2023 NFL Draft: Jalen Carter reportedly won’t receive jail time after pleading no contest in fatal car crash case

Former Georgia quarterback and top NFL draft prospect Jalen Carter will reportedly not be jailed after pulling out of competition on Thursday for reckless driving and racing. Seth Emerson of The Athletic.

Carter will reportedly receive 12 months probation, pay a $1,000 fine, complete 80 hours of community service, and complete a driving course as a sentence.

Carter was involved in a car accident on January 15 that killed two Georgia forward Devin Willock and team member Chandler LeCroy. An arrest warrant for Carter was issued while he was at an NFL scouting camp in Indianapolis on March 5. Carter was arrested and released after posting bail Wednesday night. he returned to Indianapolis on Thursday.

Reports indicate that Carter was present at the scene of the crash, left before rescuers arrived, and returned about 90 minutes later at the request of the police, but “gave inconsistent crash reports when an Athenian police officer questioned him about whether he was racing the crashed car.” .”

Kim Stevens, Carter’s attorney, said Thursday that Carter “was not the cause of the tragic accident” and “would have been charged with much more serious crimes such as vehicular homicide and serious vehicle injuries” had he done so. She added that Carter “never left the scene of the crash without warning that he might leave” and “did not drink alcohol or be under the influence of alcohol or any other illegal substance at the time of the crash.”

Carter’s draft

Shortly after reports of Carter’s arrest warrant broke, Sportzshala Sports’ Charles McDonald asked NFL scouts how the news could affect the 2023 draft. Carter was considered – and remains – one of the top prospects, and some thought he could be the first choice in April.

One scout told McDonald’s at the time that Carter was “special enough to survive something like this”. If this is the worst of news”, while another said his situation was more of a “wait and see”. Given the lack of jail time, this seems to be one of the more positive outcomes of the Carter case.

However, Carter may have to wait a bit before being named on draft night. Carter didn’t look very good on his pro day this week when he reportedly struggled to finish positional exercises and weighed 9 pounds more than the 314 he weighed on the combine.

The No. 1 pick also changed hands after the Carolina Panthers traded with the No. 9 to acquire the top pick from the Chicago Bears – likely to be drafted a quarterback. The other three top-10 teams could also take the quarterback, leaving Carter with few options in a draft full of other defensive prospects.