Nine days ago 20 year old Blackhawk star,  Patrick Kane was arrested in Buffalo NY with a relative for fourth degree robbery, theft of services and criminal mischief.  He stands accused of beating Jan Radecki, a cab driver in a rage over twenty cents.  That's right twenty cents, one fifth of a dollar less than a quarter, you can't even make a phone call with twenty cents!

The absurdity of the entire situation has left me shaking my head, you see Buffalo is my home town and the locations and some of the players involved are still familiar to me. All I want to do is ask this young man is “Patrick just what were you thinking?" What we do know outside of all the media buzz is that the case went to the Grand Jury last Thursday and has not returned a bill or no bill of inditement to date.  Paul Cambria, Kane's attorney is launching a media campaign placing his client in the best light possible and stating the entire situation has been blown all out of proportion .  

On the other side of the story, last Friday the State of New York suspended Jan Radecki's drivers license. It was discovered he had been driving under a license he had gotten after his previous one had been revoked for failing to submit to a chemical test in April 1999 and for driving while intoxicated.  Mr Radecki had simply reapplied under a different first name and address took the written test for the learners permit.  On September 10th 1999 he was issued a new New York State drivers license.

According to todays Buffalo News “Erie County District Attorney Frank A. Sedita III declined to comment on the possible outcome of the case. Sedita previously said that a county grand jury had completed its investigation Thursday. That decision is expected to be made public this Wednesday or Thursday.

"Once the grand jury has reported its findings to the court, we will treat this just like we would any other crime," Sedita said. "Mr. Kane will not receive any special treatment because he is a hockey player or celebrity. Nor will he receive any harsher treatment."”http://www.buffalonews.com/home/story/766745.html#comment

As the Grand Jury deliberates if the evidence presented is enough to spend taxpayers time and money on a trial, or if lesser charges and a plea arrangement is an option for these two young men.  It still brings to mind, Patrick Kane, gifted 20 year old Blackhawk star, what were you thinking?