When Draft Day in the NFL rolled around last month, head coach Pete Carroll and General Manager John Schneider used their second round pick on a defensive lineman who they hope will become a dominating force. Like all NFL teams, they checked out his speed and agility in drills, watched hundreds of hours of game tape and measured everything there is to be measured on a potential pro athlete. Some critics of the selection are saying that the Seahawks didn't look closely enough at Frank Clark. You see, Clark was kicked off his college team at the University of Michigan after being arrested for domestic violence and assault.
For their part, the Seahawks said they talked to as many people as possible to gauge Clark's character and determine if he had in fact committed the crime of which he was accused. However, they also admitted that their investigation failed to include any words with the alleged victim, his girlfriend. She claims that Clark hit her with a force that knocked her to the ground, while witnesses said she appeared to be unconscious. His accuser didn't want to file domestic violence charges, but police determined that there was enough evidence at the scene to justify charges. Through a plea deal, Clark's charges were reduced and he ended up paying a fine of $250.
Whether Clark committed the act is not for this firm to decide, but domestic violence cases happen every day in the state of Washington. When someone becomes a victim of violence, an attorney may be able to help him or her obtain an order for protection.