On Thu, 8 Jan 1998, Josh Kleinbaum wrote:
 
> Now, the way I see it, this is a *huge* trial, although I haven't seen this
> issue brought up anywhere else.  I have never, ever heard of an athlete
> being charged or convicted criminally stemming from fights that took place
> on the ice/field/courts.  If you think about it, the implications of a
> guilty verdict could be far-reaching.
 
I would beg to differ. Lawsuits & charges resulting from actions on the
rink or playing field are almost becoming routine. It is something that,
as a referee, I am constantly made aware of.
 
As Adam mentioned, about 10 years ago Dino Ciccarelli was convicted (and
actually served 1 day in jail) for swinging his stick viciously at Luke
Richardson. Tiger Williams was acquitted of assault charges in the 70s.
 
At the Rec League level, I would suspect that most Canadian jurisdictions
have had at least one case of charges resulting from on-ice actions. I
remember an Ottawa man being convicted of assault for an incident arising
from a rec league game. I believe a similar incident occurred last season in
Saskatchewan.
 
While courts are generally reluctant to intervene, they will do so if the
incident was over and above the norms inherent in the sport. They do
accept that there is a level of violence acceptable in a hockey rink that
would be unacceptable on the sidewalk. But there is still a level of
violence that is unacceptable, no matter where it occurs. (Deliberately &
viciously swinging one's stick at an opponent may count, given that it was a
rec league game. This depends, of course, on which of the three versions
of the story the judge and/or jury decide to believe.)
 
[NOTE: I'm not a lawyer, I just play one on TV. :-)]
 
See you later,
John
 
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