COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Former Ohio State running back Maurice Clarett pleaded not guilty to charges that he flashed a gun at two people behind a bar on New Year's Day and took a cell phone.
Prosecutors allowed Clarett to enter his plea on robbery charges Tuesday with the clerk's office, avoiding his arraignment in court scheduled for Friday, Duane Williams, deputy clerk for Franklin County Common Pleas Court, said Wednesday.
Clarett got into a sport utility vehicle with two men after he was identified by the bar owner, who happened to come out into the alley, police said. No one was injured.
Clarett, who led Ohio State to the 2002 national championship, was sought by police for almost two days before he surrendered about the time the Buckeyes were completing a victory over Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 2.
The 22-year-old player was ordered to stay away from the two people he allegedly confronted outside the bar when he entered the plea with his attorney in the clerk's office. Williams said the order is a routine requirement in robbery cases.
He also had to surrender his passport and was released on his own recognizance. He previously had been freed on a $50,000 bond, which had expired.
Last month, Clarett was indicted on two counts of aggravated robbery, four lesser robbery charges and a charge of carrying a concealed weapon.
Clarett rushed for 1,237 yards and scored 16 touchdowns as an Ohio State freshman in 2002.
Phone messages were left Wednesday with prosecutor Ron O'Brien and Clarett's lawyer, William Settina.
