UF football populating florida jails

[BULLfreak]

24 arrest all under Urban Meyer. Maybe Smazza needs to move to Gainsville. Here's just a few.

http://blogs.tampabay.com/gators/2009/06/florida-cornerback-janoris-jenkins-arrested-.html

http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/colleges/uf/story/1017071.html

http://www.tomahawknation.com/2008/11/4/653577/university-of-florida-gato

http://www.fortmilltimes.com/124/story/585457.html

[LunchTimeBully]

I thought this was funny:

cane60 wrote on 04/25/2009 03:29:33 PM:

Why don't they just move the gator locker room to the alachua county jail, when the #1 recruits come and visit make them wear all orange just to get a feel of how they'll look for their future yearbook picture.

[BULLfreak]

The Florida Gators are going for a third national title in four years, but three is no longer the only number that matters to some Gators fans. The tension has built so thick around the number 24 -- the reported arrests under Urban Meyer since 2005 -- that the Gators are no longer getting a pass off wins. When one arrest happens, fans can ignore it. When arrests pile up, everyone's paying attention.The Sentinel's Andrea Adelson pointed out that Gators arrests are no minor issue.

We're not here to designate blame. We're here to chronicle the 24 legal issues under Meyer so you know how Florida got to this point. Based on court records research and the help of sources, we're able to provide that blueprint. 

Couple of footnotes:

--There have not been 24 different players arrested, or even 24 "arrests" where a player was booked into jail. But there have been at least 24 instances where a Gators player faced misdemeanor or felony CHARGES for a crime. Many lawyers and courthouse folks we spoke with expressed this simple fact -- a charge is technically an arrest, as long as the defendant is dished out a mandatory notice to appear in court. Not everyone agrees on that. That's why we're providing the information and you decide.

--Researching arrests isn't an exact science. There's always a player who could have gotten arrested in Virginia or North Carolina or Florida in the last four years.

--We're not counting the arrests of former Gators. Torrey Davis, Jon Demps and Jacques Rickerson were just a handful of players who spent the night in jail shortly after disbanding from the team.

--One legal case might surprise you. Riley Cooper's February misdemeanor charge for resisting an officer and failure comply with a police or fire department fell through the cracks.

JANORIS JENKINS

Charge: Misdemeanor affray and resisting arrest without violence for his role in a May 30, 2009 fight outside a downtown Gainesville night club.

Outcome: The State Attorney’s Office is currently investigating.

Team punishment: To be determined.

MARQUIS HANNAH

Charge: Felony burglary of an occupied dwelling unarmed and misdemeanor battery in late April 2009 for allegedly forcing his way into a Gainesville apartment and punching a man in the face.

Outcome: Case was dismissed due to lack of evidence, according to lawyer Huntley Johnson.

Team punishment: To be determined.

CARL JOHNSON

Charge: Misdemeanor violation of a sexual restraining order in February 2009 after getting on the same campus bus as an ex-girlfriend. The woman previously filed a petition claiming Johnson date-raped her on three occasions.

Outcome: All charges were dropped due to a lack of evidence.

Team punishment: Johnson never missed any time. Coach Urban Meyer said Johnson would remain on the team as long as the investigation checked out.

RILEY COOPER

Charge: Misdemeanor resisting an officer and failure comply with a police or fire department in February 2009. Campus police cited Cooper for not getting out of the way of a moving car upon police’s orders, according to Johnson.

Outcome: The case was dismissed. 

Team punishment: Cooper played baseball during the spring, and it’s unknown whether Meyer sought out punishment.

CAM NEWTON

Charge: Felony counts of burglary, larceny and obstruction of justice in November 2009 after allegedly stealing a laptop from a UF student and throwing it out his dormitory window upon police suspicion.

Outcome: Newton received pre-trial deferment – common for a first-time offender – and is serving community service and probation time. The charges will disappear assuming he completes his obligations. 

Team punishment: Meyer suspended Newton for the rest of the 2008 season. Newton transferred to Blinn (Texas) Junior College.

JACQUES RICKERSON

Charge #1: Misdemeanor possession of marijuana in February 2007.

Outcome: Charges were dropped without legal ramifications.

Charge #2: Felony domestic violence by strangulation and felony obstruction of justice after a November altercation with a girlfriend.

Outcome: Charges were reduced to misdemeanor status, then the Alachua County courts gave him two years probation without proceeding with the charges.

Team punishments: Rickerson was suspended for the 2007 season opener for the marijuana charge, then kicked off the team the morning of the domestic violence incident.

TORREY DAVIS

Charge: Misdemeanor knowingly driving with a suspended license on numerous occasions, including once in July 2008 and another in March 2009 – two weeks after he left the team – that placed him in jail.

Outcome: The July case was closed. 

Team punishment: Davis was always in Meyer’s doghouse and hardly allowed to practice or play with the team for various academic and disciplinary reasons, so it’s safe to say Meyer suspended Davis for his crimes.

JAMAR HORNSBY

Charge #1: Cited for misdemeanor property damage and criminal mischief in April 2007 for allegedly throwing a man onto the hood of a car during a fight.

Outcome: Hornsby received deferred prosecution and the charge was later dismissed.

Charge #2: Unauthorized use of a credit card to obtain goods and services, a felony, along with misdemeanor larceny of a credit card for allegedly making more than 70 fradulent charges on the gas credit card of a female UF student who died seven months earlier.

Outcome: Charges were reduced to misdemeanors and Hornsby took a plea deal – probation and community service.

Team punishments: No punishment for first offense, kicked off the team for second offense. Hornsby served a previous five-game suspension, but it wasn’t for the first misdemeanor – it was for selling his complimentary tickets.

JERMAINE CUNNINGHAM

Charge: Misdemeanor battery in December 2007 for an altercation with a clerk at Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwich Shop in Gainesville. Cunningham allegedly threw paper cups at the clerk.

Outcome: Charges were dropped.

Team punishment: Cunningham played in Florida’s next game, the Capital One Bowl, but Meyer said he imposed physical punishment on Cunningham, who also couldn’t accept bowl-game gifts.

TONY JOINER

Charge: Felony theft in October 2007 for breaking into a car impound and retrieving his girlfriend’s car, which had been towed.

Outcome: Charges were dropped.

Team punishment: Joiner never missed game time, but Meyer stripped him of his captaincy.

RONNIE WILSON

Charge #1: Aggravated assault, battery and use of display of a concealed weapon during commission of a felony in April 2007 for shooting a semiautomatic rifle after a dispute with another man.

Outcome: Wilson pleaded no contest to battery and discharging a firearm. The felony charge was reduced to a misdemeanor and later dropped. Wilson was placed on two year’s probation and given 100 hours of community service.

Charge #2: Misdemeanor possession of marijuana in January 2008.

Outcome: The charge was dropped despite serving probation for his original arrest.

Charge #3: One count of battery and one count of assault for an altercation at an apartment complex in October.

Outcome: Nothing has been ruled on the case, according to court records.

Team punishments: Wilson was suspended for the entire 2007 season stemming from the gun charge, including a full-year suspension from University of Florida academics. Wilson rejoined the team in 2008 but was suspended and eventually kicked off after the third charge.

DUSTIN DOE

Charge: Misdemeanor affray and resisting arrest for his role in an April 2007 fight.

Outcome: Charges were dropped.

Team punishment: No suspension for Doe.

DORIAN MUNROE

Charge: Felony theft in May 2007 when he removed a University Police boot from his car and put it in his trunk.

Outcome: Charges were dropped.

Team punishment: No suspension for Munroe.

JOHN CURTIS

Charge: Misdemeanor violation of probation in May 2007 after failing to serve five hours of community service stemming from an alcohol citation.

Outcome: Curtis complied with the violation, served probation and the case was dismissed.

Team punishment: Curtis was in Meyer’s doghouse, but he was also injured, so it was difficult to tell why he was out.

BRANDON JAMES

Charge: Purchasing marijuana -- a felony -- along with misdemeanor possession of marijuana in June 2007.

Outcome: The felony charge was dropped due to a minuscule amount (8 grams); James served probation and community service stemming from the misdemeanor charge. 

Team punishment: Suspended for one game, the 2007 opener against Western Kentucky.

AVERY ATKINS

Charge: Misdemeanor domestic battery in July 2006 after an altercation in Daytona Beach with the mother of his child. The initial investigation took place in June 2006 with Atkins facing accusations of felony false imprisonment along with the battery charge.

Outcome: Atkins received pre-trial intervention and both cases were eventually dropped.

Team punishment: Meyer immediately suspended Atkins, who then transferred to Bethune-Cookman, found legal trouble there and died in July 2007 from a drug overdose.

LOUIS MURPHY

Charge: Misdemeanor possession of marijuana in May 2006.

Outcome: Charges were dropped, and Murphy had to perform 12.5 hours of community service.

Team punishment: Murphy was suspended for three games during the 2006 season.

JON DEMPS

Charge:  Misdemeanor driving with a suspended license in September 2006.

Outcome: Charges were dropped and Demps received six months probation.

Team punishment: Meyer kicked Demps off the team after the 2006 season reportedly for a marijuana-related incident. Demps worked out with the Gators later that summer but never played for UF again.

DAWAYNE GRACE

Charge #1: Misdemeanor charges of battery and theft in July 2005 stemming from a sworn complaint.

Outcome: Charges were dropped because victim did not wish to prosecute.

Charge #2: Misdemeanor violation of a city ordinance and disorderly conduct in October 2005 for his involvement in a fight. Eyewitnesses told police that Grace threw a punch.

Outcome: Grace completed a deferred prosecution program including 7.5 hours of community service.

Team punishment: Meyer suspended Grace indefinitely after the October arrest. Grace later transferred to Georgia Southern.

http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/sports_college_uf/2009/06/janoris-jenkinscharge-misdemeanor-affray-and-resisting-arrest-without-violence-for-his-role-in-a-may-30-fight-outside-a-down.html