Murder Suspect Carlos Dotson Seeking That Same Deal Ray Lewis Got

WACO, TX--Former University of Baylor basketball player Carlos Dotson has been arrested and charged with the murder of his friend and teammate Patrick Dennehy. While in jail awaiting trial, Dotson has elected to represent himself, a decision that surprised many. His first move as legal counsel was to request that same deal Baltimore Ravens superstar and accused murderer Ray Lewis got.

Dotson revealed his strategy during a pre-trial hearing.

“Um, your honor, I would just like to say that I would like that same deal Ray Lewis got,” said Dotson, standing before Judge Lawrence Stone in shackles and orange jumpsuit. “I’m not sure exactly what it’s called or anything, but he got into the same kind of trouble I did, and it looks like he got away with it. So if there’s anything I could do to get that same kind of deal, I think that would be good. Thank you.”

Dotson was then led out of the courtroom, leaving the judge to ponder his remarks.

“I must say, this is quite a surprise,” said Judge Stone. “Mr. Dotson has obviously done his homework. I will have to refer to my records for People vs. Ray Lewis. There certainly are similarities between the two cases. They both involve murder.”

Ray Lewis was arrested with his entourage outside a Tampa nightclub on the eve of the 2000 Superbowl. He was reportedly involved in a fight with a group of people that left two men stabbed to death. Everyone in Lewis’s posse, including Lewis himself, was a suspect. Unfortunately for the prosecution, nobody was talking. Lewis was granted immunity in exchange for his testimony. A year later, he was in the Superbowl himself, winning the MVP trophy.

“It’s understandable that he would want that same deal that Ray Lewis got,” said Roger Cossack, legal expert. “After all, the guy got away with murder without doing a minute of time. Talk about a great deal. I applaud Dotson for seeking a plea bargain. But I’m not sure if the judge will grant him the request. After all, he’s the only suspect in the case.”

“This is a brilliant legal strategy,” added Greta Van Susteran. “By requesting a plea bargain like that deal Ray Lewis got, Dotson is calling upon a legal precedent for getting away with murder. Hopefully, the judge is a fucking moron.”

Dotson’s case is slightly different than Lewis’s, however. He was the one and only suspect in the murder of his friend Patrick Dennehy. Not only that, he confessed. Some say that will complicate things for Dotson.

“The fact that he confessed to the murder may complicate things a bit,” said Cossack. “He might have been better off if he said nothing, stood stone faced in front of the judge, smirked a little, and hired a genius lawyer to get him off. Also, it wouldn’t hurt if he were a professional football player, or at least a high profile college basketball player. Baylor University hoops team just isn’t going to cut it if you want to get away with murder. Still, you have to admire his cleverness. I mean, what murderer wouldn’t want that sweet ass deal that Ray Lewis got?”

In an interview from Waco County Prison, Dotson described his legal strategy to ESPN’s Suzy Kolber.

“Well, when I got arrested for murder, I immediately thought back to that whole Ray Lewis thing. Here was a guy who was definitely involved in the murder somehow but he got out. Now, I don’t know much about all this legal stuff, but I’m figuring since I killed someone too, why shouldn’t I get the same deal?”

Lewis’s lawyer, Montgomery Johnson, says that Dotson has no chance of getting the Ray Lewis deal. He points out that the cases are completely different, especially since his client was innocent.

“Ray was not involved in that horrible crime. He told me and I believed him. The reason we got that deal was because the justice system works. I can’t tell you how many defendants and their lawyers have called me up and asked about that deal. I tell them all the same thing: It only works if you have a client who’s innocent. That or a damn good liar.”

Dotson has reportedly been in touch with Johnson, in hopes of receiving some valuable legal advice. Johnson’s advice: You’re fucked.

“He’s fucked,” says Johnson. “I tell him all the time. Poor kid. He thinks he can swing something like I did with Ray. Every damn kid out there thinks the same thing. These kids have to realize that murder is a crime and if you commit it, you are likely to go to jail. Plea bargains are like hitting the lottery, especially the one that Lewis got. Fucker was guilty as sin. Oops. Don’t print that.”

That fact may come as bad news for Dotson, who was reportedly banking his entire legal strategy on his hopes for a plea bargain. Sources say that he is “extremely confident” in his ability to strike a deal with the judge.

“Oh, he was practically laughing about it,” said a friend of Dotson’s, who asked not to be identified. “I was trying to explain to him what he’s up against, and he kept referring me to the Ray Lewis thing. He said ‘If that guy can get away with it, anyone can’. Oh well, maybe he can. I wish him luck.”

Lewis himself was reached for comment at his home in Baltimore yesterday. He says he feels for Dotson, but the young man needs to take responsibility for his own actions.

“The poor kid, he really messed up,” said Lewis in a telephone interview. “You can’t just go out and kill someone and expect to get away with it. That’s not the way the justice system works. What a lot of people forget is that I’m innocent of these charges. If I have one piece of advice for young kids who want to go out there and kill people, it’s this: Don’t do it. And if you do, make sure you have a bunch of friends with you. But seriously - don’t do it. It’s a huge inconvenience.”