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Nearly a year earlier, Saskatchewan defensive back Justin Cox had been released after being charged with assault causing bodily harm in an alleged incident of domestic violence.

The league promptly imposed a ban on any CFL team signing Cox. Head office distributed a similarly stern dispatch when Messam was charged.

One difference is the fact that Messam and Cox, unlike Hughes, were charged with crimes against women.

Someone who drives drunk puts other people at risk, but there is not an injured party in the charge against Hughes.

Could that be why the Roughriders seem to be applying a different standard or threshold in the case of Hughes?

Photo by TROY FLEECE / Regina Leader-Post

That was the purpose of questioning to Jones on Wednesday, when I began: “In the case of Jerome Messam, it was a different matter, but it was an immediate release …”

“We’re not talking about Jerome Messam,” Jones interjected. “We’re talking about this and it’s all I’m talking about.”

“It was an immediate release of a player based on a legal matter,” I responded. “Why is this one a different scenario?”

Jones looked the other way. And there was silence.

Now, let’s be clear. The intent here is not to advocate the release of Hughes, whose situation is being handled “as an individual event,” in the words of Jones.

But it is reasonable to wonder why one charge compels the Roughriders to summarily terminate a player, whereas Hughes remains with the team. Where does the team draw the line?

Aside from the refusal to address that issue, Jones fared well (as did Hughes) while addressing the media Wednesday, one day after the news came to light.