Floyd Mayweather is not a Punk; He Just Has Lots o’ Lawyers

Floyd Mayweather is doing the sane thing

Floyd Mayweather lost his latest attempt to have his sentence reduced, and the media and internet trolls can’t get enough. Every opinion piece I read is quick to make fun of Floyd for trying to win an early release. Each piece sounds like it was written by a person who has never spent a minute in jail. Yes, Mayweather is a convicted felon. He is in the right place theoretically. He needs to be incarcerated and rehabilitated. But that does not mean he shouldn’t use all of the resources at his disposal to get out as quickly as possible. He is only doing what every human being, innocent or guilty, would do if they could in his situation.

While Mayweather’s attorneys went a little too far (gotta pad those billable hours, right?), that is not Mayweather’s fault. It is his attorneys’ job to advocate for their client. The arguments they present to the courtroom are certainly not written up and presented by Mayweather himself, rather they are formulated by an expensive legal team whose job it is to look after the best interest of their client. Mayweather happens to have the money to get them working overtime. Anybody who says they would do it differently if they were locked up and had the money is either lying or clueless. Every minute spent free is priceless.

I do agree that Mayweather’s lawyers did not do a great job making their case. I do not think it is a stretch to argue life as a segregated prisoner is inhumane. Being denied the group programming available to other prisoners does make a jail bid more punishment than rehab. And there is no doubt that any individual forced to live in isolation could quickly develop psychological and physical problems. But the way Mayweather’s lawyers wrote their appeal made it sound like their client wanted special treatment rather than equal treatment. While this does call his lawyers’ judgement into question, it is not really any kind of a reflection on Mayweather himself. He just signs the checks.

And because he can keep signing those big checks, I expect Mayweather’s attorneys will be filing everything they can to try and get him out as early as possible. That is their job. And it pays well. Every lawyer loves a client whose name is actually “Money.”

So, yes, Floyd Mayweather is trying to buy his freedom. But if those concrete walls were closing in on you, so would you.