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BurgBuck52;610803; said:
Thanks for the correction. :)
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- Thread starter Hubbard
- Start date
Thanks for the correction. :)
sandgk
Watson, Crick & A Twist
BurgBuck52;610803; said:
While it is clear you are correct that both sets of charges are covered in the single plea your first sentence appears at odds with your underlying point - that the sentence covers charges emanating from both arrests.
"The article is wrong ..
A judge by law can not take a plea from a defendant who hasn't been deemed mentally competent ..."
As you later allow, his competency was not in question (as of 9/08) so why raise this in your introductory sentence? Is there another part of the earlier linked article that asserts contradictory information about Clarett's competency for instance? (Or is it simply that the article states that the competency finding allowed him to stand trial "on the earlier charges," instead of addressing his competency to stand trial on the charges emanating from August of this year?)
Anyway, I for one am glad that this is done and dusted. Getting 12 good men and true in Franklin County would have been quite enough of a media circus. O'Brien deserves a healthy pat on the back and an extra round or two in the Jury Room (or whatever watering hole he uses these days) for getting this squared away fast. This is to everyone's best advantage, including MoC's.
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BurgBuck52
So Glad You Seen Me Today
Couple things:
My bad on bringing the mental evaluation points up. I didn't read about his competency finding on 9/8. Plus, I got confused with some wording in an earlier post.
I work as a Bailiff in the Montgomery County, Ohio Common Pleas Court and see this stuff on a daily basis. I kinda tuned out from this story because what Government employee do you know wants to think about work stuff during their free time.
I come to this site and lurk and contribute points only when I gotta valid one. My goal was just to clear up any misconceptions our fellow BP'ers may have about the judicial system and kinda lay out to everyone the
"inside baseball" part of it.
Its my hope that Reecie takes full advantage of this time to fix what needs fixing with him and gain some perspective. Then hopefully when he gets out in a few years he can do some positive things to make sure this story doesn't have a sad ending.
My bad on bringing the mental evaluation points up. I didn't read about his competency finding on 9/8. Plus, I got confused with some wording in an earlier post.
I work as a Bailiff in the Montgomery County, Ohio Common Pleas Court and see this stuff on a daily basis. I kinda tuned out from this story because what Government employee do you know wants to think about work stuff during their free time.
I come to this site and lurk and contribute points only when I gotta valid one. My goal was just to clear up any misconceptions our fellow BP'ers may have about the judicial system and kinda lay out to everyone the
"inside baseball" part of it.
Its my hope that Reecie takes full advantage of this time to fix what needs fixing with him and gain some perspective. Then hopefully when he gets out in a few years he can do some positive things to make sure this story doesn't have a sad ending.
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DDN
Clarett pleads guilty
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
Pleading guilty
Maurice Clarett's plea deal will send him to prison for at least 3? years and up to 7? years and end two criminal cases against him. The 22-year-old player also agreed to serve five years of probation after the prison sentence.
The agreement was announced by Judge David Fais on the day jury selection was to begin in a case in which Clarett is accused of holding up two people outside a bar.
Clarett apologizes
Clarett said he understood he was pleading guilty and reversing his earlier innocent plea.
"I'd like to apologize for my behavior, and I accept the time that was given to me," he said.
Learning a lesson
"It's been a sobering experience for
Maurice to say the least. He's come to
terms with certain things," Clarett's attorney, Nick Mango, said.
Clarett pleads guilty
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
Pleading guilty
Maurice Clarett's plea deal will send him to prison for at least 3? years and up to 7? years and end two criminal cases against him. The 22-year-old player also agreed to serve five years of probation after the prison sentence.
The agreement was announced by Judge David Fais on the day jury selection was to begin in a case in which Clarett is accused of holding up two people outside a bar.
Clarett apologizes
Clarett said he understood he was pleading guilty and reversing his earlier innocent plea.
"I'd like to apologize for my behavior, and I accept the time that was given to me," he said.
Learning a lesson
"It's been a sobering experience for
Maurice to say the least. He's come to
terms with certain things," Clarett's attorney, Nick Mango, said.
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0
DDN
Clarett's own advice foreshadows his failure
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
COLUMBUS ? I can still hear the chants echoing through Ohio Stadium. Every time Maurice Clarett left the sidelines against eventual Pacific-10 champion Washington State during the third game of his freshman year ? on his way to breaking Ohio State's freshman rushing record with 230 yards on 31 attempts ? more than 100,000 fans gave themselves headaches from screaming so loud.
"Mau-rice, Mau-rice, Mau-rice."
He's the best running back I've seen in person at the college level before or since his lone season in scarlet and gray. Brute strength. Quickness. Other-worldly field vision. And an absolutely warrior.
But those obvious football skills shrouded what we'd soon find out was a rebellious spirit.
He grew up amid shuttered houses in a crime-infested Youngstown ghetto with an absentee father. And athletes who are showered with that kind of sudden adulation ? with few role models and no structure at home to help in becoming grounded ? probably walk a razor's edge between cashing in on their good fortune and embarking on a downward spiral into the abyss.
Clarett chose the abyss.
I remember talking with him one-on-one in the summer before his freshman year. He was engaging, funny and seemingly level-headed.
He insisted he was never going to be a faded football star who discovers he has no foundation when the cheering stops.
"I'm not putting my hopes and my whole soul into Ohio State football," he told me. "Football isn't going to last forever.
"You can look at a person who was all-world this or that, but he didn't have anything else going for him. When it fails, what does he have to fall back on?"
He could have won a Heisman Trophy if only he would have taken his medicine when the NCAA began investigating him for improper benefits. Admit taking cash from a high school booster, sit a few games and then make a triumphant return like the cavalry charging over a hill.
But he couldn't do it. Because of bad counsel or his own lack of substance, Clarett refused to cooperate and never suited up again for the Buckeyes.
In the end, he became exactly what he vowed never to be.
What did he have to fall back on? The answer, sadly, was nothing.
Clarett's own advice foreshadows his failure
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
COLUMBUS ? I can still hear the chants echoing through Ohio Stadium. Every time Maurice Clarett left the sidelines against eventual Pacific-10 champion Washington State during the third game of his freshman year ? on his way to breaking Ohio State's freshman rushing record with 230 yards on 31 attempts ? more than 100,000 fans gave themselves headaches from screaming so loud.
"Mau-rice, Mau-rice, Mau-rice."
He's the best running back I've seen in person at the college level before or since his lone season in scarlet and gray. Brute strength. Quickness. Other-worldly field vision. And an absolutely warrior.
But those obvious football skills shrouded what we'd soon find out was a rebellious spirit.
He grew up amid shuttered houses in a crime-infested Youngstown ghetto with an absentee father. And athletes who are showered with that kind of sudden adulation ? with few role models and no structure at home to help in becoming grounded ? probably walk a razor's edge between cashing in on their good fortune and embarking on a downward spiral into the abyss.
Clarett chose the abyss.
I remember talking with him one-on-one in the summer before his freshman year. He was engaging, funny and seemingly level-headed.
He insisted he was never going to be a faded football star who discovers he has no foundation when the cheering stops.
"I'm not putting my hopes and my whole soul into Ohio State football," he told me. "Football isn't going to last forever.
"You can look at a person who was all-world this or that, but he didn't have anything else going for him. When it fails, what does he have to fall back on?"
He could have won a Heisman Trophy if only he would have taken his medicine when the NCAA began investigating him for improper benefits. Admit taking cash from a high school booster, sit a few games and then make a triumphant return like the cavalry charging over a hill.
But he couldn't do it. Because of bad counsel or his own lack of substance, Clarett refused to cooperate and never suited up again for the Buckeyes.
In the end, he became exactly what he vowed never to be.
What did he have to fall back on? The answer, sadly, was nothing.
Upvote
0
ABJ
Clarett takes plea deal
Ex-OSU football star gets 7 ? years prison, apologizes to the court
By Rusty Miller
Associated Press
COLUMBUS - Minutes after Maurice Clarett took a plea deal that will put him in prison for at least 3 ? years, one of his attorneys summed up what was so compelling about the former Ohio State football star's story.
``He was up here,'' Michael Hoague said, raising his arm up to eye level. ``He got down here,'' he said, lowering his arm to his waist. ``And he's going to be back up here again.''
Clarett has almost nowhere to go but up after being sentenced Monday in Franklin County Common Pleas Court for holding up two people outside a bar early on New Year's Day and carrying a concealed weapon.
The latter charge came after police found four loaded guns in the SUV Clarett was driving during a highway chase in August. They were able to stop his vehicle by spiking the tires. Police then used pepper spray to subdue and handcuff Clarett, who was wearing a bulletproof vest.
``I'd like to apologize for my behavior, and I accept the time that was given to me,'' Clarett said when asked if he wished to address the court.
After his guilty pleas to the robbery and the concealed weapons charges were accepted, he was sentenced to 7 ? years, with release from prison possible after 3 ? years. Clarett, 22, also agreed to serve five years of probation after the prison sentence.
``It's in a range that will allow him to get his life back together after his release,'' Prosecutor Ron O'Brien said.
A bearded Clarett, wearing handcuffs and jail-issue clothing, remained expressionless throughout the hearing.
After the judge accepted the deal, Clarett looked over at his mother in the first row of the gallery. She was sobbing and holding his 8-week-old daughter while sitting next to his girlfriend.
As a freshman tailback, Clarett led Ohio State to the 2002 national championship. He scored the winning touchdown in the second overtime in the title game against Miami.
That was the last time he played for the Buckeyes, and his life has spiraled out of control ever since.
He was suspended for lying to NCAA investigators before the 2003 season and dropped out of school. He lost a U.S. Supreme Court case challenging the NFL's requirement that players wait three years after high school before turning pro. The Denver Broncos made Clarett a surprise third-round pick in the NFL's 2005 draft, only to cut him during the preseason.
``It's really a shame that someone puts themselves in that position,'' Broncos coach Mike Shanahan said Monday. ``I'm just hoping when he does get out that he's learned his lesson and comes back with a mind-set that he's going to be productive (in society).''
Authorities said Clarett flashed a gun and robbed two people of a cell phone early Jan. 1. He turned himself in around the time that many of his former Buckeyes teammates were putting the finishing touches on a Fiesta Bowl victory over Notre Dame.
Clarett had been drinking heavily on New Year's Eve, Hoague said. But the attorney did not explain why Clarett had a gun in his waistband.
``Obviously, that was a bad decision,'' Hoague said.
Clarett's attorneys said the guns police found in the SUV belonged to Clarett and came from his mother's house. They said he had the guns because he was trying to give them to acquaintances to hold for him, but the attorneys did not elaborate.
Had Clarett been convicted on all charges, he would have faced three to 34 years in prison. Assistant Prosecutor Tim Mitchell said he expects Clarett will serve just over four years, with his last six months spent outside prison at a community-based corrections facility.
A victims' assistant from the prosecutor's office read a statement from the robbery victims, who said the ordeal has been hard on all aspects of their lives.
``Mr. Clarett, we hope you will use this opportunity to help someone along the way,'' the statement said.
His attorneys said they hoped Clarett's hopes of playing pro football are not dead.
``There are institutions in Ohio that actually have opportunities to work out and train for football and other athletics,'' Hoague said. ``We're hoping he can do that, and stay in shape and be focused on that.''
Clarett takes plea deal
Ex-OSU football star gets 7 ? years prison, apologizes to the court
By Rusty Miller
Associated Press
COLUMBUS - Minutes after Maurice Clarett took a plea deal that will put him in prison for at least 3 ? years, one of his attorneys summed up what was so compelling about the former Ohio State football star's story.
``He was up here,'' Michael Hoague said, raising his arm up to eye level. ``He got down here,'' he said, lowering his arm to his waist. ``And he's going to be back up here again.''
Clarett has almost nowhere to go but up after being sentenced Monday in Franklin County Common Pleas Court for holding up two people outside a bar early on New Year's Day and carrying a concealed weapon.
The latter charge came after police found four loaded guns in the SUV Clarett was driving during a highway chase in August. They were able to stop his vehicle by spiking the tires. Police then used pepper spray to subdue and handcuff Clarett, who was wearing a bulletproof vest.
``I'd like to apologize for my behavior, and I accept the time that was given to me,'' Clarett said when asked if he wished to address the court.
After his guilty pleas to the robbery and the concealed weapons charges were accepted, he was sentenced to 7 ? years, with release from prison possible after 3 ? years. Clarett, 22, also agreed to serve five years of probation after the prison sentence.
``It's in a range that will allow him to get his life back together after his release,'' Prosecutor Ron O'Brien said.
A bearded Clarett, wearing handcuffs and jail-issue clothing, remained expressionless throughout the hearing.
After the judge accepted the deal, Clarett looked over at his mother in the first row of the gallery. She was sobbing and holding his 8-week-old daughter while sitting next to his girlfriend.
As a freshman tailback, Clarett led Ohio State to the 2002 national championship. He scored the winning touchdown in the second overtime in the title game against Miami.
That was the last time he played for the Buckeyes, and his life has spiraled out of control ever since.
He was suspended for lying to NCAA investigators before the 2003 season and dropped out of school. He lost a U.S. Supreme Court case challenging the NFL's requirement that players wait three years after high school before turning pro. The Denver Broncos made Clarett a surprise third-round pick in the NFL's 2005 draft, only to cut him during the preseason.
``It's really a shame that someone puts themselves in that position,'' Broncos coach Mike Shanahan said Monday. ``I'm just hoping when he does get out that he's learned his lesson and comes back with a mind-set that he's going to be productive (in society).''
Authorities said Clarett flashed a gun and robbed two people of a cell phone early Jan. 1. He turned himself in around the time that many of his former Buckeyes teammates were putting the finishing touches on a Fiesta Bowl victory over Notre Dame.
Clarett had been drinking heavily on New Year's Eve, Hoague said. But the attorney did not explain why Clarett had a gun in his waistband.
``Obviously, that was a bad decision,'' Hoague said.
Clarett's attorneys said the guns police found in the SUV belonged to Clarett and came from his mother's house. They said he had the guns because he was trying to give them to acquaintances to hold for him, but the attorneys did not elaborate.
Had Clarett been convicted on all charges, he would have faced three to 34 years in prison. Assistant Prosecutor Tim Mitchell said he expects Clarett will serve just over four years, with his last six months spent outside prison at a community-based corrections facility.
A victims' assistant from the prosecutor's office read a statement from the robbery victims, who said the ordeal has been hard on all aspects of their lives.
``Mr. Clarett, we hope you will use this opportunity to help someone along the way,'' the statement said.
His attorneys said they hoped Clarett's hopes of playing pro football are not dead.
``There are institutions in Ohio that actually have opportunities to work out and train for football and other athletics,'' Hoague said. ``We're hoping he can do that, and stay in shape and be focused on that.''
Upvote
0
CPD
Clarett pleads guilty in two criminal cases
9/18/2006, 5:22 p.m. ETBy RUSTY MILLER
The Associated Press
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) ? Former Ohio State football star Maurice Clarett pleaded guilty Monday to having a hidden gun in his sport utility vehicle and holding up two people outside a bar, sending him to prison for at least 3 1/2 years.
He could have received a sentence of three to 34 years if convicted of all the charges against him in two criminal cases.
"I'd like to apologize for my behavior, and I accept the time that was given to me," Clarett said, remaining expressionless throughout the hearing.The deal was announced in Franklin County Common Pleas Court hours before his trial on the Jan. 1 robbery was to begin.
Months after the robbery, Clarett was found with four loaded guns in his SUV after a highway chase with police. Officers spiked the SUV's tires, then used pepper spray in a struggle to arrest Clarett, who was wearing a bulletproof vest.
Judge David Fais sentenced Clarett to 7 1/2 years with release from prison possible after 3 1/2 years for aggravated robbery and carrying a concealed weapon. Clarett, 22, also will serve five years probation.
"It's in a range that will allow him to get his life back together after his release," Prosecutor Ron O'Brien said.
When asked by the judge if he understood that he was pleading guilty and withdrawing his earlier not guilty plea, Clarett said, "Yes, sir."
After the deal was announced, Clarett, sporting a beard and handcuffed, looked over at his mother. She was sobbing and holding his 8-week-old daughter while sitting next to his girlfriend.
As a freshman tailback, Clarett led Ohio State to the national championship in 2002. But his life has spiraled out of control since he was heralded as one of the top players in college football.
His attorneys said Monday that he had been drinking heavily before he flashed a gun and robbed two people of a cell phone early New Year's Day.
In the struggle with police in August, charges that were dropped include two counts of failure to comply with an order from a police officer and improper handling of a firearm.
Assistant Prosecutor Tim Mitchell said he expects Clarett will serve just over 4 years, with his last six months spent outside prison at a community-based corrections facility.The plea deal is consistent with how prosecutors handle similar cases, and Clarett did not get special treatment, Mitchell said.
The deal was finalized Monday morning after prosecutors were able to meet with the robbery victims. One victim said all he wanted was an apology, but prosecutors were adamant about prison time, Mitchell said.
Defense attorneys said after the hearing that they hope Clarett can be placed in a state prison with workout facilities so he can stay in shape for a possible return to football.
"It's been a sobering experience for Maurice, to say the least. He's come to terms with certain things," attorney Nick Mango said.
Defense attorneys did not explain why Clarett had a gun in his waistband.
"Obviously, that was a bad decision," attorney Michael Hoague said.
The loaded guns found by police in Clarett's SUV in August were his, and he was trying to give them to acquaintances to hold for him, the attorneys said. They have said previously he has received death threats.
A victims' assistant from the prosecutor's office read a statement in court from the robbery victims, who said the ordeal has been hard on all aspects of their lives.
"Mr. Clarett, we hope you will use this opportunity to help someone along the way," the statement said.
The case generated intense media coverage to the point where Clarett's attorneys asked the court to pay for a public opinion poll to determine if an impartial jury could be seated for the robbery trial.
Fais denied the request. The judge also ordered Clarett to undergo a mental health evaluation. The findings showed that Clarett was competent to stand trial, his attorneys said.
Clarett scored the winning touchdown in the second overtime in Ohio State's championship game, but that was the last time he played for the Buckeyes as a freshman.
After dropping out of Ohio State, he lost a U.S. Supreme Court case challenging the NFL's requirement that players wait three years after high school before turning pro. The Denver Broncos made Clarett a surprise third-round pick in the NFL's 2005 draft, only to cut him during the preseason.
"It's really a shame that someone puts themselves in that position," coach Mike Shanahan said Monday. "I'm just hoping when he does get out that he's learned his lesson and comes back with a mindset that he's going to be productive (in society)."
Clarett pleads guilty in two criminal cases
9/18/2006, 5:22 p.m. ETBy RUSTY MILLER
The Associated Press
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) ? Former Ohio State football star Maurice Clarett pleaded guilty Monday to having a hidden gun in his sport utility vehicle and holding up two people outside a bar, sending him to prison for at least 3 1/2 years.
He could have received a sentence of three to 34 years if convicted of all the charges against him in two criminal cases.
"I'd like to apologize for my behavior, and I accept the time that was given to me," Clarett said, remaining expressionless throughout the hearing.The deal was announced in Franklin County Common Pleas Court hours before his trial on the Jan. 1 robbery was to begin.
Months after the robbery, Clarett was found with four loaded guns in his SUV after a highway chase with police. Officers spiked the SUV's tires, then used pepper spray in a struggle to arrest Clarett, who was wearing a bulletproof vest.
Judge David Fais sentenced Clarett to 7 1/2 years with release from prison possible after 3 1/2 years for aggravated robbery and carrying a concealed weapon. Clarett, 22, also will serve five years probation.
"It's in a range that will allow him to get his life back together after his release," Prosecutor Ron O'Brien said.
When asked by the judge if he understood that he was pleading guilty and withdrawing his earlier not guilty plea, Clarett said, "Yes, sir."
After the deal was announced, Clarett, sporting a beard and handcuffed, looked over at his mother. She was sobbing and holding his 8-week-old daughter while sitting next to his girlfriend.
As a freshman tailback, Clarett led Ohio State to the national championship in 2002. But his life has spiraled out of control since he was heralded as one of the top players in college football.
His attorneys said Monday that he had been drinking heavily before he flashed a gun and robbed two people of a cell phone early New Year's Day.
In the struggle with police in August, charges that were dropped include two counts of failure to comply with an order from a police officer and improper handling of a firearm.
Assistant Prosecutor Tim Mitchell said he expects Clarett will serve just over 4 years, with his last six months spent outside prison at a community-based corrections facility.The plea deal is consistent with how prosecutors handle similar cases, and Clarett did not get special treatment, Mitchell said.
The deal was finalized Monday morning after prosecutors were able to meet with the robbery victims. One victim said all he wanted was an apology, but prosecutors were adamant about prison time, Mitchell said.
Defense attorneys said after the hearing that they hope Clarett can be placed in a state prison with workout facilities so he can stay in shape for a possible return to football.
"It's been a sobering experience for Maurice, to say the least. He's come to terms with certain things," attorney Nick Mango said.
Defense attorneys did not explain why Clarett had a gun in his waistband.
"Obviously, that was a bad decision," attorney Michael Hoague said.
The loaded guns found by police in Clarett's SUV in August were his, and he was trying to give them to acquaintances to hold for him, the attorneys said. They have said previously he has received death threats.
A victims' assistant from the prosecutor's office read a statement in court from the robbery victims, who said the ordeal has been hard on all aspects of their lives.
"Mr. Clarett, we hope you will use this opportunity to help someone along the way," the statement said.
The case generated intense media coverage to the point where Clarett's attorneys asked the court to pay for a public opinion poll to determine if an impartial jury could be seated for the robbery trial.
Fais denied the request. The judge also ordered Clarett to undergo a mental health evaluation. The findings showed that Clarett was competent to stand trial, his attorneys said.
Clarett scored the winning touchdown in the second overtime in Ohio State's championship game, but that was the last time he played for the Buckeyes as a freshman.
After dropping out of Ohio State, he lost a U.S. Supreme Court case challenging the NFL's requirement that players wait three years after high school before turning pro. The Denver Broncos made Clarett a surprise third-round pick in the NFL's 2005 draft, only to cut him during the preseason.
"It's really a shame that someone puts themselves in that position," coach Mike Shanahan said Monday. "I'm just hoping when he does get out that he's learned his lesson and comes back with a mindset that he's going to be productive (in society)."
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Canton
[FONT=Verdana,Times New Roman,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Clarett, once a king, headed to prison as common criminal[/FONT]
Tuesday, September 19, 2006 [FONT=Verdana,Times New Roman,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]By RUSTY MILLER AP Sports Writer[/FONT]
Former Ohio State football star Maurice Clarett will spend at least the next 31⁄2 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to holding up two people outside a bar Jan. 1 and having a hidden gun in his vehicle.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) ? His mother crying in the courtroom behind him, Maurice Clarett stood before a judge as a common criminal in the town where not so long ago he was a king.
Gone was the glory of having led Ohio State to a national championship as a freshman tailback, along with the can?t-miss prospect of an NFL career.
In their place stood a prison term of at least 3 1/2 years, the product of a plea deal Clarett took Monday as he was about to be tried on allegations that he robbed two people at gunpoint.
?He was up here,? Clarett?s attorney, Michael Hoague, said minutes later, raising his arm up to eye level. ?He got down here,? he said, lowering his arm to his waist. ?And he?s going to be back up here again.?
Clarett was sentenced to 7 1/2 years with release from prison possible after 3 1/2 years. He also agreed to serve five years of probation for the robbery outside a bar early on New Year?s Day and carrying a concealed weapon.
?It?s in a range that will allow him to get his life back together after his release,? Prosecutor Ron O?Brien said.
For Clarett, still just 22, the plea bargain preserved the chance he could one day resurrect a career he had tried to keep going until the night last month that he led police on a highway chase in a sport utility vehicle with four loaded guns. Officers had to spike the tires to stop him and use pepper spray and handcuffs to subdue him when his bulletproof vest stymied their stun guns.
?There are institutions in Ohio that actually have opportunities to work out and train for football and other athletics,? Hoague said. ?We?re hoping he can do that, and stay in shape and be focused on that.?
A bearded Clarett, wearing handcuffs and jail-issued clothing, remained expressionless throughout the hearing.
?I?d like to apologize for my behavior, and I accept the time that was given to me,? Clarett said in Franklin County Common Pleas Court.
After the judge accepted the deal, Clarett looked over at his mother in the first row of the gallery. She sobbed and held his 8-week-old daughter while sitting next to his girlfriend.
As a true freshman, Clarett led Ohio State to the 2002 national championship, scoring the winning touchdown in the second overtime in the title game against Miami.
That was the last time he played for the Buckeyes, and his life has spiraled out of control ever since.
He was suspended for lying to NCAA investigators before the 2003 season and dropped out of school. He lost a U.S. Supreme Court case challenging the NFL?s requirement that players wait three years after high school before turning pro. The Denver Broncos made Clarett a surprise third-round pick in the NFL?s 2005 draft, only to cut him during the preseason.
?It?s really a shame that someone puts themselves in that position,? Broncos coach Mike Shanahan said Monday. ?I?m just hoping when he does get out that he?s learned his lesson and comes back with a mind-set that he?s going to be productive (in society).?
Authorities said Clarett flashed a gun and robbed two people of a cell phone early Jan. 1. He turned himself in around the time that many of his former Buckeyes teammates were putting the finishing touches on a Fiesta Bowl victory over Notre Dame.
Clarett had been drinking heavily on New Year?s Eve, Hoague said. But the attorney did not explain why Clarett had a gun in his waistband.
?Obviously, that was a bad decision,? Hoague said.
Clarett?s attorneys said the guns police found in the SUV belonged to Clarett and came from his mother?s house. They said he had the guns because he was trying to give them to acquaintances to hold for him, but the attorneys did not elaborate.
Had Clarett been convicted on all charges, he would have faced three to 34 years in prison. Assistant Prosecutor Tim Mitchell said he expects Clarett will serve just over 4 years, with his last six months spent outside prison at a community-based corrections facility.
A victims? assistant from the prosecutor?s office read a statement from the robbery victims, who said the ordeal has been hard on all aspects of their lives.
?Mr. Clarett, we hope you will use this opportunity to help someone along the way,? it read.
[FONT=Verdana,Times New Roman,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Clarett, once a king, headed to prison as common criminal[/FONT]
Tuesday, September 19, 2006 [FONT=Verdana,Times New Roman,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]By RUSTY MILLER AP Sports Writer[/FONT]
Former Ohio State football star Maurice Clarett will spend at least the next 31⁄2 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to holding up two people outside a bar Jan. 1 and having a hidden gun in his vehicle.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) ? His mother crying in the courtroom behind him, Maurice Clarett stood before a judge as a common criminal in the town where not so long ago he was a king.
Gone was the glory of having led Ohio State to a national championship as a freshman tailback, along with the can?t-miss prospect of an NFL career.
In their place stood a prison term of at least 3 1/2 years, the product of a plea deal Clarett took Monday as he was about to be tried on allegations that he robbed two people at gunpoint.
?He was up here,? Clarett?s attorney, Michael Hoague, said minutes later, raising his arm up to eye level. ?He got down here,? he said, lowering his arm to his waist. ?And he?s going to be back up here again.?
Clarett was sentenced to 7 1/2 years with release from prison possible after 3 1/2 years. He also agreed to serve five years of probation for the robbery outside a bar early on New Year?s Day and carrying a concealed weapon.
?It?s in a range that will allow him to get his life back together after his release,? Prosecutor Ron O?Brien said.
For Clarett, still just 22, the plea bargain preserved the chance he could one day resurrect a career he had tried to keep going until the night last month that he led police on a highway chase in a sport utility vehicle with four loaded guns. Officers had to spike the tires to stop him and use pepper spray and handcuffs to subdue him when his bulletproof vest stymied their stun guns.
?There are institutions in Ohio that actually have opportunities to work out and train for football and other athletics,? Hoague said. ?We?re hoping he can do that, and stay in shape and be focused on that.?
A bearded Clarett, wearing handcuffs and jail-issued clothing, remained expressionless throughout the hearing.
?I?d like to apologize for my behavior, and I accept the time that was given to me,? Clarett said in Franklin County Common Pleas Court.
After the judge accepted the deal, Clarett looked over at his mother in the first row of the gallery. She sobbed and held his 8-week-old daughter while sitting next to his girlfriend.
As a true freshman, Clarett led Ohio State to the 2002 national championship, scoring the winning touchdown in the second overtime in the title game against Miami.
That was the last time he played for the Buckeyes, and his life has spiraled out of control ever since.
He was suspended for lying to NCAA investigators before the 2003 season and dropped out of school. He lost a U.S. Supreme Court case challenging the NFL?s requirement that players wait three years after high school before turning pro. The Denver Broncos made Clarett a surprise third-round pick in the NFL?s 2005 draft, only to cut him during the preseason.
?It?s really a shame that someone puts themselves in that position,? Broncos coach Mike Shanahan said Monday. ?I?m just hoping when he does get out that he?s learned his lesson and comes back with a mind-set that he?s going to be productive (in society).?
Authorities said Clarett flashed a gun and robbed two people of a cell phone early Jan. 1. He turned himself in around the time that many of his former Buckeyes teammates were putting the finishing touches on a Fiesta Bowl victory over Notre Dame.
Clarett had been drinking heavily on New Year?s Eve, Hoague said. But the attorney did not explain why Clarett had a gun in his waistband.
?Obviously, that was a bad decision,? Hoague said.
Clarett?s attorneys said the guns police found in the SUV belonged to Clarett and came from his mother?s house. They said he had the guns because he was trying to give them to acquaintances to hold for him, but the attorneys did not elaborate.
Had Clarett been convicted on all charges, he would have faced three to 34 years in prison. Assistant Prosecutor Tim Mitchell said he expects Clarett will serve just over 4 years, with his last six months spent outside prison at a community-based corrections facility.
A victims? assistant from the prosecutor?s office read a statement from the robbery victims, who said the ordeal has been hard on all aspects of their lives.
?Mr. Clarett, we hope you will use this opportunity to help someone along the way,? it read.
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Clarett's impatience was his downfall
Matthew Zemek / CollegeFootballNews.com
Posted: 11 hours ago
The running back for the 2002 national champions didn't lack street smarts. Number 13 had a largely accurate sense of the larger economic landscape when it came to big-time American sports and entertainment.
Like other impressionable and driven young people who know they possess an appreciable amount of talent, Maurice Clarett knew that if other athletes and entertainers could make bank for doing mediocre work (a reality that clearly pervades the sports and show business industries these days), he could cash in as well. For this reason, Clarett went to the U.S. Supreme Court to challenge the NFL's demand that players wait three years after high school until turning pro. Throughout the latter stages of the 2002 college football season, and throughout the soap opera of 2003, it was impossible not to notice ? even through the ugliness and greed that characterized so much of his behavior ? that the gears inside Clarett's mind were turning, and not without some degree of acute intelligence.
Clarett, however unwittingly, revealed the world of big-time college sports for what it was and is. Or if you think he didn't reveal anything new about the seamy underside of college football, he certainly helped bring the subject into the open, making the culture of college athletics something that could be talked about with a little more honesty and a little less phony superficiality. Clarett ? for all of his grievous sins and outrageous displays of behavior ? had an understanding of American life that was all too accurate.
The shortcoming that ultimately brought down Maurice Clarett was not his intelligence or his street smarts. It was, in the end, an emotional and spiritual problem that got him: a profound lack of patience.
The NFL is an impatient league, true enough, but the irony there is that one has to be incredibly patient with (and within) oneself in order to survive the ruthless world of professional football. Ryan Leaf ? another poster child for the perils of impatience ? proved as much in his own crash-and-burn career. Clarett ? for all that he did in fact see about the money awaiting him ? was so intent on rushing headlong for the cash that he forgot to be patient enough to wait for the payday that would have come his way. Instead of making bold statements and court challenges, Clarett should have done what any NFL team ? armed with psychological tests and character profiles in addition to stopwatches and other tools that measure purely physical characteristics ? would have expected him to do: show the humility and work ethic of a team player.
Had Clarett done his work at Ohio State and gone about his business with a truly professional attitude, the horror show of his recent life would not have unfolded. As it was, though, Clarett ? so intent on grabbing material spoils and being a trailblazer of sorts ? forgot to put in the time and effort that authentic trailblazers invest in any activity.
In the end, it wasn't Maurice Clarett's brain that got the better of him; it was something deep inside him, an itch or impulse that he couldn't let go of, an unsettling force that prevented him from being at peace with himself ... and from having the patience we all must have in order to maintain a stable and healthy existence.
Clarett's impatience was his downfall
Matthew Zemek / CollegeFootballNews.com
Posted: 11 hours ago
The running back for the 2002 national champions didn't lack street smarts. Number 13 had a largely accurate sense of the larger economic landscape when it came to big-time American sports and entertainment.
Like other impressionable and driven young people who know they possess an appreciable amount of talent, Maurice Clarett knew that if other athletes and entertainers could make bank for doing mediocre work (a reality that clearly pervades the sports and show business industries these days), he could cash in as well. For this reason, Clarett went to the U.S. Supreme Court to challenge the NFL's demand that players wait three years after high school until turning pro. Throughout the latter stages of the 2002 college football season, and throughout the soap opera of 2003, it was impossible not to notice ? even through the ugliness and greed that characterized so much of his behavior ? that the gears inside Clarett's mind were turning, and not without some degree of acute intelligence.
Clarett, however unwittingly, revealed the world of big-time college sports for what it was and is. Or if you think he didn't reveal anything new about the seamy underside of college football, he certainly helped bring the subject into the open, making the culture of college athletics something that could be talked about with a little more honesty and a little less phony superficiality. Clarett ? for all of his grievous sins and outrageous displays of behavior ? had an understanding of American life that was all too accurate.
The shortcoming that ultimately brought down Maurice Clarett was not his intelligence or his street smarts. It was, in the end, an emotional and spiritual problem that got him: a profound lack of patience.
The NFL is an impatient league, true enough, but the irony there is that one has to be incredibly patient with (and within) oneself in order to survive the ruthless world of professional football. Ryan Leaf ? another poster child for the perils of impatience ? proved as much in his own crash-and-burn career. Clarett ? for all that he did in fact see about the money awaiting him ? was so intent on rushing headlong for the cash that he forgot to be patient enough to wait for the payday that would have come his way. Instead of making bold statements and court challenges, Clarett should have done what any NFL team ? armed with psychological tests and character profiles in addition to stopwatches and other tools that measure purely physical characteristics ? would have expected him to do: show the humility and work ethic of a team player.
Had Clarett done his work at Ohio State and gone about his business with a truly professional attitude, the horror show of his recent life would not have unfolded. As it was, though, Clarett ? so intent on grabbing material spoils and being a trailblazer of sorts ? forgot to put in the time and effort that authentic trailblazers invest in any activity.
In the end, it wasn't Maurice Clarett's brain that got the better of him; it was something deep inside him, an itch or impulse that he couldn't let go of, an unsettling force that prevented him from being at peace with himself ... and from having the patience we all must have in order to maintain a stable and healthy existence.
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WGH school leaders saddened by spiral
By DANA SULONEN Tribune Chronicle
Several Warren officials described Maurice Clarett?s downward spiral from football superstar to prison inmate as disappointing and sad.
Clarett graduated from Warren G. Harding High School where he was named Ohio?s Mr. Football and also earned the USA Player of the Year honors. For a town that produced football greats like Paul Warfield, the Browner brothers and Korey Stringer, Warren looked to have slashed another notch in its football belt, especially after Clarett led The Ohio State Buckeyes to a National Championship in 2002.
But that is when the luck for the player who wore No. 13 changed.
??He had the world by the tail, if he would have just stayed at Ohio State for three more years, he would have owned Columbus,?? said Nick Frankos Sr., former Warren Board of Education member and long Harding football booster.
And now that Clarett pleaded guilty Monday to aggravated robbery and carrying a concealed weapon, which will land him in prison, the notch on the Warren belt may be one some will want to forget.
??It?s just such a big disappointment,?? said school board member Linda Metzendorf. ??The talent and the potential he had ... he could have graduated, played in the big leagues. It?s sad the way people take the wrong avenues in life. For him, it?s very sad because of the skill and talent.??
Warren G. Harding coach Thom McDaniels and Athletic Director Paul Trina did not return phone messages seeking comment.
As for life after his prison sentence, attorneys for Clarett hoped he could be placed in a correctional facility with workout and training facilities available, so he would be able to stay in shape for a possible return to football.
Mahoning Valley Hitmen general manager Jim Terry said that when Clarett gets out, there is a place for him with the Hitmen?s indoor Arena Football team.
??Everybody puts themselves where they want to be,?? Terry said. ??He?s the only one who put himself where he?s at. And he?ll have some time to think about what he has done and hopefully, things are different in his life. I won?t turn my back on him. He?s never hurt us and our organization. When he gets out, he has a spot with the Hitmen.??
Though it might be for different reasons, Frankos said that he isn?t turning his back on Clarett, either.
??I knew Maurice when he was here. I?m very disappointed in these actions, and it was such a stupid thing he did,?? Frankos said. ??But he?s one of ours, and I?m not turning my back on him. He was a joy to watch here. But I?m very disappointed.??
WGH school leaders saddened by spiral
By DANA SULONEN Tribune Chronicle
Several Warren officials described Maurice Clarett?s downward spiral from football superstar to prison inmate as disappointing and sad.
Clarett graduated from Warren G. Harding High School where he was named Ohio?s Mr. Football and also earned the USA Player of the Year honors. For a town that produced football greats like Paul Warfield, the Browner brothers and Korey Stringer, Warren looked to have slashed another notch in its football belt, especially after Clarett led The Ohio State Buckeyes to a National Championship in 2002.
But that is when the luck for the player who wore No. 13 changed.
??He had the world by the tail, if he would have just stayed at Ohio State for three more years, he would have owned Columbus,?? said Nick Frankos Sr., former Warren Board of Education member and long Harding football booster.
And now that Clarett pleaded guilty Monday to aggravated robbery and carrying a concealed weapon, which will land him in prison, the notch on the Warren belt may be one some will want to forget.
??It?s just such a big disappointment,?? said school board member Linda Metzendorf. ??The talent and the potential he had ... he could have graduated, played in the big leagues. It?s sad the way people take the wrong avenues in life. For him, it?s very sad because of the skill and talent.??
Warren G. Harding coach Thom McDaniels and Athletic Director Paul Trina did not return phone messages seeking comment.
As for life after his prison sentence, attorneys for Clarett hoped he could be placed in a correctional facility with workout and training facilities available, so he would be able to stay in shape for a possible return to football.
Mahoning Valley Hitmen general manager Jim Terry said that when Clarett gets out, there is a place for him with the Hitmen?s indoor Arena Football team.
??Everybody puts themselves where they want to be,?? Terry said. ??He?s the only one who put himself where he?s at. And he?ll have some time to think about what he has done and hopefully, things are different in his life. I won?t turn my back on him. He?s never hurt us and our organization. When he gets out, he has a spot with the Hitmen.??
Though it might be for different reasons, Frankos said that he isn?t turning his back on Clarett, either.
??I knew Maurice when he was here. I?m very disappointed in these actions, and it was such a stupid thing he did,?? Frankos said. ??But he?s one of ours, and I?m not turning my back on him. He was a joy to watch here. But I?m very disappointed.??
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