15 Months for Coach Lowe’s Son

LINK. He was looking at a lot more time than that, and we all wish him the best of luck as he tries to turn his life around.

About BJD95

1995 NC State graduate, sufferer of Les and MOC during my entire student tenure. An equal-opportunity objective critic and analyst of Wolfpack sports.

General NCS Basketball

35 Responses to 15 Months for Coach Lowe’s Son

  1. wufdog 07/15/2008 at 4:30 PM #

    That seems like a fair sentence given the evidence and such. I wish him all the best in turning things around. I am sure that is a load off Sid’s mind given what the outocme could have been.

  2. VaWolf82 07/15/2008 at 5:41 PM #

    It is possible to turn your life around. Josh Hamilton is living proof of this. ESPN did a great article on Josh last year.

    http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2926447

  3. john of sparta 07/15/2008 at 5:55 PM #

    Josh did most of it to himself (well, family too).
    Lowe did most of it to others.
    “your right to swing stops at my nose.”

  4. BoKnowsNCS71 07/15/2008 at 8:13 PM #

    All Star game bottom of the second one out, Pitcher walks Milton Bradley. On big screen you can clearly read Ben Sheets lips on national TV as he drops the F bomb.

  5. RabidWolf 07/15/2008 at 8:31 PM #

    Good luck to the kid, sometimes all it takes is a good kick in the ass to turn you around. I just think it’s funny that this story was FRONT PAGE of the sports section, whereas if it had been any good news regarding N.C. State would have been inside back page, below the fold, and probably smaller than the strip club advert. Gotta LOVE the N&O!!

  6. RabidWolf 07/15/2008 at 9:03 PM #

    Different situation, but did anybody else hear about the resolution of the Larry Harris situation?

    http://www.newsobserver.com/sports/college/ncsu/story/1122102.html

  7. ktoh 07/15/2008 at 9:14 PM #

    Wow unreal ,Lowe ,Harris and the beat goes on ,JJ? I heard the accolades about him before I will wait and seee it appears we are truly becoming a disgrace and a joke.

  8. choppack1 07/15/2008 at 9:33 PM #

    If I was a victim in this case, I’d be pretty po’d. 15 months for participating in armed robbery makes a mockery of the justice system. I’m happy for Coach Lowe, but sadly, I think this sentence (or lack thereof) is a reflection of our courts increasing lenience. In most cases, we see what happens.

  9. RabidWolf 07/15/2008 at 9:40 PM #

    I wouldn’t say we are becoming a disgrace because of the coach’s son getting in trouble, I am of the opinion that it’s really nobody’s business but the Lowe family’s. I realize that since Sid is in the spotlight, so is everyone around him, but let him and his family work through this without passing our own judgement on it. Especially since all we know is what we read in the obviously biased local media.

    Larry Harris’ situation is totally different, he admitted to speeding, but it was also found, and obvious, that the RP officer in question had a questionable background of his own. So basically, it made the news that an NC State basketball coach got a speeding ticket. Big fat hairy deal. I just thought it was interesting that after a big media story about a basketball coach “resisting” a police officer, he paid a $15 fine. Hell–even THAT made the paper!

  10. buttPACKer 07/15/2008 at 10:00 PM #

    “a disgrace and a joke” ? ? ?

    Thanks Rabidwolf for your clarification.

  11. 66pack 07/16/2008 at 7:20 AM #

    He got favorable treatment due to whom his father happens to be.This man is not a KID and has had more advantages than most “kids”.I doubt character can be changed.

  12. GAWolf 07/16/2008 at 7:33 AM #

    I’ve heard that the “victims” in the Lowe case were not model citizens. However, I don’t have personal knowledge of that. I was there, however, when Larry Harris entered his plea. The cop refused to be in the courtroom when it happened. He’s a bad egg. And it’s a shame that many of the good Raleigh PD officers, and there are many, have to be associated with guys like the one who pulled over Harris. His reputation at the courthouse is terrible. Terrible. How he remains behind a badge I do not know. It’s one of the great travesties of our society… people who abuse power who are not only allowed to do so but empowered to do so because those in charge turn their backs to it.

    There is no doubt in my mind that he’ll wind up doing something (else) that will require his dismissal from the force. I only hope it’s not something horrific. It’s almost “sociopathic” how this guy carries himself and believes he’s doing the right thing… that’s not only quite scary but ultimately a recipe for disaster.

  13. choppack1 07/16/2008 at 7:39 AM #

    Don’t worry, GA Wolf – there’s change you can believe in coming up and more folks like that cop will have a hard time being fired!

  14. Wulfpack 07/16/2008 at 8:01 AM #

    In his testimony before the sentencing, the elder Lowe told the court his frequent absences from his son’s life as an NBA player and coach — and his acclaim as a former Wolfpack standout — had an adverse effect on Lowe II. Earlier, a doctor testified that Lowe II’s problems can be partly blamed on the elder Lowe.

    In court, the elder Lowe said the NBA kept him away from his son, who played basketball at Leesville Road High, for long stretches. Lowe and his wife, Melonie, have had a home in Raleigh for more than 20 years.

    “Someone once asked Sid what I do for a living,” Lowe said. “He said, ‘My dad works at the airport,’ because I was always flying off somewhere.”

    Kind of reminds me of the Andy Reid saga….

  15. Noah 07/16/2008 at 8:06 AM #

    His reputation at the courthouse is terrible. Terrible. How he remains behind a badge I do not know.

    I’d kinda like to know that too. Didn’t he have a judge basically saying he perjured himself during a trial? It’s one thing when a person on trial says you lied under oath, but when a judge sitting on the bench calls you a liar (under oath), we seem to have a problem.

    Regarding Lowe, Jr…the dude got a serious break. Considering the nature of his crimes, he’s lucky he’s not spending a couple of decades in prison.

  16. GAWolf 07/16/2008 at 8:31 AM #

    Lowe Jr definitely got a break. It’s not necessarily a break afforded to him solely because of his dad, as breaks are giving to people from all walks of life in the courtroom. Nonetheless, he’s a lucky, lucky man. The judge had to put him in jail… the question was for how long. On that end, he’s quite lucky.

    Noah: That has happened. Once formally to Internal Affairs by a Wake County Judge and at least twice in open court a judge has denounced his testimony as not credible. I can name all three judges, but will not do so in this forum.

    There was a rumor that he had some familial support in the higher rankings of RPD. I have been unable to verify that as a concrete truth. I can verify that the guy sits on the biggest speed trap in Raleigh… coming into downtown on Salisbury street, under the bridge. Everyone be warned. I can also verify that many RPD guys don’t care much for him.

  17. burnbarn 07/16/2008 at 8:59 AM #

    Lowe II got the absolute best possible outcome he could have had. It always helps to have Joe Cheshire on your side too.

    All charges (save speeding) against Harris were dropped.

  18. Noah 07/16/2008 at 9:13 AM #

    I can verify that the guy sits on the biggest speed trap in Raleigh… coming into downtown on Salisbury street, under the bridge.

    Ahhhh…yes, I know it well. I’ve been lucky so far.

    It’s a shame this guy is still out there with a gun and a badge.

  19. Wolf Dog 07/16/2008 at 9:25 AM #

    I think the court made a wise decision. He pays for his crime and gets a second chance. He’s a young man that made some mistakes and owned up to what he did. We all make some mistakes some just make bigger mistakes than others. I wish the young man the very best. I see no reason for people to judge him. The young man should know that many people been jailed and gone on to be very successful people, Peter and Paul quickly come to mind. I see this as no bad reflection on Coach Lowe. I thought Lowe handled himself well through this whole ordeal. He showed class by admitting his son was guilty, he even apologized to the victims, and encouraged his son to take responsibility.

  20. choppack1 07/16/2008 at 10:21 AM #

    “I see no reason for people to judge him.”

    I don’t know if I’m judging him or not, but I’ll say this, when you start robbing folks, you end up on my s-list – and I think you need to do hard time, because when you take from people by force – you are menace to society. I put armed robbery in a category of more dangerous than someone who commits a crime of passion because in this case someone premeditates a crime.

    If you think Atwater and that other punk deserved a second chance, I guess your being consistent. However, I’d have felt much about this sentence if there wasn’t the armed robbery element and Lowe II hadn’t had another brush w/ the law and used the “x-stacy and marijuana made me do it” excuse.

  21. PackMan97 07/16/2008 at 10:22 AM #

    This isn’t just a slap on the wrist. He still has an 11 year suspended sentence, 5 years of probation, 15 months in the slammer and felony convictions to deal with. If he gets caught doing anything wrong it’s back behind bars for a long time.

    If I had to guess the main reason he received a lighter sentence was the fact the cops believed his friend was the one carrying a weapon during one of the robberies and Lowe admitted that he was the one with the gun. Courts look favorably upon defendants who are trying to plead that they made a mistake and want to turn their lives around when they tell the truth (even when it will cost them) and take steps to actually change their behavior.

  22. Classof89 07/16/2008 at 11:16 AM #

    “sadly, I think this sentence (or lack thereof) is a reflection of our courts increasing lenience. ”

    Actually, its a reflection of the fact that if Dad can afford to pay a lot for a good defense attorney, you are lucky. If you are poor and have to go with the court appointed attorney, you are screwed…

  23. tcthdi-tgsf-twhwtnc 07/16/2008 at 11:34 AM #

    Chop says:

    f I was a victim in this case, I’d be pretty po’d. 15 months for participating in armed robbery makes a mockery of the justice system. I’m happy for Coach Lowe, but sadly, I think this sentence (or lack thereof) is a reflection of our courts increasing lenience. In most cases, we see what happens.

    If we could get these zealots in the legislature to change the drug laws in the country and state to treat the drug problem as an addiction instead of crime many of these types of senseless violent crimes could be eliminated.

    If we could get the non-violent drug offenders out, take the criminality out of drug use than we would have plenty of room to put those that commit violent crimes away for a lot longer time. As it is today they let a rapist out before a crack dealer because of mandatory sentences.

  24. Noah 07/16/2008 at 12:07 PM #

    Wasn’t the victim in this case a drug dealer? Or am I confusing the details of this?

    Not that it matters. I agree with tcthdi. I’m for putting violent offenders in jail for a long time. Some guy who just wants to get high isn’t really much of a concern to me.

    (Obviously, I realize others may disagree)

  25. GAWolf 07/16/2008 at 1:16 PM #

    Ridiculous flaws in our sentencing structure is the primary problem. There’s also a great article written by Joe Cheshire in a recent legal publication about the perpetuating problem of artificially increased crime rates (guy who used to get popped with one weed charge now gets charge by an overzealous cop looking to justify his existence with weed, possession of the paraphernalia to smoke the weed, maintaining a vehicle inwhich to smoke the weed, and maybe a resist delay and obstruct charge if he questions anything the cop does or says. The inflated crime rates (based on theoretically bogus charges as set out above) causes legislature to… you guessed it… give more money to hire more cops that have to justify their existence by writing more charges. You see the vicious cycle? And what we’ve got are guys on police forces that are placed on party patrol to arrest college kids in and around college campuses drinking and smoking dope. You’ve got cops that do nothing but patrol restaurant and bar areas at night waiting for a guy to pull out with one headlight so they can pull him and arrest him for DWI. You’ve got cops riding around doing nothing but running peoples’ tags to see if they are revoked and or have an insurance lapse and pulling them without any other crime being committed. In turn, you have relatively upstanding and productive citizens getting in scrapes that might put them behind bars while few cops are placed on violent crime squads. It’s easy to arrest a drunk behind the wheel and justify more money into a department… it’s tough sometimes to find and arrest violent criminals. I feel for the cops, too, because the newspapers ride them to make arrests and the political pressure is there as well.

    I’m rambling a bit, but y’all have all hit on a lot of the sad truths of our somewhat broken justice system.

    As for the court appointed lawyer issue… many of those guys are great lawyers. It’s a matter of luck who an indigent defendant draws. The same goes for who you hire obviously. Some lawyers work hard for their clients whoever they are and some maybe don’t. Some mechanics really try to fix your car and maybe some don’t.

Leave a Reply