Berte's charges dropped

[Rabbitlivinginverm]

http://www.argusleader.com/apps/pbcs...EWS03/61220025

Who thinks he should be invited back to join the team? Who doesn't?

[jackrabbit1979]

Re: Berte's charges dropped

Based on these comments, I would venture to guess there is at least one member of our board who doesn't want to see him play again...I can't decide what my opinion would be (not like our opinions matter ).

http://www400.pair.com/bisonvil/cgi-...50900352/30#30

[jackmd]

Re: Berte's charges dropped

I hope our discussion here does not deteriorate into the rhetoric on that other board. As a fan of SDSU I want what is best for our institution. I trust our current leadership to make the right decision for SDSU.

As for those individuals involved in this case, I hope they never have to go through anything like this again.

[Gameday]

Re: Berte's charges dropped

I'll bite.......I could probably write a ton on this, as I have tossed it around in my head quite a bit already, so I will try and keep it short.
In the United States he is innocent until proven guilty, problem is that in the public eye, this is not the case. I personally believe that you have to give him a chance if he and the team want it. Although I don't think this will happen. This is a very subjective matter we are dealing with and one that anybody with any chance to avoid it probably would.

With all of that being said, there still remain some questions to be asked even this is something we are working on:
Is he even in the area any more?
Is he enrolled if he is here?
How would the team react to it?
How would the fans react?

[SUPERBUNNY]

Re: Berte's charges dropped

I don't know all of the details of the case. Haven't read the paper, seen it on tv, talked to anyone that was in the courthouse, or any of that stuff.

I don't mean to seem insensitive to any involved in this case because it is awful on all sides. I have to trust that those involved the case did their job, the trial was fair, and the result is just. That is all we can ask for. As a result of the first trial the charges on Mo were dropped.

I wish him the best in whatever he decides to do! I trust the administration to make the right decision on whether or not to play again for SDSU. Frankly, I don't why he wouldn't want to just move on to another place but that is up to him.

Again, this is where I said on the other thread that there are no winners in this case, only losers. Is it fair to convict someone that isn't brought to trial? Not in my eyes but everyone has their own opinion. Mr. Calhoun is thorough about everything he does and he wouldn't dismiss unless it was the right thing to do in this case.

SUPERBUNNY

[1stRowFANatic]

Re: Berte's charges dropped

I'm not sure how I would feel about Berte playing again for the Jacks. Here is what we know: Allegations were made, allegations were denied, players suspended, trial was convened, evidence presented, defendant found not guilty resulting in the charges being dropped. So at this point, Berte was accused of something he denied, was suspended from the team and I assume had his schollie pulled. I can see the argument that it would not be just to let him have the chance to play again, and also the argument that life's not fair and it just wouldn't be in the program's best interest.

A comment by Justin Hyde after the trial that may also apply to Berte is that the players were suspended "without ANY due process." The student code of conduct lays out a procedure for suspension, etc. that would be considered due process, and if it was not followed, it could affect what everyone does/decides from here on out.

[JackJD]

Re: Berte's charges dropped

I think Berte is not on campus.

[joeboo22]

Re: Berte's charges dropped

Last year when all this came out I remember hearing that one of the two was going to transfer and the other one was going to stick it out hoping to be able to join the team after he would be aquited/charges dropped. That being said I assume that one of them was still enrolled or would be preparing to re-enroll at semester. If he would be accedemically elgbile and a full time student at SDSU I don't know why the Jacks wouldn't welcome him back.

[thebluehatman]

Re: Berte's charges dropped

Neither of the two are on campus... Gilbert is in Southern Cal playing ball at a JUCO and Mo is in the Minneapolis area.

[1stRowFANatic]

Re: Berte's charges dropped

Solves that issue.

[Jacks-D1]

Re: Berte's charges dropped

If Mo or Andre were on campus, I think they should be reinstated to the team. They had a fair trial and were found not guilty, end of story. 12 people all agreed Andre was not guilty, and Mo didn't even go to trial and his case was dismissed. There was no crime committed, and they should be reinstated (if still here)

I remember that one of the Vedral's from Gregory was charged with a date rape type case while he was playing football for Nebraska. He was suspended from the team while the case was pending, he went to trial, was found not guilty, and was immediately reinstated to the team.

[thebluehatman]

Re: Berte's charges dropped

It's good to see this ugly chapter in SDSU athletics is closed.

[MilwaukeeJacksAlum]

Re: Berte's charges dropped

I know its a moot point, but neither Berte nor Gilbert has been shown to have violated any team rules, broke any laws or even violated any campus rule. Let's say Berte was still on campus and wanted to rejoin the team and finish his education (he would be a senior this year). If SDSU told him "no", essentially punishing him for doing nothing wrong (in the eyes of the law, team, and campus), then what would the punishment be for? A young lady's accusations. What kind of precedent would that set for the athletics program? What sort of precedent would that set in general? Not good ones. Now throw in the race card and it really gets ugly. If you refuse to allow Berte to rejoin the team, the unwritten message is "we don't care what the jury said, we believe the young lady over you no matter what." Not sure how that does any good for anyone including the young lady.

Now, you can argue that something happened for the accusations to be there, but no one truly knows what that "something" is. The young lady has not been punished in any way for what a jury has concluded was false accusations. I'm not proposing or do not believe that she should be punished and definitely am not trying to belittle what happened. What I am saying is that Berte (or Gilbert for that matter) should not be punished for what happened, either. (And that completely forgets the fact that they were already suspended from the team for the remainder of the year last year and the beginning of this season had they stayed at SDSU and essentially found "guilty until proven innocent" by the large media coverage the story received.)

Since I am a man and this forum is predominantly full of men, it is easy for anything written about this case to be read as "that girl is a no-good lier who ruined these poor boys' lives" or worse. Considering we are all relatively intelligent people (unlike those on the Argus site) I hope a rational discussion is able to be had about things like this.

[jackrabit1]

Re: Berte's charges dropped

Careful, MJA... some PC-type granola eater will see this and call you a knuckle-dragging mysoginist neanderthal male chauvanist pig! ;D

[filbert]

Re: Berte's charges dropped

The problem is that there's no way to undo the past year. No way.

Now that the case has been resolved as far as the legal system is concerned, the accused, the accuser, the SDSU administration, and the entire SDSU community have to come to terms with the year we've all lost to this incident.

I keep trying to say more, but nothing I write says quite what I want to say.

We all just need to figure out how to move on from this, sadder but wiser, and keep building towards the future.