Slava Voynov Arrested

[hf101]

LA Kings suspend Voynov indefinitely following arrest this morning on charges of domestic violence.

 

Voynov was suspended under Section 18-A.5 of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), which states that during a criminal investigation, the NHL reserves the right to suspend a player if it feels there is substantial risk for harm to the legitimacy or reputation of the league.

 

details to follow

[DaGreatGazoo]

Here's the real kick in the ****z....

 

Chris Johnston ‏@reporterchris  10m10 minutes ago

Suspended NHL players count against the salary cap. The #LAKings now have less than $500,000 in free space with six active defencemen.

[yave1964]

Here's the real kick in the ****z....

 

Chris Johnston ‏@reporterchris  10m10 minutes ago

Suspended NHL players count against the salary cap. The #LAKings now have less than $500,000 in free space with six active defencemen.

As it should be.

[Vanflyer]

LA Kings suspend Voynov indefinitely following arrest this morning on charges of domestic violence.

 

Martin Brodeur and Patrick Roy both say hello.

[hf101]

According to TMZ

 

Law enforcement tells us ... Voynov was actually arrested at the hospital in Torrance, CA around 1 AM Monday morning on suspicion of domestic violence.

We're told Voynov had accompanied the woman to the hospital -- and shortly after they arrived, hospital staffers called authorities to report Voynov as the person suspected of attacking the woman.

[Vanflyer]

We're told Voynov had accompanied the woman to the hospital -- and shortly after they arrived, hospital staffers called authorities to report Voynov as the person suspected of attacking the woman.

 

Dumbass. I might joke on here regarding my wife, but never in my life could I imagine raising a hand to her. I just can't fathom a man hitting a woman.

[jammer2]

  I may be wrong, but I don't recall Brodeur or Roy being suspended for their incidents. Perhaps this is Ray Rice blowback, such a hot topic the NHL decided treat it seriously (as they should). Wonder if this suspension would have been there had the NFL situation not come to light.

[Vanflyer]

I may be wrong, but I don't recall Brodeur or Roy being suspended for their incidents. Perhaps this is Ray Rice blowback, such a hot topic the NHL decided treat it seriously (as they should). Wonder if this suspension would have been there had the NFL situation not come to light.

 

That is an interesting point Jammer (the jurisdiction thing). By no means am I condoning his actions, but is there a written law in the NHL / CBA that allows the NHL to suspend a player for off ice actions (outside of things like drugs and such)?

 

I guess its no skin of his back (no pun intended) as he is still getting his pay check.

 

At the end of the day, if his wife had to go to the hospital because of the abuse, that is pretty significant and the NHL should rightfully not support a player like that.

 

http://bitchmagazine.org/post/douchebag-decree-the-nhl-doesnt-care-about-domestic-violence

[canoli]

So we're all just assuming he's guilty? Some night nurse calls the cops on Voynov because ... because... they don't tell you that part. Well obviously it doesn't look good for him but maybe we should at least wait till he's charged. I was surprised by what I read about the process. Check this out:

 

The story says  "Voynov was booked and released ... on suspicion of corporal injury to a spouse"

 

Later in the story (his lawyer talking):  "We're just asking everybody to be patient, because arrests don't always lead to charges and convictions."

 

I must be naive but I thought you had to be arrested for something, not just suspicion of something. Does anyone know for sure if that's really part of the legal system in the U.S., you can be arrested on mere suspicion of a crime? I know we threw out habeus corpus awhile ago under president gwbush, did we repeal the 4th Amendment as well?

[Vanflyer]

I must be naive but I thought you had to be arrested for something, not just suspicion of something. Does anyone know for sure if that's really part of the legal system in the U.S., you can be arrested on mere suspicion of a crime?

 

As I understand it, you can be detained for questioning. Additionally, in particular to domestic abuse, the victim has to press charges. I would defer to @Polaris922 (our resident law enforcement here) to clarify.

[hf101]

Here is the copied police report:

 

 

Here is Lt. Joe Hoffman of the Redondo Beach Police Department statement, with some follow-up questions. 

 

"Last night, at around 11:25 p.m., the Redondo Beach Police Department received a call on our business line -- not our 911 line -- from a resident in the 800 block of Avenue C, concerning a woman screaming and heard crying. An exact address of where this incident was occurring was not provided, however officers did respond to the area and were unable to make contact with anybody. Later information was received that the woman who had been crying had possibly left in a vehicle prior to the arrival of the responding police officers. 

 

"A short time after that, at around 1 a.m. this morning, the Redondo Beach Police Department received a call from the Torrance Police Department concerning an adult female that was at Little Company of Mary hospital with an injury that was possibly in need of law enforcement. The injury possibly being the result of a crime was what prompted a law-enforcement response, and that possibly the crime had been committed in the city of Redondo Beach. 

 

"Redondo Beach police officers responded to the hospital and made made contact with the victim at the hospital and determined that a crime of domestic violence did, in fact, occur in the city of Redondo Beach. The suspect in this crime was also present at the hospital and was taken into custody at the hospital and transported to the Redondo Beach Police Department. The suspect was booked on a charge of 273.5 of the California Penal Code and was held on $50,000 bail. He subsequently bailed out around 9 a.m.’’ 

 

(On whether Voynov drove the woman to the hospital…) 

 

"We haven’t been able to confirm if he actually drove the victim to the hospital, although he was at the hospital when the officers arrived." 

 

(On what Voynov said to authorities...) 

 

"I have no information, as to whether he spoke to detectives or made any type of statement." 

 

(On the woman’s injuries…) 

 

"The extent of her injuries, at this time, is unknown. All that I can tell you is that the injury was severe enough that it did require treatment at the Little Company of Mary emergency room." 

 

(On whether she went home after treatment…) 

 

"I believe that she has been released from the hospital, after being treated, although I do not know where she is presently located at." 

 

(On the relationship been Voynov and the woman…) 

 

"I do know the relationship of the victim, although because of confidentiality laws related to domestic violence, we’re not going to release any information about the exact nature of the relationship. What I can tell you is that the suspect was charged with section 273.5 of the penal code. A certain relationship is required in order for that charge to be applied." 

 

(On whether there were any previous domestic-violence issues at that residence…) 

 

"I’ve not been made aware of any prior calls to that residence." 

 

(On the original call to Redondo Beach police…) 

 

"The original call was received around 11:25 p.m. last night. The caller was a resident in the area. It’s not known if it was a next-door neighbor or just another house on the street. They reported hearing a woman crying and screaming. The call-taker tried to get more information about the exact location of the house. That was never able to be determined. Officers were sent to the area to see if they could locate anyone." 

 

(On whether any children were involved…) 

 

"There was no child at the hospital, although I have received information that there was a child in the home, and that is part of the investigation." 

 

(On whether there might be child-endangerment issues…) 

 

"The extent of the child’s involvement is unknown at this time, but it is being looked into by detectives as part of the investigation." 

 

(On whether Voynov had any injuries…) 

 

"I’ve not been made aware of any injuries to the suspect in this case." 

 

(On whether Voynov has been cooperative with police…) 

 

"All of the information I’ve received is that he has been cooperative throughout all of this."

[wharf61]

Welcome to the new age. Domestic violence in all its forms is unacceptable. This suspension is a backlash of the domestic abuse allegations in the NFL and an apparent change of policy by the NHL. The NHL has operated on a Napoleonic Legal basis where a player is guilty hockey related infractions until proven innocent at the league offices. I do not remember any player being suspended by the league based on criminal charges away from the rink, convictions yes, charges no. Again, welcome to the new age.

[radoran]

Does anyone know for sure if that's really part of the legal system in the U.S., you can be arrested on mere suspicion of a crime?

 

Since in the US people are innocent until proven guilty, by definition everyone who is arrested is arrested "on suspicion."

 

It's not like they can only arrest "the guilty ones."

 

The NHL is clearly treading very carefully in this situation as they certainly didn't auto-suspend Varlamov in the same circumstances.

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=689289

 

"The League is aware of the situation involving Semyon Varlamov," said an NHL spokesman. "We will not comment unless or until we have a fuller understanding of all of the facts and circumstances related to the legal charges that have been filed."

The Avalanche said in a statement the team "is aware of the allegations concerning Semyon Varlamov. At this time, and until the conclusion of this investigation, the Avalanche organization will have no further comment on this situation."

 

That was almost exactly one year ago.

 

The only thing that has changed was the NFL/Ray Rice situation.

FWIW, the case against Varlamov was dropped in December.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1896749-semyon-varlamovs-domestic-violence-case-dropped-by-prosecutors

[PATRICK1958]

Dumbass. I might joke on here regarding my wife, but never in my life could I imagine raising a hand to her. I just can't fathom a man hitting a woman.

If proved guilty, he's nothing more then a coward.

[Vanflyer]

If proved guilty, he's nothing more then a coward.

 

If guilty, 100% accurate on the coward statement. There was a pretty decent movie with Jennifer Lopez a ways back with this premise (physical domestic abuse).

 

If the allegations are true, the most disturbing thing for me is that it appears that his kids were at home (as they should be a 12:30 am). While the trauma is still bad for an adult woman, its significantly worse for the children just to bear witness.

 

I understand tempers and flare ups and all that. Lord knows that me and the missus have had our rows (and will continue to). Its part of being married to some extent. However, when it gets so bad that you want to get physical, then you really need to take a gut check. As a multi-millionaire, how hard is it to recognize that some space for a "cool" down might be in order and go get a hotel room?? I am not a millionaire and when things get to a boiling point with the missus and I, we both agree to take a day or two apart.

[hf101]

Saw an article on Sportsnet which raised some major questions.   

 

How long does Voynov stay suspended?  He doesn't appear in court again until Dec 1st.   -- Missing 18 Kings games.  While he is still being paid the Kings are assessed the cap hit.  This could drag on for the entire season or more.  The Kings only have 500K in cap space.

 

What if the suspension is changed to an unpaid one? The Kings then could claim a contract violation stemming from an off-ice incident, similar to the Harding incident in Minny.  Then complicate this more if no guilt was ever proven beyond a reasonable doubt in court? Should Voynov be owed the backpay or would the Kings be in violation of the Cap?

 

This is now a really interesting case for sure.

[radoran]

This is now a really interesting case for sure.

 

I'm gonna go ahead and bet that Bettman and the great minds that run this league didn't think about that at all when they first came down with the suspension.

 

Much like the whole "let's hire Pronger even though the CBA we lost a season and a half of hockey to get specifically prohibits it."

 

The league office is a joke of the highest order.

[jammer2]

  The shame of the matter is, the NHL is only taking this seriously because of the Ray Rice incident. We all saw how Varlamov was released and in the next game with his team last year. As it turns out, the DA did not have enough for charges, so perhaps a justifiable lapse in judgement. Very interesting to see how the Varly and Voyanov situations are being treated so differently. This is simply a reactionary measure by the NHL, they knew they could not sweep this under the rug, so they try to appear "on board" with victims....but it just a lame duck response. The Varly situation showed us first hand how the NHL felt last year, the rest is just windowdressing.

[Yorick]

Good to know. A Ruski dipshit is always a Ruski dipshit.

 

Oh my oh my... that must have sounded somewhat intolerant, don't you think?

 

The hell it was... Ruskis are the reason I never saw my maternal grandfather who died in exile in Siberia. So yeah, it's personal.

 

And with their scumbag president getting most support from the Russian people they time and time again prove that they are a nation of scumbags living in their Soviet past. Pieces of s**t.

 

PS. I love Malkin and Datsyuk though. F**k Ovi.

[Yorick]

Vox clamantis in deserto.

 

I guess...

[hf101]

A Voynov Update:

Some tweets by @nathanfenno  a Los Angeles Times sports reporter 

 

Judge rules that there is sufficient evidence for the domestic violence case against Slava Voynov to proceed.

Voynov is scheduled to be arraigned at 8:30 a.m. on Dec. 29.

The judge also denied Voynov's motion to dismiss and another motion to reduce the charge to a misdemeanor.

 

Redondo Beach police officer: Voynov's wife had laceration over left eye, blood streaming, red marks on neck.

Officer says Voynov's wife said he struck her in the face with his fist.

Officer: Voynov pushed wife to ground multiple times, kicked her repeatedly while on ground, chocked her three times.

Officer: Voynov pushed her into flat-screen TV where she cut her face.Officer: Voynov's wife required eight stitches to close wound above left eye.

Officer: "There's bruising, red marks, scratches on the victim's neck."

I can only catch quick glimpses of photos of the injuries to Voynov's wife. Lots of blood.

At Voynov's home, the officer noted blood all over bedroom, including covering comforter and a bloody handprint on floor.

 

 

[radoran]

Redondo Beach police officer: Voynov's wife had laceration over left eye, blood streaming, red marks on neck.
Officer says Voynov's wife said he struck her in the face with his fist.
Officer: Voynov pushed wife to ground multiple times, kicked her repeatedly while on ground, chocked her three times.
Officer: Voynov pushed her into flat-screen TV where she cut her face.Officer: Voynov's wife required eight stitches to close wound above left eye.
Officer: "There's bruising, red marks, scratches on the victim's neck."
I can only catch quick glimpses of photos of the injuries to Voynov's wife. Lots of blood.
At Voynov's home, the officer noted blood all over bedroom, including covering comforter and a bloody handprint on floor.

 

Absolutely disgusting. Still need a verdict at trial, but I'm hoping they took his passport and are monitoring the flights from LA to Vladivostok (among other places)...

 

What makes a guy do that? And what makes a woman want to stay - and take his side - after it?

[hf101]

Probably lots of wrong reasons to take his side, in more of the tweets apparently the judge didn't allow Voynov's attorneys to enter a letter from Varlamova into evidence saying that the alleged incident was an accident.

 

The Kings did the right thing here and not letting him play.  

[radoran]

Probably lots of wrong reasons to take his side, in more of the tweets apparently the judge didn't allow Voynov's attorneys to enter a letter from Varlamova into evidence saying that the alleged incident was an accident.

 

He "accidentally" pushed her to the ground and kicked her repeatedly? She "accidentally" needed eight stitches from running into the television before, during or after he accidentally pushed her to the ground and kicked her repeatedly?

 

Even as a member of the "innocent until proven guilty" crowd that is stretching credulity.

 

To be clear, I'm not "taking his side" - I was (and am) waiting for actual evidence. Which these Tweets and the submissions to the court are providing. Clearly the league had some additional information at its disposal and did a much better job than, say, Roger Goodell.

 

 

 

The Kings did the right thing here and not letting him play.

 

The league suspended him. The Kings simply sought salary cap relief from it.

 

I'm somewhat where Lombardi was on this in October:

 

http://lakingsinsider.com/2014/10/21/lombardi-discusses-voynov-situation/

 

Lombardi said he isn’t surprised about how the NHL acted, that they did not have to explain why, and that the response was appropriate.

“I think it’s pretty self-evident,” he said. “The biggest issue you’ve got, there’s always that line between innocent until proven guilty, right? So that’s where the rub is. ‘Are you surprised by what they did, particularly, obviously in this climate?’ No. Then the issue of ‘Well, is it appropriate considering he hadn’t [been charged], because in the old days, before this, you saw the other cases, the leagues would always say, ‘Well, wait a minute, there’s a criminal process that has to take place before they can react.’ Even in the NBA, they had nine cases in the last three years. You saw that in baseball at times with Albert Belle, Canseco. So it was always that was the way it was handled, that there’s a criminal thing, let it play out, even the players played because we were going under the premise of innocent until proven guilty. That now has obviously changed from the old days, which, I get it. So to say ‘I’m surprised’ that they acted that way, no. And do I think it’s inappropriate? No. And the danger is saying, ‘Well, he hasn’t been proven guilty.’ But that’s clearly the way leagues are headed right now, that the charge itself is enough to take action, whereas in the past it wasn’t.”

 

The primary danger for the league is putting itself in a position where it either blanket believes any accusation or is in the position of assigning veracity on a case-by-case basis.

 

See the Varlamov case.

 

 

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_24767438/semyon-varlamov-avalanche-goalie-sees-charges-against-him

 

A Denver judge on Friday dropped a domestic violence case against Colorado Avalanche goaltender Semyon Varlamov at the request of prosecutors.

Varlamov, 25, was arrested in October on suspicion of felony kidnapping and assault after his girlfriend told a Denver police detective he drunkenly kicked her, knocked her down, grabbed her by her hair and told her in Russian that "if this were Russia, he would have beat her more."

Police noted in reports that the Oct. 29 encounter inside the couple's downtown apartment left the woman, Evgeniya Vavrinyuk, 24, bruised.

 

...

 

"That's not to say we don't believe our victim," district attorney spokeswoman Lynn Kimbrough said.

As detectives continued to investigate and re-interviewed witnesses, statements began to shift, Kimbrough said.

"Most of the time, additional investigation strengthens our case. This time ... it became clear we didn't have a belief we could prove it beyond a reasonable doubt."

 

...

 

Attorney Robert Abrams, who represented Vavrinyuk, said Friday afternoon that he had not yet talked to his client to hear her reaction.

After the arrest, Vavrinyuk told reporters she was adamant that Varlamov should be punished and that his fans "know what he really is and what he is capable of." She could not be reached for comment Friday.

"This is no surprise to me," Abrams said of the dismissal.

 

I hope there is never another case of domestic abuse.

 

I also hope that the next accusation doesn't come down in the middle of a playoff chase and/or series.