Falcons’ James Pearce Jr. could have charges dropped through intervention program
Falcons star James Pearce Jr., who faced three felony charges stemming from allegedly crashing his car into a vehicle driven by his former girlfriend, will have all charges against him dropped if he completes an intervention program offered by the state of Florida, Pearce’s attorney confirmed to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Thursday morning.
The arrangement was reached with the agreement of the accuser, WNBA player Rickea Jackson, and police officers involved in the case, according to attorney Yale Sanford.
The news was first reported by Andy Slater of Fox Sports South Florida.
After the Feb. 7 incident in Doral, Florida, Pearce was charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, fleeing and eluding a police officer, and resisting an officer with violence to his or her person.
The program would include therapy sessions for six months.
A Falcons spokesperson declined to comment on the grounds that it is an ongoing legal matter."
Earlier this week, team general manager Ian Cunningham said at a pre-draft news conference that “everything is status quo” regarding Pearce without elaborating.
Former longtime Gwinnett County District Attorney Danny Porter told the AJC that the proposed resolution is “not a complete outlier.” Diversion programs are not unusual for people charged with misdemeanors or what he termed a “low-grade felony,” but he noted the charges in this case rise above that threshold.
“I think the key here is that the (former) girlfriend is on board with diverting him and the police are on board, and that probably swayed the whole deal,” Porter said.
About the Author
Ken Sugiura is a sports columnist at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Formerly the Georgia Tech beat reporter, Sugiura started at the AJC in 1998 and has covered a variety of beats, mostly within sports.
