Oh yeah they almost forgot: charges against Oshie dropped

The Grand Forks Herald, WDAZ and a certain sports writer in Fargo that writes for he Forum couldn't rush fast enough to get the news out that Fighting Sioux forward T.J. Oshie and Mike Radja from UNH were cited for disorderly conduct on the weekend of December 30th 2007. The media was falling all over themselves trying to get this story out in the news paper and on the evening news. It was disgusting how these young men were tarred and feathered before this case ever went to trial. One could say that the media has egg on their face.

Fast forward to present day. I will be the first to admit that it's a legitimate news story when one the area's sports star is caught doing something wrong, however, it's also a news story when the charges against the accused are dropped. Seriously folks why did the press take it's time finally getting the news out? I knew about this story a month ago and the paper is just deciding to let us know one month later that the charges against T.J. Oshie were dismissed. Oh yeah; the charges against UNH star Mike Radja were dismissed as well on June 9th, 2008. To add injury to insult the Grand Forks Herald buried the story on page 6 of section A, I guess they felt it wasn't worthy of being a front page news story. Disgusting!

Disorderly conduct charge against Oshie dismissed
Herald Staff Report
Published Tuesday, June 24, 2008
A misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct against former UND hockey player T.J. Oshie was dismissed last month, according to court documents.

Oshie and Mike Radja, a hockey player from New Hampshire, were arrested in the early morning hours of Dec. 30 and charged with disorderly conduct after allegedly urinating in an elevator in a building at 100 N. Third St. in downtown Grand Forks, according to court documents. The two were part of a group of people trapped in the elevator.

The charge against Oshie was dismissed May 23, as part of a “compromise,” according to the court file. According to the North Dakota Century Code, a misdemeanor charge can be resolved through compromise if the injured person — in this case, the property owner — has legal remedy through a civil action, or if they say they’ve been compensated for whatever injury was incurred. A compromise isn’t possible under statute if the offense was against a judge or a law

enforcement officer, if it was committed with the intent to commit a felony or if it’s a case of domestic violence.

The charge against Radja was dismissed June 9, according to court records.

Oshie, who signed a three-year deal with the St. Louis Blues in May, was one of 10 Hobey Baker Memorial Award finalists as a UND junior and was named a first-team All-American by the American Hockey Coaches Association.