Intentional Walk

Boston Judge Drops Myers Charges; Another Star Skips Merrily Away

IT'S HARDLY of the magnitude of Mr. Simpson's nifty dance away from the long arm of the law, but the news that a Boston judge had dismissed assault charges against Brett Myers left scratching my head. What does a guy need to do face the consequences of his actions? Myers's alleged transgressions took place not behind closed doors but on one of Boston's most public streets, with multiple eyewitnesses frantically calling 911. If the Myerses are making progress healing as a couple and ensuring that this never happens again, well, bully for them. This still doesn't change the fact that what Brett stands accused of doing was a flagrant violation of the law. That the aggrieved party, Myers's wife, Kim, doesn't want her husband prosecuted must be considered, I suppose, but so must the desire of the people of Massachusetts, represented by prosecutors, to punish egregious behavior that stands against the social compact that has been enacted by the people of the commonwealth through their duly elected representatives. Throw in that court officers apparently offered good wishes to the couple and you get the sense, once again, that a pro athlete -- indeed, that the American celebrity, in general -- operates on a different plane, one where accountability is assessed on a far more sliding scale than it is for the rest of us.