Louisville Basketball Deals With More Drama
October 19, 2009 | by Carron J. Phillips | Filed under athletes, basketball, legal
Just when the dramatics surrounding Rick Pitino’s extortion case and admitted infidelity seemed to be an after thought, some more bad press has been exposed about the Louisville Men’s Basketball Program.
Team captain Jerry Smith and sophomore Terrence Jennings will both face charges as the two students were involved in an altercation with some off-duty police officers at a party over the past weekend. A fight broke out at the party and Jennings was entangled in the middle of it. When the officers tried to step in, he resisted them and had to be eventually tasered. Smith then stepped in and tried to aid his teammate but also resisted the officer’s arrest as he saw his teammate in handcuffs. Coach Pitino is not exactly thrilled about the ordeal but has said that both players will not miss any game action due to their situation; “Any time you defy a police officer, it’s serious. They will be punished and are being punished right now. But no, they will not miss game time. I think Jerry saw a teammate on the ground and didn’t want to abandon him. I think he saw a teammate taking some pretty good blows and tried to help”.
The official charge that Jennings and Smith face is a single count of resisting law enforcement. The charge is not a felony, but only a misdemeanor where at the maximum could lead up to a year in jail or a fine of $5,000.
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