8 Years for stage diving

Doctor J

The Associated Press is reporting that a man charged with injuring two women when he dived off the stage at a heavy metal concert said he never realized someone in the crowd could be hurt.

Joseph Seink wept Monday (Feb. 7) while testifying in his trial on two counts of felonious assault. Authorities say two 28-year-old Cleveland women each suffered a cracked neck vertebra but no serious spinal damage when the 195-pound Seink landed on them last June 4 at Scene Pavilion downtown.

Seink, 34, of suburban Solon, said he sneaked backstage to see his favorite band, CLUTCH, and celebrated by jumping into the crowd when his favorite song began.

"The last thing I wanted was to hurt anybody," Seink testified during his one-day trial in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court.

He could be sentenced to two to eight years in prison if convicted of both charges, said Jamie Dalton, a spokeswoman for the county prosecutor's office.

Judge Nancy Fuerst is expected to rule Wednesday.

"He should have known he was going to hurt somebody," said Brian Deckert, an assistant county prosecutor.

Catherine Tressa and Tammie Myers both said they didn't expect someone would jump off the stage over security guards during the concert.

Witnesses told Seink's public defender, Walter Camino, that heavy metal shows are characterized by violent slam dancing. Occasionally, witnesses said, audience members dive off the stage, expecting the crowd to catch them.

Chalk

did they drop their tea cups in shock when it happened?
ffs where did they think they were the opera?

thats a pile of shiz, why would they want to press charges for something like that,
its a totally unintentional act,

garthv

holy crap..........

Ph3n0m

not suprised at all by this.

When I brought my younger bro to Metallica back in 92, some ****er jumped off the balcony and landed on him, nearly swallowed his tongue - apart a sore neck he was grand, but in that freakish moment, I thought he was gone.

Most people look out for each other at gigs, but you always have the moron who doesnt give a damn.

While that has nothing to do with the original post, I just thought I would share that story....I like stories

Chalk

jumping off a balcony is slightly diff from a stage dive ....

idontknowmyname

yeah not everyone likes stage divers, people get hurt because not everyone is expecting some 200 lb guy to come flying through the air at them!

cournioni

Stage diving is quite stupid IMO. I have no problems with people moshing or crowd surfing but stage diving is just asking for trouble.

Mr. CooL ICE

...unless its a performer. Apart from Chino Moreno and others of his, uh, 'build'.

Fysh

What interests me is that they are quite happy to claim that, while at a concert and close enough to the stage to get hit by a stage diver, they had no idea that this would happen. Because, you know, all those rock and metal concerts I've been to have been categorised by people doing the shuffling shoulder-dance. Very sedate affairs. :rolleyes:

Of course, in America with its metal music = teh S4tan! attitude, there's always going to be someone who'll try and take this guy to court.

Yes, stage diving is a pretty stupid thing to do. Especially if you're nearly 200lb of man. Nonetheless. It's usually stated as being banned at the show, and if they're serious about it being banned the security guards should be able to stop the guy getting on stage (notice how nobody questioned that, even though backstage should be fairly protected to prevent unwanted fans/stalkers pestering bands), and also stop him jumping. (So how come, in the country where people sue the cigarette manufacturer for not providing sufficient warning that inhaling loads of smoke and associated carcinogens might kill, nobody's taken the case to the venue?)

Even then, the guy seems to have been fairly apologetic from the statemet - surely him contributing towards the medical costs incurred by the injuries (ie compensation claim, perhaps through small claims court or similar) would be better than him incurring a prison sentence?

Is there any point in this guy going to prison, other than to further demonize heavy music as being solely the reserve of heathens, baby-killers and other undesirables? "felonious assault" - are they trying to compare stage-diving to beating someone up?

0utshined

Doctor J wrote:

Catherine Tressa and Tammie Myers both said they didn't expect someone would jump off the stage over security guards during the concert.

Up front at a rock show? Who woulda' thunk it...