The Hill-Man's Blog

Now that prosecutors have dropped the indecent assault charge against the Patriots receiver for lack of evidence, what does Julian Edelman do to clear his name?  Will as much time be spent on blogs, and radio and TV talking about how he was railroaded as was devoted to calling him a sex offender on the day after Halloween?

How many phone calls did we take that morning from those who said he would be dumped by Belichick and the Krafts before practice started?  How many people had convicted Julian Edelman of gross and inappropriate fondling before he had even arrived for his arraignment that morning?

According to prosecutors the charges were dropped because “video evidence and eyewitness testimony showed that Edelman briefly took the woman’s hand on the dance floor” and it was “fleeting and did not meet the elements of any crime”.  So, when they looked at the surveillance tape it was what many thought-a New England Patriot on the dance floor is a prime target for bogus claims.

We ought to ask the Boston Police why a man was arrested and arraigned for taking a woman’s hand on the dance floor?  Why was Edelman detained and handcuffed rather than the charge being investigated on follow up by detectives who could view the evidence and make a determination of whether a crime had been convicted?  Did his NFL status lead to treatment that was above and beyond what would normally happen in this kind of case?

And we should have a genuine discussion about whether the alleged victims in these cases can remain anonymous?  If the accuser is identified before conviction, and his reputation ruined, why isn’t the accuser identified when the evidence clearly shows that there is no truth to the outrageous allegation she made?  Yes, I am bothered by this because I know Julian and he’s an incredible guy.  But I am also bothered because a man was skewered publicly for something he didn’t do and will forever have to tell people “the charges were dropped”. 

It’s not fair.