Auston Barnes

[tornado]

Trial delayed 'til March 18 (2:00pm)

just as predicted... the season will be over by the time anything is resolved, thus he will miss no further games & serve no further suspension

[tornado]

March 18, 2 pm
wonder if this will be resolved or go to trial - we should hear shortly

[tornado]

Bench trial today - Auston Barnes found guilty of domestic battery,
and sentenced to 15 months probation & $400 fine

[tornado]

outcome kinda puzzles me -
obviously on the advice of his attorney - he plead not guilty, then waived right to a jury trial and was heard by the judge at a bench trial...
He chose not to accept or negotiate a plea deal and apparently believed he would be found not guilty..
(remember there were those who claimed back last fall that when the truth was heard he'd be exonerated)

...but he was wrong - the judge ruled guilty on Domestic Battery...

Sentence:
Probation, Term: 15 Months
Start Date: 03/18/2015
End Date: 06/17/2016
Must undergo domestic violence counseling within 12 months
Then fines & fee...
Totals $ $1,708.00

what if the charges are dropped?

unfortunately that didn't happen - but in all the other arrest issues I can recall (TB, Ruffin, Egolf, Eddren, ..)
I believe EVERY one of them was settled without a conviction - all were given a period of supervision then charges were dismissed or not pursued..
Can anyone recall any other Bradley player even way back to Deon Thurman who was found guilty in court and their conviction stands?
Even Will Egolf's felony arrest was a "withheld judgement" and a period of 24 mo. probation with dismissal of charges on 1/11/15, so there IS no conviction on the record at this time.
Ruffin's charges are officially recorded as "Dismissed", TB's & McCains no longer appear in the record.

[tornado]

There is a report Auston Barnes' legal team went back to the court with a motion to request possibly a shortening of the probationary period or to allow AB to be able to leave to play possibly overseas...
Unfortunately the motion was denied.

[Chico]

There is a report Auston Barnes' legal team went back to the court with a motion to request possibly a shortening of the probationary period or to allow AB to be able to leave to play possibly overseas...
Unfortunately the motion was denied.

What's unfortunate? Some things you bring on yourself.

[tornado]

I think he knows that but clearly Auston is not a lifetime bad guy, a repeat offender/chronic troublemaker-type.
This is a pretty hefty sentence given he's a first-time-offender -
personally, I have only limited legal experience - so this is just a marginally informed opinion....
but I have said it before - gotta to wonder if his legal team helped him much....
they failed to negotiate, went in with NG plea after jacking around and asking for the judge they had to recuse himself then asking a bunch of other delays, then in the end he seems to have pretty much gotten the worst outcome which is exactly what he'd have got if he'd have represented himself, then never pursued or made an appeal, then lost this subsequent motion as well.

If you recall - Daniel Ruffin was charged with IDENTICAL charges but negotiated a plea to simple assault, got 6 months of supervision then the charges were DISMISSED upon completion of the supervision.
Again, I am no lawyer but it appears Daniel Ruffin got a way better outcome than AB in cases that were remarkably similar in so many respects and charges were identical.

[LongTimeFan]

If I'm not mistaken the severity of the injuries were quite different. There was also a witness in the Ruffin case.

[tornado]

the severity of injuries has never been made public nor even mentioned in the Barnes case....but we all recall how multiple PJ Star columns reported on and even exaggerated the reports on the injuries in the Ruffin case. In the Barnes case the PJS has essentially been silent.

[tornado]

... judge ruled guilty on Domestic Battery...

Sentence:
Probation, Term: 15 Months
Start Date: 03/18/2015
End Date: 06/17/2016
Must undergo domestic violence counseling within 12 months
Then fines & fee...
Totals $ $1,708.00....

court ruling now terminates Auston Barnes' probation so this case is closed and I hope Auston continues with a great pro future...