The fact is that if it were you or me, we would have been arrested immediately, there would not have been any lengthy periods until the trial, there would be no postponements, and if the wife was pressing charges we would be found guilty and probably locked up for a little while. The point here is not whether this was a valid domestic violence case or not. The point is that Alvin Mason has been and is being treated preferentially. He was and is being treated differently than how you and I would have been treated under the same circumstances because everyone wants to be "hands off" of the potentially next mayor. The travesty here is not Mason and his wife. The travesty is the "special" treatment he was/has been/is being given. Mason is being referred to as possibly the next mayor while you and I would be being referred to as the convicted wife beater. I could care less about Mason and his wife. But when the RCSO, the prosecutors, and the judges give him preferential treatment because he is a politician and they think he might have a shot at being mayor, I get PO'd.

He did wrong and it isn't his wife trying to press the charges. The RCSO didn't give any breaks, they made the arrest. The DA hasn't given any breaks; they are proceeding even when the wife does not wish to prosecute. Since she says it was a onetime thing, no injury occurred, does not wish to proceed, etc. so it would seem simple to solve this with probation and maybe anger management class. While I have no sympathy for violent persons, MANY couples, etc. place their hands on each other after years of marriage and most never end in an arrest, nor should they.

Dichotomy, actually you have it backwards. If he were not a high profile person, the chances are highly likely he would never have been arrested and if he was, the plea would have easily been worked out and resolved.

This incident would have NEVER made the news for others. This is why many good people will never go into politics because everyone will scrutinize every decision/action they ever do.

As for his performance as a commissioner, Alvin has been doing a good job of trying to keep things in check and bringing up issues about the continued wasting of tax dollars.

csraguy, "While I have no sympathy for violent persons, MANY couples, etc. place their hands on each other after years of marriage and most never end in an arrest, nor should they."

Whether "many" or not, I'm proud to say my parents have been married for almost 56 years and I never saw my father place his hands on my mom in anger or vice versa, and I've been married 25 and my husband has never even attempted to raise a hand at me.

When you have a marriage built on love, trust, and respect, there is no need to become violent for any reason.

If the commissioner needs time for this, how much time will he need to make critical decisions for the city if he becomes mayor? Maybe the voters will decide for him.

I agree csra guy. That is reality. ICL is right about building marriages on the right foundation usually precludes such responses, but it can and does happen among Christians as well.. We need as little government interference as possible in our lives.