Police going overboard on firework explosion case

who cares about if a conviction “alters their career opportunities in the future”? they should’ve thought about that before they did it. i hope, even if they cop a plea, they have permanent records.

The same thing happened to my son many years ago when he was in middle or high school. He set off fireworks (firecrackers, maybe bottle rockets) on a school playground (not during school hours) and was charged with having explosives. Could tell you several other ridiculous stories about the ELPD too, but I’ll stop. I’ve lost all respect for ELPD.

This is all a bunch of bullshit. I have a class with John Galligan and I can say without a doubt that he is the biggest bitch I know

A common person would care if this alters their career opportunities in the future you moron. Myself as well as my friends have had far too much interaction with the East Lansing police charging students with BS crimes and then having to pay thousands of dollars to get them off of you’re record so that when we roll in with our top 1% GPA’s, Top Resumes, and represent the best this university has to offer when it comes to the real world we are getting the jobs we deserve. And yes i can assure you even people that screw up once deserve a second chance because its ignorant people like you that are bringing this university down.

Also, while john galligan is correct in his opinion,i would have to agree with john galligan is the biggest bitch i know in stating that john galligan is the biggest bitch i know

are you people serious? i mean i bet that you were the perfect child growing up and that you never did anything wrong. EVER! give them a break! they deserve punishment, dont get me wrong. but to plaster thisstory all over the place (also seen in the freep, chicago tribune, etc.) is just rediculous. the freep even had the guts to post their mugshots. but then again they must be terrorists so we might as well lock them up now. why did we even give bail?

Completely agree, 100% to this opinion article. ELPD is fuc**ng ridiculous. It definetly appals me too. And yes, they are not innocent of a crime. But those of you talking BS, do you understand how serious a felony is? They were stupid and made a dumb mistake. And Deja Vu, im with ya, I have plenty of just horsemonkey bs stories about the elpd.

If you honestly believe that these TEENAGERS deserve to have their entire lives changed due to PLAYING with fireworks than you are, in fact, an idiot. I am willing to bet, and admit, that this type of stupid, immature activity happens on a daily basis. Do fireworks really require half of the police force, and bomb squad, to show up to “disarm” a “bomb”?

Let’s go over this:

Myself [You mean “I”] as well as my friends have had far too much interaction [far too many interactions] with the East Lansing police charging students with BS crimes and then having to pay thousands of dollars to get them off of you’re [“you’re”?] record [should be “our records”] so that when we roll in [how gangsta’] with our top 1% GPA’s [no apostrophe: it’s not a contraction or a posessive], Top Resumes [don’t capitalize random words to make them sound important], and represent the best this university has to offer when it comes to the real world we are getting the jobs we deserve. And yes [stick in a comma] i [capitalize] can assure you [that] even people that screw up once deserve a second chance because its [“it’s”] ignorant people like you that are bringing this university down.

So I can be in the top 1% of my class without passing highschool English?

Stunning.

_ And yes i can assure you even people that screw up once deserve a second chance because its ignorant people like you that are bringing this university down. _

So, what you’re saying is that screw-ups should get second chances because … ignorant people are ruining MSU? I’m really not following your logic here Harry.

oh hey John,

what’s that? you are really good friends with Darby, Sasha, and Olivia? AND with Darby’s older sister and Sasha’s older brother? Oh, that’s right.

No wonder you are defending them.

It doesn’t matter if John is their friend or not. The attention and punishment they are facing is completely ridiculous. The press is making the kids sound like terrorists with the headlines and mug shots. Give it up. For once the ELPD have other things to worry about than MIPS? No way. This is completely unncessary. They deserve punishment, community service, fines..but the publicity, jail time and attacks against them are ridiculous. Dont ruin 4 18 year old kids lives over this. I have known 3 of them for years, had differences with them, so it doesnt matter if anyone is friends with them or not, the subject is way out of hand at this point.

J.G. and these girls all get high every weekend and drink underage. It’s not a surprise they were caught for something that would undermine their future career. Their future careers were already in the can before they were caught. Although I am glad John was sober enough to string together a few sentences to write this nice letter in their defense but he has tried to get in all of their pants (maybe this letter will help his game) so his defense of them is just ridiculous. People who commit stupid actions should be prepared to accept the consequences.

I agree one hundred percent with John. I myself have been through the east lansing court systems and dealt with the east lansing police and they are after one thing and one thing only, money. I seen kids get arrested for drinking while walking home peacefully, and seen another drop his phone and pick it up, and then get arrested for underage drinking. It is absolutely ridiculous, you can go to any other campus and the police will walk through kids drinking and not even think to card them, because lets face it, it’s college, everyone drinks at some point. These kids are in college, they are only freshman and are learning to be adults. They screwed up, they got in trouble. Don’t charge them with a felony and ruin their lives for one screw up, give them a misdemeanor, get your money, and give them a chance to expunge their records. The court system is set up to give kids a second chance, and learn from their mistakes. Granted, if later on down the road they get into trouble again, then yes, they deserve punishment that is to the extreme because they didn’t learn. Props to john for making this known to the public, the news must have ran out of something to show that day and thought hey, i know how to get peoples attention, lets lie and say four freshman were setting off bombs on campus. Chances are, when all of this is over, they will pay a hefty fine, and go on some lengthy probation to pay for their crimes. And to JG Likes Okemos ‘tang. He doesn’t even play lacrosse, and the fact that you even thought of that act probably means that you yourself have done so in the past. Don’t hate on other people for actually liking girls, it’s not your fault.

You are an idiot. JG is some deluded pervert who pounds his pud to GIRL’S Lacrosse games. That’s why he’s trying to nail these chicks. Anyway, I say give them all permanent records and put them on a terrorist registry to restrict their lifetime travel. They are CLEARLY a menace!

The most amusing part to all of this pointless banter, is that this is an OPINION article, and it is therefore an OPINION. Perhaps your COM100 homework was to comment on a State News article? I am also willing to bet that your communication skills inhibit your ability to create a logical and respectable objection to another persons OPINION. I think using real words such as “PUD” is a viable option. I am also sorry to the people who find partying at MSU to be “rediculous”, however, it is college, and people do make MISTAKES. God forbid that J.G. had the audacity to stick up for his friends who found themselves in a tough position. I challenge you to do the same, and stop personally attacking others for knowing how to create a well-written and thoughtful opinion.

You guys are all a riot. Instead of concerning yourself with Galligan’s actual point (WHICH IS VALID) you attack him for “being friends” with the girls and trying to “get in their pants”.

Tell me you honestly don’t think that the MSUPD and ELPD are completely sane in any so-called “law enforcement” they provide, and are not just continuously abusing their power out of sheer boredom. The police department and media have really BLOWN this out of proportion just to garner attention for themselves and label these girls WHO ARE GUILTY of being idiots, NOT DOMESTIC TERRORISTS as such.

Whatever connection you want to make with John Galligan and these girls is probably a sorry attempt to stereotype him as a wannabe loser trying to score with girls that BY COINCIDENCE went to school with him instead of a student of MSU who is tired of the MSUPD harassing others into submission and excess punishment for ridiculous crimes.

For all you haters out there, how about I get you the number for B/A Florist so you can all buy a cactus and go fuck yourselves with it?

For everyone suggesting that John Galligan wants to simply get in the girls pants your all wrong.

That argument could never work because those that know John Galligan (like myeslf) kno that he is incredibly gay and would never commit any such hetero acts with girls, only dudes.

SO YOUR ENTIRE SLAMS AGAINST HIM ARE WRONG

All of you who have commented using profanity and comments about John’s sexuallity must feel important. Rather than make constructive comments you have made it clear how ignorant you are…Your contribution to society hopefully will is more than your pathetic comments. I am suprised the State News allows this this deragatory and profane commentary…

Ignorant stupid people don’t deserve acknowledgement. John article is over their heads if they have one.

I am neither acquainted with John Galligan nor any of the suspects in this case.

Mr. Galligan’s opinion article was well written and poignant. The officers of the ELPD should be, and are, ashamed of themselves.

Most East Lansing police officers generally cry themselves to sleep every night after handing out a few MIPs and jerking off to old crime scene photos so there’s really not much worse we can make them feel by commenting about them on the internet, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try.

I agree with “You’re all pathetic” in saying that the media has really blown this out of proportion. Personally I have a short fuse when it comes to the Michigan State Police as they always seem to go nuclear and blow up at students over the smallest of affairs.

In this scenario I feel the MSU police and media acted inappropriately to defuse the situation and bombarded the girls with way too much bad press for a stupid prank. Even if they beat the charges, their MSU life is going to be permanently affected by the negative fallout from the entire ordeal.

Simply put, the girls were just trying to have a blast with a couple of fireworks, and were wrongfully charged for their incendiary actions.

To all of you guys attacking John Galligan’s opinion on this explosive and controversial matter, you’re just trying to be as bombastic as possible to make yourselves feel smarter against a kid with a good point.

I’m not defending the girls, their plan was a ticking time bomb waiting to explode and unfortunately, instead of ending Halloween weekend with a bang their plan just blew up in their faces.

At least Johnny had the balls to put his name on his opinion.

This will get banged down the misdemeanor that it really should be. Upping the ante from a firework to an explosive is just stupid on the ELPD’s part.

I Googled the law and the charge for illegally having and/or using a Class B firework is a misdemeanor.

John Galligan has no place to talk to here he is very uncreditable, I would rather let Michael J Fox perform surgery on my appendix rather than credit John Galligan’s opinion.