The Athens-Clarke County Solicitor General’s Office has issued a media release in regard to plea deal accepted by former Georgia football player Jalen Carter. Carter entered a no contest plea to two traffic charges, racing and Reckless Driving. The charges are related to a crash that killed Bulldogs offensive lineman Devin Willock and recruiting staff member Chandler LeCroy. Carter has been sentenced to 12 months' probation and a $1,000 fine. He must complete 50 hours of community service and a state-approved defensive driving course.
Full Statement from Solicitor General Will Fleenor:
This morning, Jalen Carter appeared in the Municipal Court of Athens-Clarke County and entered a no contest plea to two traffic charges- Racing and Reckless Driving. The charges stem from an incident that occurred on January 15th of this year. The court accepted his plea and sentenced him to 12 months, to be served on probation. He is required to pay a fine of $1000, perform 50 hours of community service, and complete a state-approved defensive driving course. Additionally, his privilege to drive in the state of Georgia has been suspended for 120 days.
A number of questions have been asked regarding the severity of the charges that were brought and whether more serious offenses occurred. The Solicitor's Office has jurisdiction over misdemeanors only and thus was tasked with prosecuting this case because these charges are misdemeanors. Law enforcement officers did evaluate whether more serious charges would have been appropriate. However, after consultation with the District Attorney's Office, the Solicitor's Office, and the Prosecuting Attorneys' Council, based on the evidence and applicable laws in this case, it was determined that the appropriate charges were the two traffic offenses that were resolved in court this morning.
