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Police/Legal Blotter (stop breaking the law, asshole!)

I have little tolerance for violence against women. Here's an All-Conference linebacker arrested for battery on his 5' 2", 118-pound girlfriend.

sportsline.com

FSU LB Sims charged with domestic battery

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Florida State junior linebacker Ernie Sims was arrested early Wednesday for allegedly throwing his girlfriend to the ground.

Sims, 20, was arrested by Tallahassee Police after the fight with his live-in girlfriend, Brooke McGriff, who refused to press charges. He was charged with domestic battery and resisting arrest without violence, both misdemeanors.
Sims, 6-feet and 225 pounds, was released from jail after a court appearance before Leon County Judge Donald S. Mondesitt.

"Our athletic department discipline policy for a misdemeanor goes into effect with Ernie, and he will be subject to that until I have all the facts," coach Bobby Bowden said in a statement.

Bowden, in most cases, has discretion on misdemeanor cases where no jail time is involved under the school's code of conduct.

Witnesses told police that at one point Sims "slammed her on the ground" and straddled the 5-foot-2, 118-pound McGriff as she lay on the concrete in front of a residence hall near the Florida State campus.

As she tried to stand, the player repeatedly shoved her back onto the ground. Sims remained aggressive when officers arrived, the police report said.

Sims was "shirtless, drenched in sweat and very animated when I made contact with him," Tallahassee Police officer Danny Jeter wrote in the report. Sims later interfered with arresting officers when he and McGriff tried to walk away from police. He told police the argument was over a call he received Tuesday from another woman.

Sims, who was the Seminoles' second-leading tackler last season, is the second starting linebacker to get into trouble with police in recent months.

The team's top tackler, A.J. Nicholson, had a pair of run-ins with police in the last six months, including a felony DUI arrest that could sideline him for the season opener against Miami.

Seminoles quarterback Wyatt Sexton was committed to a local hospital for psychiatric evaluation after police found him disheveled and partially clothed on a city street last month doing push-ups and calling himself God. Sexton's future with the team hasn't been addressed.
 
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On page 3 or 4 someone list 12 Iowa players that were in trouble with the law in but some of the players listed had 3 or 4 run ins but were only listed once.


Our 14 since JT has been here are they 14 different kids or does B Joes DUI and open container count as 2 of the 14 just like Arden 2 DWI do they count as 1 or 2. Thanks
 
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LSU DE Arrested on Battery Charges

Trouble down in the Land of the Red Stick

LSU's Pittman allegedly punched man

Posted: Friday July 8, 2005 5:48PM; Updated: Friday July 8, 2005 5:48PM

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) -- An LSU football player has been booked with second-degree battery after allegedly punching a man in the face at a bar near the university, police said.

Junior defensive end Benjamin Chase Pittman, 22, was released Thursday after posting a $5,000 bond. Police found a man outside the bar early Thursday with his eye swollen shut, said Sgt. Don Kelly, a police spokesman. He was taken to a hospital for treatment.


Pittman was not on the scene when officers arrived and was arrested later. Kelly said Pittman told investigators than a fight occurred after the man grabbed a woman's breast.

LSU sports information director Michael Bonnette said coach Les Miles would not comment about the case until after he meets with Miles.

Pittman was an all-state player at Evangel Christian Academy in Shreveport before signing with the University of Texas. He spent two seasons with the Longhorns, including a redshirt freshman year, before joining LSU last year.
 
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si.com

Prelim hearing set for Okla. St. RB

STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) -- A September preliminary hearing was set Monday for Seymore Shaw, Oklahoma State's top returning rusher, on two felony counts and two misdemeanors, according to the Payne County clerk's office.

Shaw, 23, has pleaded innocent on felony counts of first-degree burglary and larceny and misdemeanor counts of domestic abuse and malicious injury to property. His preliminary hearing was scheduled for Sept. 21.

According to court documents, Shaw allegedly broke into a former girlfriend's house May 13 and struck her, damaged several picture frames and stole a pair of Nike Air Jordan shoes and four custom chrome wheels. A judge granted the woman's request for a protective order against Shaw in May.
Royce Hobbs, Shaw's attorney, said he had no comment on the case.

Shaw played in all 12 of Oklahoma State's games last season and rushed for 377 yards and two touchdowns on 81 carries. He started in place of the injured Vernand Morency against Baylor and ran for a career-high 172 yards on 30 carries, but had only 10 yards on six rushes in the Cowboys' final two games. He underwent rehab during spring practice after offseason knee surgery.

Morency, a 1,400-yard rusher, left after his junior season and was taken in the third round of the NFL draft. That left Shaw, a partial qualifier who earned an extra year of eligibility by graduating early in May, as Oklahoma State's top returning running back.

Cowboys coach Mike Gundy suspended Shaw in June after charges were filed. Shaw is free on $10,000 bond.


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sportsline.com

LSU suspends DE Pittman after battery arrest
BATON ROUGE, La. -- An LSU football player who was booked with second-degree battery last week has been suspended from the team.

LSU announced the suspension of defensive end Chase Pittman in a news release Monday.

"I've met with Chase to discuss the situation and he understands what needs to be done, " coach Les Miles said in the prepared statement.

It was unclear when the suspension would end.

"We will let this incident run its course through the legal system, however, we expect that there will be a timely resolution to this matter," Miles said.

Pittman, 22, was booked last week for allegedly punching a man in the face at a bar near the university, police said. He was released Thursday after posting a $5,000 bond. Police found a man outside the bar early Thursday with his eye swollen shut, said Sgt. Don Kelly, a police spokesman. He was taken to a hospital for treatment.

Pittman was not on the scene when officers arrived and was arrested later. Kelly said Pittman told investigators than a fight occurred after the man grabbed a woman's breast.

Pittman was an all-state player at Evangel Christian Academy in Shreveport before signing with the University of Texas. He spent two seasons with the Longhorns, including a redshirt freshman year, before joining LSU last year.
 
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detnews.com

Teague is arraigned on assault charge
Michigan State back pleads not guilty; faces up to 93 days in jail, a $500 fine if convicted.
EAST LANSING -- Michigan State running back Jason Teague turned himself in to East Lansing police Tuesday and was arraigned on a misdemeanor charge of assault and battery from an alleged incident Oct. 31, 2004.

Teague, a senior, pleaded not guilty and faces a pretrial hearing Wednesday. He remains on the team. Senior receiver Aaron Alexander was charged with misdemeanor drunken driving June 26. He pleaded not guilty and has a pretrial hearing today.

Teague and Alexander each face up to 93 days in jail and a $500 fine if convicted. Teague has had several issues the last year and a half.

He was convicted last July of operating a vehicle as a minor with a blood alcohol level between 0.02 percent and 0.07 percent. And he was arrested Jan. 6 on a charge of marijuana possession in St. Petersburg, Fla. The charge was dropped last May on the condition he complete a counseling program.

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While we obsess about a player attending a charity event, here's an arrest for perjury in an investigation into a violent death.

si.com

CMU player charged with perjury

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. (AP) -- A Central Michigan football player has been charged with lying to a grand jury investigating the beating death of a man outside a bar.

Anthony Rogers, 20, was arrested on Tuesday, the day he was to reappear before the grand jury, the Morning Sun reported. He has a court hearing Aug. 19.
Demarcus Graham, 26, of Flint died July 14, 2004. He was hurt in a June 25 brawl outside a Mount Pleasant bar. The investigation continues because authorities need to interview 100 witnesses, many of whom are uncooperative, police said.

Three other players have been sentenced for contempt and have served 30-day jail sentences.

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While the battery charge has been dropped in this case, it will be interesting to see how Richt and UGA deal with this situation.

si.com

Georgia LB accused of cheating

ATHENS, Ga. (AP) -- A University of Georgia instructor says linebacker Tavares Kearney twisted her wrist after she confiscated his camera cell phone because she suspected him of using the device to cheat on a nutrition exam.
A battery charge instructor Dawn Penn filed against Kearney was dropped Wednesday, but the freshman player could still face school discipline for the incident, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported Friday.

<!--startclickprintexclude-->Penn said she took the phone from Kearney after he apparently took a photo image of an answer key to a version of a test he was taking July 15, according to a police incident report. The answer key had been accidentally distributed to the class earlier and the instructor had asked for them to be passed back to her.

After the teacher took the phone, Kearney asked for it back. When Penn refused, the 6-foot-1, 210-pound Kearney allegedly grabbed the woman's left hand, which was holding the phone, squeezed it and twisted her wrist.

Penn, a 27-year-old graduate student overseeing the exam, said she did not want to pursue criminal charges against Kearney, but she is pursuing an academic honesty investigation of the player.

Kearney has since withdrawn from the course and has returned to his home in Atlanta, a school spokesman said.

His football eligibility is uncertain pending the outcome of the university inquiry.

"It's my intent to withhold comment until that process has been exercised," coach Mark Richt said.
 
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http://www.greenandwhite.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050722/GW01/507220353/1023/GW

Spartans' CB Hayes suspended
Off-field incident has senior off team indefinitely

By Joe Rexrode
Lansing State Journal

Michigan State starting senior cornerback Jaren Hayes has been suspended indefinitely from the team by coach John L. Smith.

Hayes was suspended for an unspecified off-the-field incident, said MSU assistant athletic director John Lewandowski. Records from the Michigan State police, East Lansing's District Court 54-B and the police department in Lebanon, Pa., Hayes' hometown, indicate Hayes has not been charged with any crimes in those locations.

Calls placed to what MSU lists as Hayes' local phone number went unanswered Thursday. He is the sixth MSU player - four of them projected starters in 2005 - since May to have his playing status jeopardized or taken away:

• Backup sophomore quarterback Stephen Reaves left the team in May, soon after a drunken driving arrest. It was later reduced to reckless driving, and Reaves eventually transferred to Southern Mississippi.

• Backup senior receiver Agim Shabaj was ruled academically ineligible in May.

• Starting senior running back Jason Teague faces a charge of misdemeanor assault and battery, stemming from an Oct. 31 incident in East Lansing. He faces up to 93 days in jail.

Jury selection is the next step in Teague's assault case, because a plea bargain did not result from his pretrial hearing Wednesday. A date has not yet been set for jury selection, according to East Lansing court documents.

• Backup senior receiver Aaron Alexander will be sentenced Aug. 12 on a conviction of misdemeanor driving while impaired. He faces up to 93 days in jail.

• Starting junior offensive lineman Gordie Niebylski pled guilty May 21 to a charge of misdemeanor disorderly conduct, stemming from a Feb. 19 fight off campus. As a first-time offender, he will have the charge dismissed if he stays out of legal trouble through Nov. 21, said Molly Clark, East Lansing assistant city attorney.

• Starting senior defensive tackle Domata Peko pled guilty June 23 to a charge of misdemeanor disorderly conduct, stemming from a May 21 incident. According to the police report, Peko tried to flee from officers after he was caught urinating in public, but he was eventually caught after a foot chase in East Lansing.

Like Niebylski, Peko will have the charge dismissed if he avoids legal trouble through Dec. 23 - six months after the date of his guilty plea.


Niebylski, Peko, Alexander and Teague remain on the team, Lewandowski said. All declined comment through Lewandowski.

Smith does not publicly disclose his methods of punishment. Smith is still looking into Teague's case, Lewandowski said.

According to the incident report, the alleged victim, a woman, said Teague struck her three times in the jaw after she asked him to leave her front lawn during a party. The alleged incident took place about 1 a.m. on Oct. 31 - hours after MSU's loss at Michigan.

Police reported failed attempts to contact Teague via phone messages in December and May, before issuing a warrant June 3. Teague turned himself in July 12.

Players report Aug. 7 for MSU's fall camp. Most of the Spartans' incoming class of players report that they're academically eligible and ready to go.

MSU is still waiting on junior college transfers Emory Jones, a receiver, and Steven Jaurez, a linebacker, to finish up their requirements for a successful transfer.

All of MSU's incoming freshman except defensive tackle Hayward Howard say they're eligible. Howard said Thursday he is waiting on the results of his third try at the ACT - and that he was one point away from the necessary score on his second try.

"I'll find out Aug. 5, and hopefully I'll be OK and I can come to MSU right after that," said Howard, of New Orleans.

Contact Joe Rexrode at [email protected].
 
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Bobby Bowden has made a decision to play his LB's in the opener.

sportsline.com

Legal woes won't force Florida State duo to bench

HOT SPRINGS, Va. -- Florida State linebackers Ernie Sims and A.J. Nicholson will both be in the lineup for the Sept. 5 season opener against Miami, despite their summer brushes with the law.
Florida State coach Bobby Bowden said Monday he'll handle the discipline since the legal issues are misdemeanors.

Sims was arrested following an early morning fight with his live-in girlfriend outside a university residence hall. Nicholson had a pair of run-ins with local police, including a misdemeanor DUI.

"There are more ways to discipline other than suspension," Bowden said at the Atlantic Coast Conference's football media kickoff. "You've heard of pain, haven't you?"

One of Bowden's favorite punishments through the years has been making players run stadium steps for mistakes of many kinds, including those involving police.

Bowden also said redshirt freshmen Xavier Lee and Drew Weatherford will be even when the quarterback competition starts next month. And unless one player clearly separates during the August workouts, Bowden said he wouldn't hesitate to play both.

Aside from their legal distractions, the Seminoles also have a slew of problems to contend with as they enter Bowden's 30th year the helm.

The season's anticipated starting quarterback, Wyatt Sexton, will miss the season while he's treated for Lyme disease.

"Who could have ever predicted Lyme disease?" Bowden asked. "The good news is it's something that's curable."

Bowden said he has not yet visited Sexton, the son of Florida State assistant coach Billy Sexton.

"Until his parents say 'go by and see him,' I will not," the 75-year-old coach said.

The Seminoles will also be without cornerback Antonio Cromartie for the season. A first team all-conference pick a year ago, Cromartie had surgery last week after he injured his left knee during a voluntary workout earlier this month.

Cromartie also returned kickoffs as one of the team's fastest players.

Florida State also has an academic casualty.

Clifton Dickson, the team's most dominating interior defensive lineman in the spring, was declared academically ineligible and must graduate from a community college before he can be readmitted to the university.

"We've always had somebody in trouble, somebody with grades," Bowden said. "That's life. It's the way it is."

With all the turmoil, Bowden was mildly surprised writers voted the Seminoles to win the Atlantic Division of the ACC by a fairly comfortable margin. Florida State received 65 first-place votes compared to 24 for league newcomer Boston College.

"Y'all must not read the newspapers," he joked.
 
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