Arenas Pleads Guilty to Gun Charge

Gilbert Arenas, a Washington Wizards star, pled guilty today to carrying a pistol without a license in the District of Columbia. This is a felony rap that could land Arenas in jail and torpedo his NBA career. Arenas claims he didn’t know he needed a permit to store handguns in his Wizard’s locker at the Verizon Center. He faces up to six months in jail although prosecutors could ask for up to five years in prison.

There have been conflicting news stories about an incident between Arenas and teammate  Crittenton over gambling losses during a card game on the team plane as the Wizards flew home from a West Coast road trip on Dec. 19.

Media coverage has ranged from Crittenton pulling a gun on Arenas, Arenas threatening Crittenton, too both men aiming handguns at each other. This story is an example of how the media in America isn’t concerned with getting the story right but is concerned with telling a story that sells. Professional athletes in trouble with the law makes for great copy but a rush to report the story creates an atmosphere of mist. The public still doesn’t know what really happened.

One question the media hasn’t reported on is why are the anti-gun laws in Washington, D.C. so harsh? Threatening someone with a firearm is a crime but that would fall under assault laws. Facing up to five years in prison for storing a handgun in your team locker is extreme. It is likely that Arenas pled guilty after a deal with the prosecutor and who wouldn’t? Up to six months is a good motivation to plead guilty when you are facing five years.