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.
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
923 comments Add your comment
BoWeevil
October 11th, 2010
6:23 pm
Tron5000,
Let me make sure I have this straight, ok ?
It’s 4 am.
You pull a guy over and he has to call the owner of the vehicle to the site or the car will be towed, under law.
Caleb King rushes up there.
And, you think the Police should what ?
Just let the “owner” and Caleb King drive away ?
No questions asked.
Now, I realize that I was in the Top 5 % of my University of Georgia Graduating Class, and that I didn’t come in here to poke fun at anyone; but,
Good Lord Son.
NCAA INVESTIGATION
October 11th, 2010
6:23 pm
If North Carolina can kick their thugs off the team then Georgia can too, Tired of Excuses
WTF????
October 11th, 2010
6:24 pm
Now if you want to see a real college ‘kid’ who cannot grasp the English language, all you need to do is listen to an interview with GT’s Nesbitt. Ebonics all the way. Dumb as a fence post. Amazing!!
JT
October 11th, 2010
6:24 pm
How can the drivers license course or test not include these infraction items and what actions you should do when you are in these situations? Coach Richt is not a drivers license instructor. A 22 year old should know after possibly 6 years of having licenses what to do. If not he should have asked the arresting officer. Wierd to blame anyone except himself. King had to be clueless to show up at the police department to drive a car home knowing he had this situation to deal with. Either he is obnoxious, or cluless or just plain did not know.
BoWeevil
October 11th, 2010
6:24 pm
Andy in Blairsville,
Uh, no.
11 arrests since March 7
dawgsfan
October 11th, 2010
6:24 pm
I know for a fact that Caleb did what he was supposed to do – he let his coaches know about it and they said it would be taken care of. He trusted them and this is what happened. This is not a thug, this is not someone who thought he could get away with not paying, this is someone who trusted his coach/staff’s directions to him.
McDawg
October 11th, 2010
6:24 pm
Thugs yeah right-tough thugs getting speeding tickets -crucify him
Andy in Blairsville
October 11th, 2010
6:25 pm
Cops pull on people with flat tires all day long and run their plates and DL’s. This guy wasn’t singled out just because he looked like a thug at 4am.
do-dah do-dah
October 11th, 2010
6:25 pm
“Son, you got a panty on your head.”
crabapplejoe
October 11th, 2010
6:25 pm
It is mindboggling to me that someone in the Winder police department or court system didn’t pick up the phone and call someone in the UGA athletic department….and say “hey, isn’t Caleb King one of your RBs….well now, he’s got an outstanding warrant and I think somebody needs to clear this up”. Unbelievable…and you know most of them are “big” Georgia fans.
Ricky 4
October 11th, 2010
6:26 pm
Kick him off!! I have no more tolerance for this crap!!
BoWeevil
October 11th, 2010
6:26 pm
JT
Agreed.
Now, Coach Richt has had 129 arrests in 10 years here at UGA.
54 since February 2007 according to David Hale of http://www.macon.com Bulldog blog.
Now, JT, I ask you sir ?
At what point does it
BECOME
COACH
RICHT’S
PROBLEM ?
LawDawg
October 11th, 2010
6:26 pm
After working for a D.A., I learned that tens, if hundreds, of bench warrants are issued everyday for people that don’t show up to court. Very few of the people that miss their court dates do so because they are dodging the law. The bench warrant is nothing more than a court order that says that this person needs to be brought before the judge to go through the arraignment process. There is no criminal punishment for failing to miss a court date and there is no added fine for having to be hauled in via the police. All in all, missing a court date is a no-no, but by no means is it the end of the world. In my opinion, it is nothing like stealing, D.U.I. or even selling collegiate paraphernalia in clear violation of NCAA rules. You can’t do these things “accidentally” like you can miss a meeting.
BoWeevil
October 11th, 2010
6:27 pm
Ricky4,
I am with you.
Dawgs Friend
October 11th, 2010
6:27 pm
I feel badly for this young man because the news of his mistake (although not an overwhelming one) comes at the worse time possible for him given the recent announcement of the zero tolerance policy. Also, I know this is a tough situation for Mark Richt to have to handle. Hopefully common sense will prevail.
Dorsey Hill
October 11th, 2010
6:27 pm
I have had about enough of the “thugs” and attempts at humor by posting ebonics and even seen someone call our players “jigs”. You aren’t fans. You aren’t even effin human beings. What you are is a bunch of racist, Klan member wannabes who aren’t fit to be Georgia fans. The fact is that roughly 75 of our 85 scholarship players are African-American. You clearly don’t like people of color so go watch polo or cricket. Obviously, college football is not for you anymore.
Andy in Blairsville
October 11th, 2010
6:27 pm
What is more feasible is some booster probably offered to pay this ticket for him until King and the rest of the team had that fanatstic1-4 start, then all of a sudden that cash didn’t show up in King’s mailbox.
McDawg
October 11th, 2010
6:28 pm
i don’t think i have ever seen the word THUG used in reference to a white player-Mettenberger was never called a THUG when he sexually assualted a women-is it the duty of the AJC to provide a forum for a bunch a racist rednecks
Mike
October 11th, 2010
6:28 pm
oh wow, A Warrant!! for…..Caleb King!!
Was King concerned about the “warrant” 30 – 60 dags ago or WHAT UGA might think or do today???
dawgsfan
October 11th, 2010
6:29 pm
There is no comparison between this case and others. the “bail” Caleb was held on was just the fine for the speeding ticket and a fine for failing to appear. He didn’t get busted for speeding again or arrested for hit and run while driving a suspended license.
There was a HUGE miscommunication here among the coaches and assistants. Caleb did not try to hide anything or avoid paying for anything. He did what he was told to do.
BoWeevil
October 11th, 2010
6:30 pm
LawDawg,
What total B.S.
Are you in the Bar ?
I have NEVER known anyone who got a ticket, who goes to college, who doesn’t know how to read it in English.
It says pay the fine, dial this phone number, be in Court on this date.
The Police ALWAYS read it to them.
You can pay the fine by mailing it to this address on the ticket.
Or, you can come to Court on this date.
Do you understand ?
And, you call yourself a LawDawg.
You ain’t shiite.
NCAA INVESTIGATION
October 11th, 2010
6:30 pm
MCDAWG SOUNDS LIKE A THUG ALSO
munsondawg
October 11th, 2010
6:30 pm
The fact that this happened back in the summer and he is caught now by his own stupidity shows his arrogance and complete disregard for a serious issue. Bye Caleb.
Sick and Tired
October 11th, 2010
6:31 pm
McDawg if you don’t like it then you can follow the thug when he is kicked off the team
UGA Fans STANDUP
October 11th, 2010
6:32 pm
McDawg
October 11th, 2010
6:28 pm
i don’t think i have ever seen the word THUG used in reference to a white player-Mettenberger was never called a THUG when he sexually assualted a women-is it the duty of the AJC to provide a forum for a bunch a racist rednecks
You sir need to watch your mouth
John Galt
October 11th, 2010
6:32 pm
Calm down, folks.
The Zero tolerance policy was for alcohol-related infractions or real crimes- not a speeding ticket.
He was NOT out at 4:00 am, his brother was.
It IS possible that he was too dumb to know better; after all, he went to the police voluntarily, only Wood was called. If he was aware of the warrant, that was pretty stupid.
The cops were probably aware of the warrant because of name recognition; they wouldn’t hunt him down and arrest him, but when he showed up, they probably knew who he was, and knew of the warrant, so that is why they asked for his license.
The cops used the tag light as an excuse simply because any car on the streets at 4:00 am is a candidate for a DUI. It happened to my WHITE daughter, also for a tag light (and led to a DWI). Race has nothing to do with this.
There are two scenarios here:
- the coaches knew about it, and he had been told to handle it, and he ignored them. In that case, he is suspended for multiple games, and runs stadium steps so much that he quits, unless he REALLY wants to play football; or
- the coaches didn’t know and he had not been warned. In that case, IF he pays the fine, he still gets run to death, but he is suspended for half a game for stupidity.
As embarassing as the last 10 arrests have been, you can’t give a petty criminal the death penalty because you are tired of petty crimes. He still deserves to be judged on his own merits (or lack thereof).
Bud Mc
October 11th, 2010
6:32 pm
Guys, Guys, Guys…… It’s a speeding ticket. Let’s not implode here. Common sense says, run him till he pukes.
HeHateGator
October 11th, 2010
6:32 pm
They’ve backed themselves into a corner with the earlier no tolerance dismissal from the team. They could say the ticket was prior to the zero tolerance policy but anything short of dismissal will drip with hypocrisy….
Surprised
October 11th, 2010
6:32 pm
Stop these hurtful comments. You’ll give these arrested players a complex. We need to change their little diapers, sit them in our laps, and give them a good breast feeding. They’ll be OK.
Some athletes should not go to college.
Some fans are simply oxygen thieves.
Aiken29801
October 11th, 2010
6:33 pm
If kicking King off the team has a negative effect on a recruit, you are better off without that recruit. CMR has created a haven for problematic players. Most players without these problems will go play where they can be surrounded by quality players who care about something more than they care about themselves. No way I would encourage my son to attend or play ball at UGA, especially with CMR at the helm. Birds of a feather flock together and the UGA has nothing but troublemakers. Just like Miami used to be. You bozo’s deserve what you are getting. And by the way don’t get used to that warm fuzzy feeling you got from beating up The super strong Volunteer taem.
Clean House
October 11th, 2010
6:33 pm
Dorsey Hill……STFU ! I DONT CARE WHATS HAPPENING AT TENN , BAMA OR FLORIDA. I CARE ABOUT UGA AND IM SICK AND TIRED OF THIS CRAP !
CDAWG---yes
October 11th, 2010
6:34 pm
I think an employer, mine included, could fire me for getting arrested for failure to appear in court, particularly for something so easy to take care of. They could determine that allowing the issue to grow to an arrest warrant shows lack of judgment and poor decision making on my part. Not advocating for any particular punishment for CK, but yea, I think it’s a big deal and I think a lot of employers would as well….
KICK ALL THE THUGS OFF THE TEAM
October 11th, 2010
6:35 pm
ITS TIME
jo arp
October 11th, 2010
6:35 pm
Walton Co. ( Loganville Police ) are the biggest bunch of redneck, steroid using, dumb bunch of imbeciles that have nothing better to do but harass citizens. Quotas, quotas, quotas.
Dorsey Hill
October 11th, 2010
6:35 pm
McDawg,
White guys who do inappropriate things are simply making youthful mistakes. You gotta remember that most of these people voted for a guy (twice) whose arrest record and substance habits were let’s just say not very good. But that’s okay because he’s white, right?
Aiken29801
October 11th, 2010
6:35 pm
By the way, It’s not the speeding ticket…….. It’s the lack of responsibilty shown by not handling the ticket and no respect for the authority of the Courts. That’s the big deal.
Kpassa
October 11th, 2010
6:35 pm
They should just make it easy and add the Georgia prison system to the SEC
BoWeevil
October 11th, 2010
6:35 pm
Strike 1
First ARREST
Strike 2
NEVER shows up for the GAMES
Strike 3
Tells Ken Malcome that to him, Caleb King, being RB at UGA is a “GRIND”
Strike 4
ARRESTED AGAIN
That way more than ENOUGH.
A Coach who is in charge of his Program would not have FORGIVEN this guy for the totality of this.
BEFORE NOW.
Like I said, for what he told Ken Malcome, he would be gone from MY alma mater, were I to have had any say in it.
And, I came in here and said so at the time.
I studied his body of work.
He has done NOTHING.
Hit the road, Jack. Don’t let the door hit you on the backside on the way out. And, don’t be coming ’round here no more.
I am NOT taking away MY scholarship I gave to Caleb King for 76 in 55.
I am taking it away for ALL THIS, and he is # 11.
NEXT ?
Who is NEXT Coach Richt ?
Tell me,
PRAY TELL ?
GA BirdDawg
October 11th, 2010
6:36 pm
I mean really? WTF is it with these idiots driving with suspended license? What a bunch of morons!!
Andy in Blairsville
October 11th, 2010
6:37 pm
This team is out of control as Mark Richt laughs all the way to the bank.
At least GA beat TN and moved up from 68th to 67th in the CBS polls.
BoWeevil
October 11th, 2010
6:38 pm
85 scholarships NCAA gave Coach Richt 2010
11 ARRESTED
13 percent.
And, you think Coach Richt gets a BYE on this ?
B.S.
Take your weak butt crap out of here.
KICK ALL THE THUGS OFF THE TEAM
October 11th, 2010
6:38 pm
If Washun Ealey did it and got away with it then what do you think Caleb King will think. HE HAS TO BE KICKED OFF THE TEAM
LawDawg
October 11th, 2010
6:39 pm
BoWeevil, thank you for the spacing. It makes your writing look as juvenile as your words sound. FIrst, no, I’m not “in the Bar; “I’ve been “admitted to the Bar.” Second, yes, there are many ways to pay your debt and many reminders to go to court, but when the court date is often weeks, if not months, after the ticket, it is reasonable and understandable that even the most law-abiding citizen could have a court date slip his mind. This is especially true for a student-athlete who, during that time, was registering for classes, buying books, going to class, and working his tail off at practice to play for the Bulldogs. From your post, I am assuming you would not know from first hand these experiences. You, sir, are a bad fan and a worse human being.
braves make a ws run
October 11th, 2010
6:39 pm
transfer.
James
October 11th, 2010
6:40 pm
The question here really isn’t the speeding ticket–it’s the stupidity. When you fail to appear in court for traffic violations, bench warrants are issued in EVERY case! It happened to me, and I drove carefully until I scrounged up the money to pay the fine plus the additional fees. I was dumb in doing so, because I could have paid way less just by mailing in my ticket/paying on time.
SO, the real question hereis why would a guy who knows he has an unpaid speeding ticket (even if he didn’t realize he had a warrant) would go and MEET the police for his brother, who had already committed a crime? Seriously, you would think guys that attract trouble would avoid police.
That’s what I do!
Aiken29801
October 11th, 2010
6:41 pm
Yeah it’s all about being white and black, You MORON, it’s about being right and wrong.
Dorsey Hill
October 11th, 2010
6:42 pm
CLEAN HOUSE: YOU STFU!!! I DONT CARE WHAT MAKES YOU SICK AND TIRED. THE FACT THAT PEOPLE LIKE YOU WOULD CALL CALEB A THUG AND ELECT A GUY WITH DRUG AND ALCOHOL PROBLEMS AND A STRING OF ARRESTS LEADER OF THE FREE WORLD ARE A BUNCH OF IDIOTS AND HYPOCRITES!!!!! Sorry if the truth hurts and all caps won’t make me shut up. SORRY!!!!!
munsondawg
October 11th, 2010
6:42 pm
James,
Caleb probably has the IQ of one of UGA VIII’s turds!
John Galt
October 11th, 2010
6:42 pm
AND MAY I ADD:
Several years ago my son found out at a traffic stop that his license was suspended; we thought a small fine had been paid, but it was not. We were allowed to drive to the Clerk of Court and pay the fine. If my son had been a football player in Athens, he would have gone to jail for a few hours and been in the AJC the next day.
I have to agree the that reference to “THUGS” is very thinly-veiled racial slur. As a Dawg fan, you folks embarass me.
James
October 11th, 2010
6:43 pm
sorry for the convoluted post. I learned as a young white dude with long hair that police are to be avoided, because they will find something to get you on if they feel like it. I’m sure an african american teenager learned the same thing early on as well.