Austin Watson arrested for domestic assault

[PredsV82]

Pleaded no contest. 1 year's probation.

Hard to see the Preds keeping him.

Link? What exactly did he plead to?

I'm guessing if he was going to have his contract terminated we would have heard it al.ost simultaneously with the plea.

I suspect he will be given counselling and closely monitored but not dismissed. The difference between this and other players in similar situations is this was an isolated event with extenuating circumstances with nothing to suggest this is a pattern of behavior.

 

[101st_fan]

 

[101st_fan]

Link? What exactly did he plead to?

I'm guessing if he was going to have his contract terminated we would have heard it al.ost simultaneously with the plea.

I suspect he will be given counselling and closely monitored but not dismissed. The difference between this and other players in similar situations is this was an isolated event with extenuating circumstances with nothing to suggest this is a pattern of behavior.

Conceded to pushing her.

 

[101st_fan]

Watson pleads no contest to assault charge

 

[PredsV82]

Thanks. I'm thinking he only gets dropped if there is another incident

 

[Drake744]

I don't know if this adds any info but....

 

[Mortiest Morty]

Conceded to pushing her.

I doubt he admitted to anything in his actual plea. No contest only means that he knew he would lose the case and he is accepting a deal, but admitting zero guilt. He admitted to pushing her long ago when speaking to the cops that reported to the call. Of course, an officer also said he personally witnessed Watson pushing her as well. Semantics I guess, but in his plea specifically, I imagine he admitted no guilt whatsoever.

Anyway, it's not worth the bad press over a 4th liner, not even one that stepped up in the playoffs last year. Regardless of the press, I don't personally want to see him on the team that I cheer for either. Cut him.

 

[triggrman]

I doubt he admitted to anything in his actual plea. No contest only means that he knew he would lose the case and he is accepting a deal, but admitting zero guilt. He admitted to pushing her long ago when speaking to the cops that reported to the call. Of course, an officer also said he personally witnessed Watson pushing her as well. Semantics I guess, but in his plea specifically, I imagine he admitted no guilt whatsoever.

Anyway, it's not worth the bad press over a 4th liner, not even one that stepped up in the playoffs last year. Regardless of the press, I don't personally want to see him on the team that I cheer for either. Cut him.

damn.

I mean I'm all for protecting women but this seams extremely minor to draw that sort of reaction.

 

[Armourboy]

My guess is Poile has talks with the league to see what they think before he does anything.

We've helped guys with drug problems and heck even gave Ribs a chance to clean up his act. My guess is he stays on the team with the understanding that the Preds will get him help so it doesn't happen again.

I'm sure it will also be made very clear to him that if it ever happens again in the future he will be cut loose, and that may not just apply to the Preds but to the NHL as a whole.

I don't like what he did, but I'd like to see the Preds and the League try and help players with this issue first rather than just kicking them out. I'm sure some others won't be as forgiving though.

 

[Mortiest Morty]

damn.

I mean I'm all for protecting women but this seams extremely minor to draw that sort of reaction.

If you think preferring not to have a person that has essentially been convicted of domestic abuse on the team is some sort of extreme reaction, then I think you're pretty nonchalant. I didn't say I want him hanged or something, I'd prefer if he weren't on the team. Playing in the NHL is a privilege and the Preds love to market how family friendly etc. they are. I don't see how you continue to do that with a straight face after Ribeiro and now Watson.

 

[Detelethisaccount]

Unless there is something else we do not know, another issue with violence and/or substance abuse issues, then I am not sure this would warrant terminating his contract. I think he should get a very heavy fine and something like a 10 game suspension. I think the Preds should also make him work directly with spousal abuse victims so he can see the devastation it can cause to a family, not just physically but emotionally and psychologically. You have to make sure both the player and the community know that this is something that this is not being taken lightheartedly. I hope whatever underlying issue caused this behavior from Watson can be corrected, because if not this could turn into a very ugly situation.

 

[Pred303]

keep him unless there is another incident. to not do so would be foolish.

 

[101st_fan]

"At the scene, the affidavit continued, Watson admitted to pushing his girlfriend and an officer noticed red marks on the woman’s chest."

Nashville Predators player Austin Watson pleads no contest to domestic assault charge

The team has a serious choice to make. Boot him from the roster using the personal conduct clauses that all leagues have and lose a guy that put up 14 goals including timely SHGs. Keep him and have a guy that conceded to pushing his girlfriend during an argument. Either way, the team has to take action on the topic of domestic violence.

 

[Preds Partisan]

I'm zero tolerance on DV. Having said that it's a 3 month probation with expungement. Suspend him for that period and reassess his status/progress with his court monitored counseling at that time. If he's successfully met the requirements of his sentence at the end of probation, he should be allowed the opportunity to be reinstated with the team. Note that I said opportunity to be reinstated, not automatically reinstated.

 

[Drake744]

I'm far from a legal expert so maybe this is a dumb question but is it possible the team sees a relatively minor (I believe) criminal punishment and seems it acceptable to keep him? But maybe that's not a minor punishment.

 

[AdmiralsFan24]

I'm far from a legal expert so maybe this is a dumb question but is it possible the team sees a relatively minor (I believe) criminal punishment and seems it acceptable to keep him? But maybe that's not a minor punishment.

I don't think the team ever thought about getting rid of him.

 

[Armourboy]

I just dont think either he or his girlfriend are served by just booting him. I'd much rather they try and get him help, along with what the court requires, so that it doesn't happen again. I mean we did the same with Tootoo and his drug issue and that turned out ok.

Obviously if it happens again you boot him, or if it looks like he isn't taking it seriously you do as well. I'd just like to see an organization try and help fix an issue with a player rather than washing their hands of them, especially when you consider the more aggressive behavior could be partially a response to his job.

 

[FossilFndr]

I'm zero tolerance on DV. Having said that it's a 3 month probation with expungement. Suspend him for that period and reassess his status/progress with his court monitored counseling at that time. If he's successfully met the requirements of his sentence at the end of probation, he should be allowed the opportunity to be reinstated with the team. Note that I said opportunity to be reinstated, not automatically reinstated.

Sounds reasonable, none of us know what actually happened. To my understanding No Contest is not admitting guilt but admit the truth of the facts included in the indictment. No other circumstances are considered before sentence. This might be the lowest sentence among several permitted for the offense. If the report is correct and #1 is Peaceful contact with the victim, and not something more severe like a restraining order then we don't need to blow it out of perspective.

 

[Mortiest Morty]

If the report is correct and #1 is Peaceful contact with the victim, and not something more severe like a restraining order then we don't need to blow it out of perspective.

The girlfriend didn't want a restraining order, so why would he have been given one? And it makes no sense to base your reaction on the punishment given, especially the punishment given to someone wealthy, history has shown pretty clearly that the legal system is far from the same for everyone. Either what he did bothers you, or it doesn't.

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

Hm, we'd have to replace him with Zac Rinaldo... sooooo... hopefully the video evidence showed it was all quite harmless and she was drunk and in his face provoking him and he just maybe sort of put up his arms in total self-defence, and so even while it still wasn't right we could sort of see from looking at the video that it really got blown massively out of proportion and wasn't even really ... I mean, Zac Rinaldo....! Actually are we sure that it was even Watson, maybe it was Rinaldo impersonating him? The video might be a little blurry?
Sigh.

Well I'm sure the people who really have seen and heard all the evidence are in a much better position to judge than any of us are, so I'll just go with whatever they decide, both from the legal and organizational perspectives. I'm sure that Watson and his girlfriend are both mortified that it came to this already and would rather be dealing with any follow-on issues outside of the public spotlight. Best wishes to them in moving forward with it all together.

 

[bdub24]

So in 90 days, assuming no added bad behavior, this incident gets completely erased from legal history and people want him gone right now? I dont get that.

 

[Drake744]

Either what he did bothers you, or it doesn't.

I don't think anyone isn't bothered by it.

 

[Drake744]

So in 90 days, assuming no added bad behavior, this incident gets completely erased from legal history and people want him gone right now? I dont get that.

It's a sticky subject, and rightfully so. This also doesn't seem to be a "typical" domestic assault case we see with athletes where it's pretty cut and dry what happened where there's dangerous physical force against the victim.

 

[PredsV82]

So in 90 days, assuming no added bad behavior, this incident gets completely erased from legal history and people want him gone right now? I dont get that.

This. I'm pretty sure the NHLPA would have a problem with a players contract being terminated for something that will basically vanish in 3 months. I'm not even sure why he had to plead nolo contendre if it's going to be expunged. Up here in KY that's called pretrial diversion and you dont plead 5o anything you just agree to the conditions set by the judge and if they are met then you dont have a criminal record.

All of you folks wanting him cut need to realize that you're talking about his sole source of income and the window to make that income in his lifetime is very short. This isnt cut and dried. And I would hope some of you have a little more compassion. I suspect none of you would feel like you should lose the ability to work in your chosen field for the rest of your life over something that isnt even bad enough to generate a criminal record.

 

[bdub24]

i guess its a slippery slope when you start thinking about degrees of violence isnt it. I think the ruling was fair and hope watson is capable of competely erasing this incident and making amends to his loved ones.