trying to play it safe by keeping these restrictions in place until the trial ends. But since I absolutely trashed his argument and wouldn't budge on any of his nonsense, he immediately asked for an extension. So, I showed up before the judge today and instead of the usual 8 days, they slapped me with restrictions that last until the end of the trial.
Now, I just realized you can actually appeal these restrictions. Anyone here dealt with this before? Should I hold off and not push my luck if there's a chance they'll just shut me down, or does things usually get even uglier when you fight back?
Based on everything, I should win this case, even though the prosecutor is out here praying for the maximum possible sentence.
Also, if I file the appeal today, is it considered final tomorrow? And most importantly—if they reject my appeal, will I still be able to make it to the game this Thursday?

Thanks in advance

I've been under these restrictions for two years already, and at this rate, who knows how much longer they're going to drag this out.🤷