DA: Saggy pants, no big deal

KRQE-TV.com - A California District Attorney says there are bigger issues to deal with that carrying out charges against a University of New Mexico football player arrested after he refused to pull up his sagging pants. Lobo defensive back Deshon Marman was arrested last month after he refused to pull his pants up as he boarded a US Airways Flight in San Francisco. On Wednesday San Mateo County District Attorney Stephen Wagstaffe dropped the charges against Marman, which included suspicion of trespassing, battery of a police officer and obstruction. “We have more important things to deal with in our criminal justice system here, and it is my belief that he spent a night in the county jail and has had to deal with all the publicity with this and I don't think any further action is called for,” Wagstaffe told KRQE News 13 Wednesday. Protesters gathered with the NAACP in San Francisco Tuesday to rally around Marman. His arrest sparked a national debate over appropriate airline attire, although many believe he was unfairly targeted because of his race. Wagstaffe says those claims are unwarranted. “The first two people to deal with Mr. Marman were two women, long-term employees of the airline, older women, who know the business, and both of them African-American. And so for people who don’t have awareness of the facts to throw out the issue is racism at the heart of what’s going on here are people I think are working without knowledge of the facts,” Wagstaffe said. While charges have been dropped against Marman, the case may not be over. Marman’s attorney in San Francisco says his client was falsely arrested and considering filing a lawsuit against US Airways because no apology has been issued. Read more

DA: Saggy pants, no big deal