The Florida linebacker pleads no contest to a disorderly conduct charge and pays a fine.
By ANTONYA ENGLISH
Published August 19, 2004
GAINESVILLE - It took fewer than 15 minutes and a little more than $400 for Florida linebacker Channing Crowder to settle his latest legal trouble.
In an Alachua County courtroom Wednesday, Crowder pled no contest to disorderly conduct, a second-degree misdemeanor.
The 20-year-old sophomore was ordered to pay a standard fine of $223 and paid an additional $200 to avoid serving community service. The Gainesville State Attorney's office had requested he serve 20 hours of community service, but the law allows a defendant to "buy out" the hours at $10 per.
"He's going to pay that and his probation will be terminated so this case is over as of today," Crowder's attorney, Huntley Johnson, said outside the courtroom.
Dressed in a brown figured shirt and khaki pants, Crowder told judge Aymer L. Curtain he was remorseful about the May 16 incident in which police say he ignored a policeman's orders to leave the Palace nightclub after an argument, then led police on a chase several blocks as he ran after the man he argued with.
"I would like to apologize to the court, my family and the University of Florida," Crowder said standing before the judge. "My conduct that night was not proper."
"I'm going to treat you like any other student," Curtain said. "The fact that you're a football player doesn't mean you'll be treated any differently."
In April 2003, Crowder was involved in a fight at the same club and later pled to misdemeanor battery charges and served six months probation. For his latest incident, he was suspended for the Middle Tennessee State game.
As he left the courtroom, Crowder stopped briefly to sign an autograph for two women waiting in the foyer outside the courtroom.
"Mr. Crowder made his apology in court. That's how he feels about it," Johnson said. "This matter has ended and we're very optimistic it won't happen again."
