Maricopa County Wants Donaghy!

YouJustGotSUNSD

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http://www.azcentral.com/sports/suns/articles/0815ref-letter0815-ON-CP.html#

Attorney wants probe of referee in Suns games

Michael Kiefer
The Arizona Republic
Aug. 15, 2007 04:25 PM


Former NBA referee Tim Donaghy, who pleaded guilty to gambling-related charges in federal court Wednesday, may also face charges in Maricopa County if investigations by the basketball league or the FBI reveal that he deliberately miscalled two Phoenix Suns playoff games earlier this year.

Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas on Wednesday sent letters to NBA Commissioner David Stern and to the head of the FBI in Washington, DC, asking that his office be given any and all information about Donaghy's handling of the two Suns games that he officiated. Thomas wants to know whether Donaghy gambled on the games, provided inside information to gamblers or helped determine the outcome by making bad officiating calls.

In federal court in New York, Donaghy pleaded guilty to felony counts of conspiracy to engage in wire fraud and transmitting wagering information through interstate commerce. He was released on $250,000 bond. He faces up to 25 years in prison.
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In his letters, Thomas stated that Donaghy might have also broken Arizona state law.

"Specifically it has been reported that Mr. Donaghy refereed playoff series games between the Phoenix Suns and the Los Angeles Lakers on April 29, 2007, and the Phoenix Suns and San Antonio Spurs on May 12, 2007," Thomas wrote.

"If Mr. Donaghy purposely failed to officiate the games properly, and his conduct resulted in changing the outcome of games, such conduct might have violated various Arizona criminal statutes and could be the subject of criminal prosecution."

The Suns played both of the games on the road, including the match-up against San Antonio in Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals. The Spurs won, 108-101.

Thomas did not comment on the letters, but Special Assistant County Attorney Barnett Lotstein said that the state's "long arm statute" allows the county to prosecute in such cases.

"If any element of the crime happened in our county, we have jurisdiction," Lotstein said.

Those elements would include the planning of the crime, even if it took place elsewhere, he said.

Among the possible felony charges are fraudulent schemes and artifices, which carries a possible prison sentence of 3 to 10 years; and bribery of participants in professional or amateur games, which carries a possible prison sentence of 1 to 3 ¾ years.

The latter applies to players, coaches, trainers or referees who try to profit from deliberately influencing the outcome of any sporting event.
Does the federal government have to attend to state and local matters like this if they have a federal case on someone?
 
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SactownSunsFan

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Something tells me this attorney is a Suns fan, and that he wants to know just as badly as we do if Donaghy effected the outcome of game 3 against the Spurs. :D
 

Sunsman44

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If they find that the Spurs received help from the ref to win their games, the NBA should hold a best of three series between the SUNS-CAVS in October to decide the championship of 2007 season.
 

Bufalay

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If they find that the Spurs received help from the ref to win their games, the NBA should hold a best of three series between the SUNS-CAVS in October to decide the championship of 2007 season.

Why best of 3? What about Utah?
 

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Does anyone else think that Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas has one of the best porn moustaches going?
 

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Mainstreet

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http://www.azcentral.com/sports/suns/articles/0815ref-letter0815-ON-CP.html#

Does the federal government have to attend to state and local matters like this if they have a federal case on someone?

I would think the federal government would have to turn over any information regarding a crime or an element of a crime allegedly committed in Maricopa County. If a crime was committed here, it can be tried here. The federal government can do their thing as well.
 
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YouJustGotSUNSD

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Makes sense, I'd say worst case scenario is they would have to wait till the investigation/trial was over
 

Mainstreet

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Seems like a little politicking to me.

Maybe, but I don't care. I want to know the whole truth and nothing but the truth. If it takes another set of eyes and ears from the County Attorney to get it done so be it.
 

azirish

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Seems like a little politicking to me.

You think?

Seriously, this whole "pleading guilty" without having to testify in open court is a whitewash. Politics or not, I'm all for getting the truth out rather than leaving it to the Stern spin machine.
 

hafey

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I still think its more something that looks good in the newspapers than an actual discharging of his duties as county attorney. However I can get behind determining the truth in the matter and making it public. That is certainly an aspect of Andrew Thomas' responsibility towards the citizens of Maricopa County.
I doubt he gets very far with the Feds though. Donaghy seems like an aspect of a larger organized crime case.
 

hafey

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The documents show Donaghy's improprieties ended around 4/30....before the Spurs series. Tim Donaghy was not the reason the Suns lost to the Spurs.
 

azirish

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The documents show Donaghy's improprieties ended around 4/30....before the Spurs series. Tim Donaghy was not the reason the Suns lost to the Spurs.

No, that's not what this means. It only means that he was betting on the game. That second, bogus, call on Amare in game 3 was a pivotal event in the game and perhaps the entire series. It doesn't matter if he was deliberately trying to screw the Suns any more than the other idiots in stripes were. He was still pretty instrumental in their loss.
 

MaoTosiFanClub

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No, that's not what this means. It only means that he was betting on the game. That second, bogus, call on Amare in game 3 was a pivotal event in the game and perhaps the entire series. It doesn't matter if he was deliberately trying to screw the Suns any more than the other idiots in stripes were. He was still pretty instrumental in their loss.
Pretty sure Donaghy didn't make that call.

The indictment and Donaghy's allocution pretty much puts to rest the notion that there was a fix in the Suns losing Game 3 which I said from the beginning. Onward and upwards, time to get over it. If anything, considering the timeline of Donaghy's involvement ended sometime in April then Laker fan would have a gripe for Game 4 of the series.
 
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buttsR4rebounding

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I still think its more something that looks good in the newspapers than an actual discharging of his duties as county attorney. However I can get behind determining the truth in the matter and making it public. That is certainly an aspect of Andrew Thomas' responsibility towards the citizens of Maricopa County.
I doubt he gets very far with the Feds though. Donaghy seems like an aspect of a larger organized crime case.


Of course, that is all it is. The game took place in San Antonio. The Lakers game took place in LA. By his own statement it is clear he has no jurisdiction as it appears that no element of the crime, if there was one, took place in Mariposa county.
 

MaoTosiFanClub

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I'm also guessing it's only a matter of time before Sheriff Joe sees an opportunity to get a piece of the limelight and offers to house Donaghy at Tent City or something ridiculous like that.
 

dreamcastrocks

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Of course, that is all it is. The game took place in San Antonio. The Lakers game took place in LA. By his own statement it is clear he has no jurisdiction as it appears that no element of the crime, if there was one, took place in Mariposa county.

Accepting bribe/gambling money in Phoenix is a crime.
 

hafey

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I agree Mao. This crying and hand wringing about the officiating needs to stop. The Suns lost to the Spurs because their big men cannot guard Duncan and because Steve Nash is too slow to guard Parker and too weak to play through mugging of the Spurs.
 
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YouJustGotSUNSD

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I'm also guessing it's only a matter of time before Sheriff Joe sees an opportunity to get a piece of the limelight and offers to house Donaghy at Tent City or something ridiculous like that.

This is the first thing I enjoyed reading of yours. :thumbup:


5:1 odds sheriff joe pops into this!
 
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