One thing I’ve learned through 17 years of experience with the justice system is that the outcome of any matter entrusted to it can’t be predicted with certainty.  There are too many variables, too much subjectivity, too much random crap that can happen.

And so Saints defensive end Charles Grant would be wise not to thump his chest about the very serious charge of involuntary manslaughter that was lodged against him last week.  Grant has been indicted, which means that at a minimum prosecutors have convinced a grand jury that there’s probable cause to believe that Grant is legally responsible for the death of the woman who was in the wrong place at the wrong time as Grant and others were involved in a brawl.

“I told the truth,” Grant said recently.  “The truth will set you free.  That’s nothing that worries me.  I’m going to hold my head the highest a head can be held.”

But Grant did more than proclaim his innocence.  He rambled on and on, at times making lots of sense and at others making none. 

“I worked 29 years to get to where I’m at; at 29 years old, that came with a lot of ups and downs.  I have a lot of stuff that has been on my shoulders.  Like I said before, I’m a warrior.  Warriors are born.  Some people, you have to turn them into that.  I stand for something. . . . 

“I won’t hide.  I won’t shutter in a cave, because sometimes that’s what people want you to do, shutter yourself.  I’m a grown man.  If I would have done anything down on Church Street that night of the incident Feb. 2, I’d have claimed it.  I’m a grown man.  I’d have claimed my responsibility in any situation.  And that night, I was a guy who got attacked.

“Now I’m turned into the guy who did this or did that. But my lawyers are handling it.  They’re great lawyers.  My prayers go out to the family and the people who have to go through this, and I just can’t wait until it’s over.

“I went to one club, and I’ve been going to this club for years.  I know the owner very well.  It’s not like people look at it, as a guy has a certain amount of money and he can’t go out?  I’ve been going out my whole life.  You tell me I can’t?  This is America.  That’s why they have freedom of speech, rights.  That’s what we stand for as people.  That’s what people before me have fought for.  This is a situation not only for me; this is a situation for every guy who stands in the NFL who has accomplished goals.  You’re going to tell those guys you have to stay shuttered in the house because you achieved such greatness; you’re not able to do this, you’re not able to that?  I think that’s wrong. . . . 

“There are 2,000 guys in this league I’m in.  Every time one guy in this league [gets in trouble], he’s always the guy to get humiliated.  But this is where you stand for something.  Everybody has to stand for something.  Rosa Parks, when she got on the bus, she stood for something.  So in this situation, it’s not a race situation.  I’m not mad about any of this that’s going on.”

Um we’re really not sure what to say.