Lakers shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is in the midst of serving a 25-day jail sentence as a result of violating his probation, writes Tania Ganguli of The Los Angeles Times. As part of a work-release program, Caldwell-Pope is allowed to leave the Seal Beach Police Department Detention Center to participate in Lakers’ practices and games, but he’s not permitted to leave the state during his 25-day sentence.
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Caldwell-Pope was stopped on suspicion of driving under the influence back on March 29, and was sentenced to a 12-month probation period. He was required submit to and pay for random drug testing during that time as part of the agreement. However, according to Ganguli, court records show Caldwell-Pope failed to comply with those terms, having missed several drug and alcohol screenings.
Per Ganguli, court records show that Caldwell-Pope must wear a GPS monitor whenever he leaves the detention facility, and must submit to a breath test upon returning. If he violates any of the terms of his new agreement, KCP will be sentence to 93 days in Oakland County Jail.
Caldwell-Pope’s 25-day sentence initially had him ticketed for Oakland County Jail, but he petitioned the court to serve his sentence at the Seal Beach Detention Center instead, and that petition was approved. Ganguli describes the pay-to-stay Seal Beach facility as one that has “a reputation as a refuge for wealthy offenders.” It costs $120 per day for inmates who are part of the work-release program.
While Caldwell-Pope’s current situation is a rare one for NBA players, his 25-day jail sentence was fortuitously timed — nine of the Lakers’ next 12 games are at home, and tonight’s road game is in California (Golden State). As such, KCP should only miss two more road games: December 31’s contest in Houston and January 1’s game in Minnesota.
Why judges play games with these people is beyond me.
You know the system is bad when people can openly pay to have their jail sentences relaxed, and served in a much more comfortable environment – while they are being allowed to go do other things in between. Absolute joke.
I’m sure the nature of the offense which the time is being served has a direct affect on whether these programs are allowed.
He’s serving for a probation violation, which is a pretty light punishment in California.
If it were a violent crime, or a second DUI that caused the sentencing perhaps this wouldn’t be the case for KCP.
Unfortunately you’re giving the criminal justice system in SoCal a lot of undue credit. In most states if you said “I’ll pay you $120 a day so I can stay at a cushy BS jail and go play professional sports whenever I want” they’d laugh you out of the courtroom. And say something like, “What, do you think you’re in California or something?”