Caleb King’s status on team unclear after arrest (updated w/ Richt comments)
(Updated 9:10 p.m.)
Two days after Georgia’s football team won its first game in more than a month, the bad news resumed for the Bulldogs: The team had its 11th player arrested this year.
Tailback Caleb King spent about six hours Monday in the Clarke County Jail on a bench warrant issued after he failed to appear in court in Walton County to address a speeding ticket.
By late morning, King was released on $380 bond, which officials said would be used to satisfy the speeding fine. But how the issue will affect his status on the Georgia team remains unclear.
Coach Mark Richt did not make an announcement or meet with reporters Monday. He discussed the issue on his weekly radio show Monday night but did not say what action he will take.
“Getting a speeding ticket, not paying it and not showing up for a court date is certainly not a very responsible thing, but I can’t say it’s some kind of awful act that we all should just be ashamed of,” Richt said. “But certainly … all of these young men have to understand they have a responsibility to take care of whatever issue they have.
“If they have a ticket, they need to pay it. If they don’t [pay it], they need to show up for the court date. Those things are certainly obvious, and we have to get better at those kinds of things.”
Later, Richt referred to the King situation when asked if freshman running back Ken Malcome might play for the first time.
“There’s a good chance that happens,” Richt said. “We’re not saying for 100 percent certain he will, but the situation that Caleb has gotten himself into and the fact that [tailback] Carlton Thomas’ hamstring may or may not be ready by the end of the week, it may be that Ken has to play.”
To another caller who said he hopes King is not kicked off the team, Richt replied: “We’re just going to do what we feel like is the right thing to do. Bottom line is, we’ve got to make sure everybody takes care of business.”
Of the 10 players previously arrested this year, Richt dismissed four from the team and, in most of the other cases, issued suspensions of at least one game. King’s is the first case involving failure to appear in court for a speeding ticket.
King was arrested by Athens-Clarke County Police after his brother, Brandon King, was pulled over in east Athens around 4 a.m. Monday for driving without a working tag light, according to police spokeswoman Hilda Sorrow. The stop of Brandon King triggered a series of events that led to the discovery of the outstanding warrant for his brother.
First, Brandon King, 23, was placed under arrest when it was determined he was driving with a suspended license, police said. Then, officers asked Brandon King to call the owner of the vehicle he was driving, a 1996 Ford Explorer, and have it picked up.
The vehicle’s owner, Georgia football player Brandon Wood, arrived at the scene five minutes later and was accompanied by Caleb King, according to police. Officers checked the two players’ licenses and discovered the outstanding warrant from nearby Walton County for Caleb King’s arrest. He was booked into the Clarke County Jail shortly after 5 a.m.
Walton County Sheriff Joe Chapman said the warrant had been issued by a judge after King, 22, failed to pay a fine or appear in court in connection with a speeding ticket this past summer.
King received a citation June 20 for driving 76 miles per hour in a 55-mph zone on Highway 78, Chapman said. The warrant was issued by a judge after King failed to appear for an Aug. 6 court date.
King was released on bond from the Clarke County Jail at 10:45 a.m. Monday. His $380 bond will be used to pay the speeding ticket, an official with the Walton County Sheriff’s Department said.
Two players said King participated in Georgia’s practice Monday evening.
King’s arrest was the second of a football player since UGA President Michael Adams last month called on the athletics department to deal with the proliferation of arrests.
“We have had too much in the football team,” Adams said in a Sept. 18 interview. “And so we expect the coaches and the AD’s to provide role models and leadership for their players, and I told the whole Athletic Association that” in an early-September staff meeting.
King’s arrest was his second since joining the Georgia program. In 2007, he was arrested by UGA Police for driving a motor-scooter with a suspended license and going the wrong way on a one-way street.
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923 comments Add your comment
Richt walks warily down the street with the brim pulled way down low
October 12th, 2010
11:54 am
Granitedawg
If GT had 11 players arrested, uga fans would be giving gt fans sh|t about it
it is what it is, get over it
I Could Have Put Some Lame Name Here
October 12th, 2010
11:58 am
@Richt Walks
I agree there is talk mostly from rivals, but there is a big difference between fans talking good-natured smack
AND
People who genuinely believe that these kids are THUGS!. Simply because they are Non-white athletes that have not lived up to their expectations for the most part.
Richt walks warily down the street with the brim pulled way down low
October 12th, 2010
11:59 am
I Could Have Put Some Lame Name Here
I agree whole-heartedly
pcb mike
October 12th, 2010
12:03 pm
Only 11 arrests, isn’t that a sub par year in Athens.
Jborodawg
October 12th, 2010
12:04 pm
To those of you: calling Caleb a thug; calling for Caleb’s dismissal; saying CMR has lost control; saying CMR should be fired; ad nausea…
It’s just a traffic ticket. Lawdamercy, you’d think he robbed a bank or something. To the Walton County “system” it’s a done deal. Why do yall want to drag it on and make a mountain out of mole hill? Extra running and extra study hall is about all this warrants. It certainly doesn’t warrant a front of the sports section “major” story. Nor does it warrant all the negative comments about Caleb and CMR. You negative people should get off your high horses. Oh I forgot, you’re long-time Dawg fans and know exactly how to coach and run a football team. I forgot, you’ve never made a mistake; paid for it and still gotten “major” media coverage and people calling for your head and first born child.
Like one poster said, “…over one hundred people a day in Gwinnett county arrested for failure to…” Fire em all from their jobs? Kick em all outa school? Even after they’ve paid the fines etc?
Sheeesh.
Delbert D.
October 12th, 2010
12:09 pm
Criminology 101. 1) Stop a vehicle for a moving violation. 2) Check drivers’ license, registration and proof of insurance. Any unusual circumstances, call it in.
a) Unusual circumstances – driver has a suspended license, and car owner not present. Is the vehicle stolen?
b) Check for outstanding warrants and conduct tag check for reported stolen vehicle. Vehicle is not in system for reported stolen.No warrants in the computer for Mr. King A., but his brother, Mr. King B returns a hit. Contact owner of vehicle to appear at the scene and collect the vehicle.
c) Vehicle owner appears to collect his vehicle, along with Mr. King B. After verifying identity of Mr. King B., he is placed under arrest per the outstanding warrant.
Their ideas hold no water but they use them like a dam.
October 12th, 2010
12:18 pm
Delbert D.
Now that is one way to do it. But I think you will find that Caleb does not get checked until he arrives on the scene. Again, this too does not make him a “thug”.
Jborodawg
October 12th, 2010
12:34 pm
OK, he’s now gotten a two game suspension. That’s fairly drastic…but, CMR has sent a message, as he’s been trying to do for quite some time now.
Coach Cecil Flowe
October 12th, 2010
1:25 pm
Screw Caleb King just like he screwed us here at Parkview when he was in high school!! CMR, you said zero tolerance!! If you were a great coach like me you would stick to your guns and send this kid back to GAC to clean up the stadium after their games.
Auburn80
October 12th, 2010
2:30 pm
I was a player once upon a time. I can tell you first hand that this stuff happens on every team. Pre-1980’s this type of thing was swept away and the media did not get into it very deeply. The media reported on important issues not a bunch of college kids. The players were always and I mean always punished. Some of the greatest all time players for all of the SEC teams were locked up in the 50’s, 60’s, 70’s and 80’s for a variey of charges. “Same as it ever was!”
Now it is virtually impossible for “cover-ups” by coaches and administration. A new era of transparency has been with us since the late 1980’s thanks for programs like Miami and FSU. So many hijinks! Now the media watches every move. On the other hand if Caleb was just some Horticulture Major and living among the general student populations of some major college a 76 in a 55 and a skipped court date would not be an unusual even. remember these are kids. Most of them cannot even balance a checkbook! Out of the sight of the news media regular college kids get bailed out and yelled at by mom and dad. These kids are not thugs and many grow up to be pillars of the community. It was certainly irresponsible of Caleb not to pay the fine but he is still a kid. This too shall pass. Let coach deal with him.
Some UGA fans....
October 12th, 2010
2:55 pm
Enter your comments here
Some UGA fans....
October 12th, 2010
3:09 pm
The racist UGA fans are getting what they deserve. Caleb King is from Gwinnett…hardly the “ghetto”. Most of the alcohol and drug abuse on campus is by white non-football students. Face it…your program sucks…it has nothing to do with arrests…stop blaming the players you redneck cowards. Beat Having players arrested never stopped other REAL programs from winning games.
Some UGA fans....
October 12th, 2010
3:19 pm
Please top recruits….don’t come to KKK(I mean UGA). If you have a bad game you will labeled a thug and called ghetto. You will be criticized by people who’s biggest accomplishment was obtaining their GED.
Aaron Murray
October 12th, 2010
5:09 pm
I can’t wait for King and Ealey to be gone….cause I’m gonna be a freakin’ star!
BigDawg
October 12th, 2010
5:19 pm
First off the police overstepped their bounds in this case and had no right- legally or otherwise to ask a passenger in a car for his identification without just cause. This is still America and these cops did in fact violate the CIVIL RIGHTS law themselves and should be the ones under a microscope at this point. To say that Caleb King is a thug/criminal some of you need to get a life and be realistic. Next the reason his brother was stopped also needs to be questioned a broken tag light, give me a break, this is nothing but harasshment pure and simple. The Athens Police Department has an axe to grind also the AJC thinks this stuff is news.
Go Dawgs
Common Sense
October 12th, 2010
5:34 pm
Aaron Murray, our f’ing Quarterback, has as many rushing TD’s as King and Ealey combined…look it up.
King + Ealey + Samuels = nothing.
Will someone please RECRUIT (and play) a REAL tailback for Mark Richt’s PRO-STYLE, I-Formation offense?
If we had a HAMMER (Musa Smith, Moreno, Brown), that stupid PLAY ACTION stuff would work.
Our problem is we don’t and our HC and OC are both QB’s….”chicks dig the ‘fake’ handoff”, says Bobo….ugh.
Meanwhile, Ealey misses another block and Murray is carted off the field on a lawn tractor.
Ken Malcome anyone?
Common Sense
October 12th, 2010
5:39 pm
@ BigDawg
Stop with the civil rights stuff already.
This ain’t Selma, AL in the 1960’s
This is 2010, and Caleb King knew he had a ticket….he signed for the damn ticket and the damn ticket had a damn court date listed on it…and knew he’d be arrested if he damn well didn’t show up.
Dammit.
Common Sense
October 12th, 2010
5:43 pm
This just in….Ealey arrested for allowing his QB to be molested by an opposing teams blitzing linebacker.
Ken Malcome
October 12th, 2010
5:45 pm
Coach Richt says it’s a “grind” to be a tailback at UGA.
Yea, Moreno had to sit a year too…I’ll be here on the bench if ya’ll need me.
Henry
October 12th, 2010
6:10 pm
If you look like a football player around Athens you better be careful. Seems there is a bounty on them.
A tag light out causes a pullover and a player who is not driving has his record checked?
Late night shift patrols must be really boring in Athens except for blue lighting football type men to pull over.
Maybe these officers are GT fans or alums.
Henry
October 12th, 2010
6:14 pm
Good thing I don’t drive around Athens. I just checked my car and found one of my 4 tag lights out. I would probably be okay though, I don’t look like a football player and I wonder how many of those caught are white
Iron Dawg
October 13th, 2010
8:58 am
Sounds like only about half of the folks on here have a clue or remember when they were college age (if in fact some went to college). Or, does anyone ever read? The human brain, especially the portion that controls logic and reason isn’t fully developed until the mid 20’s. That is one of the reasons why teenagers make such stupid mistakes. The guy got a ticket and forgot to go to court. No, he shouldn’t have gotten the ticket ad when he did, certainly should have taken care of it, but this isn’t all that serious – any adults on here ever made a mistake? And, is kicking him off the team going to make him a better person? A more productive member of society? Hell no. Punish him, make him run tell he drops, make him clean the bathroons, something, but don’t treat this like he is a real criminal (if you do he may start acting like one).
Thanks Caleb!
October 16th, 2010
1:45 am
Looks like more NCAA Violations coming for the Dawgs….
http://www.redandblack.com/2010/10/14/caleb-king-case-sent-off-to-sec/