http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/sports/braves/1004/13furcal.html Furcal reports to jail to begin 21-day sentence By DON PLUMMER The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Published on: 10/12/04 Atlanta Braves shortstop Rafael Furcal has traded a major league lifestyle of swanky hotels and gourmet meals for a bunk in a barracks with 70 other guys and cuisine that is, well, nourishing. Furcal slipped past waiting reporters and TV cameras about 3 p.m. Tuesday to report for a 21-day-sentence at the Cobb County Jail for violating his probation in an earlier DUI case. Furcal's next three weeks will be "mundane and routine," Chief Deputy Lynda Coker said. After being fingerprinted, photographed and fitted for a navy blue cotton pajama-like outfit, Furcal was issued brown plastic slippers, bed linens, towels and toiletries, Coker said. He was then evaluated for mental or physical limitations and assigned to a living area for inmates with similar charges and criminal histories. Furcal will live in a barracks with bare linoleum floors, sleeping on a bunk bed in a room with between 60 and 70 other inmates with whom he will share meals and showers. Wake-ups will be early, with first breakfast at 5:30 a.m., Coker said. Furcal, accustomed to better views, can look outside the jail through small vertical slits, past razor wire fences to an adjacent landfill. His only road trips while in jail will be to court hearings. He is scheduled to appear Thursday in Atlanta Municipal Court to answer charges from a September DUI arrest that prompted his probation violation. Meals at the jail have been developed by a nutritionist to meet minimum caloric requirements, said Cobb Sheriff's spokeswoman Nancy Bodiford. "The food isn't bad," Bodiford said, without going into detail. "It's, well, it's nutritious." The 2000 National League rookie of the year, who batted .279 with 14 homers, 59 RBIs and 29 stolen bases this season, may be assigned a job such as kitchen or laundry duty while in jail, based upon his abilities and what needs doing, Coker said. Inmates are not paid for work they do. Furcal's salary for the 2004 season which ended Monday night was $3.7 million. During free time Furcal, like other inmates, can read, play checkers or chess, but no televisions or radios are allowed in the jail. Regular indoor exercise periods are scheduled as are classes such as GED preparation and treatment meetings for drug and alcohol addictions. Furcal, who will be in jail on his 27th birthday Oct. 24, attended Jose Cabrera High School in the Dominican Republic, according to the Braves media guide. Inmates must sign up ahead of time for activities and for religious services. Videos of each week's religious services are available for viewing during the week since there isn't room for all inmates to attend services at once. He will be able to have visitors, but only at certain times on days that are predetermined based on the pod he is assigned to, Coker said. Visitors must be on a list he submits to guards. On Sept. 10, Furcal was stopped by an Atlanta police officer, who clocked the infielder's Mercedes doing 90 mph on I-85 at 4:20 a.m. He was charged with reckless driving and DUI after his blood alcohol level tested at 0.127 percent. Furcal was first arrested for DUI in Cobb County on June 10, 2000. At that time Furcal's blood alcohol level tested at 0.11 percent; the state's legal limit is 0.08. He pleaded guilty to the Cobb DUI charge, but Furcal, a native of the Dominican Republic, appealed on the grounds he was read his Miranda rights in English, not Spanish. The appeal was denied, but delayed when Furcal began serving his 12 months of probation until Oct. 29, 2003, according to Cobb County officials. When arrested in Atlanta in September Furcal had 49 days remaining on his Cobb probation. Furcal arrived at the Cobb jail Tuesday before a court-ordered 5 p.m. deadline and avoided waiting members of the media by surrendering to police off-site and being driven into the sand-colored 2,200-inmate jail through an out-of-view entrance. After completing the 21-day jail sentence, Furcal will spend 28 days in court-ordered inpatient drug treatment.
I was waiting for someone to post something about this guy. The fact that he was allowed to play out his season and then go do his time is an absolute joke...not to mention a mockery of the judicial system (as if it needed any more mockery). You had practically every kid in Houston and Atlanta glued to that series and every time he did something, positive or negative, the announcer would say something like " Well, given that he will be going to prison immediately following the Braves season, who knows what he might be thinking."...or " you know Furcal wants to extend this postseason as long as possible because he will be going to jail immediately following the season". What the hell kind of crap is MLB and/or the judge who sentenced him trying to show the kids? This was an absolute joke.
I agree Rocket. What does it say to the millions of families that are affected by drunk drivers? MLB could have sent out a powerful message by not letting this guy play, instead, they dropped the ball
My post on the subject http://bbs2.clutchfans.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=84955&perpage=30&pagenumber=33 Just another reason(there are a billion) I am glad the Astros won: Not having to hear anything else about Furcal going to jail. I wanted to throw up everytime I heard "You gotta feel for this guy. He'll be going to jail when this series is over" . No, I don't have to feel for the guy, he got caught with his 2nd DUI and got sentenced to jail. If the judge wasn't a Braves fan or if he had been any normal guy he'd have already been in jail. In the immortal words of Mr. Box, "You're going to jail"
No kidding Castor. A judge would laugh you out of the courtroom if you were like, "I'm going to be kind of busy the next few weeks at work, mind if I show up after?" The fact that he got to play was ridiculous.
I assume the judge just didn't want to deal with the death threats he'd surely receive if Furcal didn't play.
Really? I think if you have a short term sentence and can demonstrate some reason why it should be postponed its not all that uncommon.
I don't have to "feel for the guy" either. I "feel for" the thousands and thousands of people whose lives have been torn apart by the actions of drunk drivers like that scumbag Furcal. I couldn't give a sweet rats ass about him and I'd feel the same way if he were on "my" team.
Same here. I've heard of numerous examples where judge have allowed a person to serve their time during nights and weekends so they can work during the daytime.
I had the same opinion as many of you here, then I remembered what happened to one of ex-RM95's Girl's ex-boyfriends. He was arrested for his second DUI and was given a jail sentence. However, he was able to serve it on nights and weekends so that he could keep his job, which definitely wasn't a professional baseball player. I'm not sure how often it happens, but it does happen. This case isn't nearly as bad as the Colorado pitcher a few years ago who was sentenced to three years for putting a gun to his wife's head. The judge said he could perform the sentence in the offseason.
I see where you are coming from...like if the situation presents a hardship for his family (even though i think that shouldnt matter)...but this guy has millions...the only hardship it presented was to the Atlanta lineup.
A 3 week jail sentence is better than steroids...if the other Braves players gave Furcal's effort their season would not have ended.
Ya know....if the Astros lose to the Cards (not that it will happen), then I'm placing all the blame on that loser of a judge who let Furcal play out the rest of the season. Without Furcal, the Astros would have swept and we wouldn't be going with Backe on short rest and Munro in the second game.
