USC's Garcia To Apply for Pre-Trial Intervention
(Columbia) - A judge has allowed USC quarterback Stephen Garcia to apply for pre-trial intervention for two separate incidents in which he was facing charges.
Stephen Garcia appeared in court Wednesday morning.
Stephen Garcia filled out the paperwork to enter the program, and must now wait to see if he's accepted into the system. His lawyer, Neal Lourie, says he expects that to happen, since Stephen Garcia has no prior convictions.
As part of the program, Stephen Garcia will have to pay restitution to the man whose car he damaged in one of the incidents, and may have to meet other conditions. If he completes the conditions of pre-trial intervention, the crime won't appear as a conviction on his permanent record.
"He's taken full responsibility for what he's done. He has true remorse. He has emphasized to me several times that he apologizes to his teammates, the USC fans, his coaches, and I think he is on the right track," said Lourie, who added that the arrests have been "wake-up calls" for Stephen Garcia.
The 5th circuit solicitor's office says pre-trial intervention programs, or PTI programs, are the right of any offender who falls under the statute of having committed a non-violent crime. As a first-time offender of misdemeanor crimes, Stephen Garcia has this right, which was agreed to by Judge Steven Dennis, as well as the witness, Adam Biggs. Several offenders who were at Columbia's Municipal Court on Wednesday applied for similar programs. The solicitor's office says offenders get one shot at PTI programs. If they don't finish, the case goes back to the magistrate. Police say had he not opted to apply for PTI, the largest sentence Stephen Garcia could have received would have been 30 days.
During his court appearance, Stephen Garcia apologized to the man whose car he admitted to keying on USC's campus back on March 2. At one point, Stephen Garcia shook Adam Biggs's hand. Neither Biggs nor Stephen Garcia talked to reporters.
Stephen Garcia's father was asked questions by reporters as he left the court. "I'm just glad he got a chance to meet Mr. Biggs and apologize in person to him, put that behind him, and focus now on the rest of the football team and his academics and his work behind him, and move forward just like I'd wish for any of your kids if they got in this type of dilemma. He's a great kid and you all will learn to love him."
Stephen Garcia was arrested twice in a two week span. In the first incident on February 17, he was accused of not stopping on police command and public drunkeness. The second was the incident involving Biggs.
USC football coach Steve Spurrier suspended Stephen Garcia for all of the Gamecock's spring football activities. When he made his decision, Spurrier said he hoped it would allow Stephen Garcia to improve his personal life and become a successful student athlete at South Carolina.
Stephen Garcia was one of the top quarterback recruits in the nation for 2007, and is considered one of the stars of the Gamecocks' recruiting class this year.
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