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
Police Chief
October 11th, 2010
7:47 pm
Hey Scottlarock and Jerome, I could have told you thatdawgfan4life and munsondawg are morons when I locked them up one night in a jail cell. One sure was screaming the whole night
Dorsey Hill
October 11th, 2010
7:47 pm
Aiken,
It isn’t an issue of “defending” him. Its simply a question of the punshment fitting the crime. He screwed up. Hell, he’s spent God knows how many hours in jail and if that was the result of an oversight rather than an inability to pay the fine, then he’s had some punishment already. I just don’t think he’s a thug and I don’t think he should be kicked off the team. I don’t think he ought to be suspended at all. Frankly, I don’t think its any of our business because society was not in anyway impacted by this event. He hurt no one but himself.
dawgfan4life
October 11th, 2010
7:47 pm
Jerome, you are pathetic!!!! You got your boy Obama in there and you still want to complain about Bush???? Newsflash Jerome! Bush is gone. Has been for two years! Why can’t you stay on topic??? This about a young man who has his priorities screwed up and needs to pay a price for it just like I would have to do if I broke the law and was arrested. There are many people in the “real” world who have lost their livelihoods for what this kid has done. He doesn’t get a pass because he is a football player or because he is black. PERIOD!
playing time
October 11th, 2010
7:48 pm
Richt has no choice.
HeHateGator
October 11th, 2010
7:48 pm
The only thing worse and more embarrasing than all these arrests are those trying to downplay them…sad, pathetic, hypocritical, and disgusting….
Scottlarock
October 11th, 2010
7:49 pm
Jerome, it’s not hard to read between the lines of what the thoughts are of some of the people that post, if it would have happened to Aaron Murray, these guys would not even post, once they throw in the racial comments, they go straight for PRESIDENT Obama.
munsondawg
October 11th, 2010
7:49 pm
Dorsey,
Last time I checked caleb was on the team. He had a chance. More than one chance. He screwed it up. Mark Richt runs the show. Mark Richt makes the decision.
jerome
October 11th, 2010
7:49 pm
Wow dawgfan4life what does Obama has to do with King getting arrested, more excuses from another loser
Problem Solved
October 11th, 2010
7:50 pm
If you want to help these boys stay out of trouble, hire someone to work in the Athletic Dept who does nothing but keep a calendar for every player. Have that person keep track of license expiration dates and any other potential trouble-making dates. Chief among their responsibilities is to oversee expiration dates and such things that will land them in jail if they are ignored. Have that person remind the player well enough in advance AND THEN THE RESPONSIBILITY BELONGS TO THE PLAYER. If they screw up and don’t show or follow through like they’re supposed to – adios and don’t let the door hit your stupid a** on the way out!
These guys are “working” for their education. Why not hire them a secretary. Yes, it’s pathetic, but as long as the city of Athens allows the Gomer and Barney to patrol, what choice do we have? Don’t tell me that Tuscaloosa, Gainesville, Knoxville, and Auburn have the same types that Athens has. If they did, you’d hear about the piddly stuff – like tag lights, helmets, scooters, spitting bubblegum on the sidewalk, etc and not just the DUIs and assaults that go on there.
I’m SURE the same stuff goes on in Knoxville, but how often do you hear about it? Hardly ever, unless it’s a felony (which should be reported and dealt with). The Smoky Mtn Hillbilly police force must handle it quietly or not at all.
My point it this: The football players need to use the gray matter between their ears for something other than tackling and quit this stupid stuff. But it would not be outrageous IMHO to assist them in this area of life – it’s done with other aspects of their time at Georgia (see tutoring and 1:1 assistance). I doubt the players carry a Blackberry so they can check their calendar every hour. As many of you have pointed out, it’s easy to overlook and forget important stuff when it’s not in your face at the right time.
jerome
October 11th, 2010
7:51 pm
Scottlarock
October 11th, 2010
7:49 pm
Jerome, it’s not hard to read between the lines of what the thoughts are of some of the people that post, if it would have happened to Aaron Murray, these guys would not even post, once they throw in the racial comments, they go straight for PRESIDENT Obama.
Exactly, what does obana has to do with Caleb King? Their statements are extremely stupid
Win P.
October 11th, 2010
7:52 pm
Finally figured out why UGA’s football program is performing poorly. Their football players are not very smart.
Scottlarock
October 11th, 2010
7:52 pm
dawgfan4life, get it straight, I’m the one that brought up Bush, and no, no one has lost their livelihood over failure to pay a speeding ticket. DUI yes, not paying a speeding ticket no, failure to appear no. Get your facts straight.
I’ll be your Huckleberry.
Brad
October 11th, 2010
7:52 pm
Don’t they have grad assistants to monitor this stuff?
Dorsey Hill
October 11th, 2010
7:54 pm
dawgfan4life
“This about a young man who has his priorities screwed up and needs to pay a price for it just like I would have to do if I broke the law and was arrested. There are many people in the “real” world who have lost their livelihoods for what this kid has done.”
Where to start? What price would any of us have to pay except for the ticket? It seems to me that many want him to suffer additional consequences that any of us normal people would have to bear because he’s a football player.
Lost livelihoods? Who the hell loses their livelihoods for failing to pay a ticket?
This like many of the reactions out there are just way out of line with reality.
Police Chief
October 11th, 2010
7:54 pm
dawgfan4life and munsondawg=blog lovers
munsondawg
October 11th, 2010
7:56 pm
Scottlarock,
Go back and see my comment about Zack Mettenberger. He’s the white ex-quarterback who fondled a white chick. And yes, he’s a thug. We didn’t need him either. Just like Caleb, mettenberger was a distraction.
Dorsey Hill
October 11th, 2010
7:57 pm
munsundawg,
Was Clint Boling a thug when he got a DUI?
HeHateGator
October 11th, 2010
7:58 pm
Its Caleb’s second arrest…enough…
Bride of Chucky Knapp
October 11th, 2010
7:58 pm
I can’t count how many times we got “detained” back at UGA. Twice we were pulled over on the rivers in Savannah, once by the Coast Guard. I mean, you seriously haven’t gotten pulled over until you get pulled over by a branch of the armed services with a deck mounted machine gun and M-16s. Never got arrested. Guess times were different back then. Just sayin’.
JDawg
October 11th, 2010
7:59 pm
Mel……You are a fricken idiot!
Clean House
October 11th, 2010
7:59 pm
agree munsondawg ! also Dorsey Hill is a complete idiot !
Police Chief
October 11th, 2010
8:00 pm
munsundawg is the real THUG
SRS
October 11th, 2010
8:00 pm
Jerome, it’s not hard to read between the lines of what the thoughts are of some of the people that post, if it would have happened to Aaron Murray, these guys would not even post, once they throw in the racial comments, they go straight for PRESIDENT Obama.
———————————-
Yea it’s hard to be a Georgia Bulldog fan knowing how racist a lot of the fans are. They hide behind the word “thug” and justify it by pointing out arrests. I’ve been following UGA blogs on the AJC for some years now. Anytime Knowshon had a bad game all the sudden “hip hop” and “thug” were used to describe him as a person. It’s no wonder the south is perceived as ignorant and uneducated.
Caleb King
October 11th, 2010
8:00 pm
I am a UGA football player and deserve special treatment. The rules don’t apply to me. If I fail out of one school, I just don’t show up and go to another. If I fail in one county, I don’t show up and go to another. It is unfair that they asked to check for my license to find the warrant. The nerve of some people….pulling me over, asking me to come to court, issuing a warrant for my arrest when I did not knowingly show up. I mean, the system and the rules don’t apply to me playa!
Clean House
October 11th, 2010
8:01 pm
Clint Boling is a thug too. He aint done squat either…….
Police Chief
October 11th, 2010
8:01 pm
Clean House
October 11th, 2010
7:59 pm
agree munsondawg ! also Dorsey Hill is a complete idiot !
You are a complete idiot! Moron!
Vince
October 11th, 2010
8:01 pm
Yes the players are half stupid, always have been but not just Ga. How
does AJC ;know withen 30 seconds of a player arrest? Sounds like someone
from the Clark county PD is on the take from AJC
Clean House
October 11th, 2010
8:03 pm
Clint Boiling got whipped by a freshman on the LOS. He is over hyped.
Mark Richt Game Checklist
October 11th, 2010
8:03 pm
Helmet – Check
Pads – Check
Mouthpiece – Check
Jock Strap – Check
Red Panties – Check
Suspended License – Aw Shucks
Outstanding Warrant for Arrest – Daggumit
Aiken29801
October 11th, 2010
8:03 pm
Hey Dorsey, In a way you are right he did screw up and the punishment needs to fit the crime. Kicking a player off a team seems extreme for such a minor offense. At the same time his actions have effected others, the team and the school. In the end this is a situation for the school, the staff and Caleb to resolve. My main point is the school has tolerated and at times fostered an enviroment of bad behavior for far too long. At some point the athletes and for that matter the coaches have got to be held accountable but tolerating this behavior will only tell others that it’s OK to do it. Just like raising children, There have got to be boundaries and consequences. As i see it you must say its OK to drive while drunk as long as you don’t hurt anybody else, only yourself…. It just makes for a bad situation and invites more problems. I’m sure Caleb probably is not a terrible person he has however makes some poor choices and chose to ignore them. For that there has to be some type of punishment.
Why his license was checked!
October 11th, 2010
8:03 pm
Scottlarock, you’re wrong plenty of people have morality clauses that include getting arrested fir ANYTHING. Plenty of employers would consider you underserving of their trust for a lack of judgment such as this, plus if your employer told your entire company they were sick of arrests, there’s a new policy and you were subsequently arrested you’d be toast.
munsondawg
October 11th, 2010
8:05 pm
Dorsey,
I hold a professional license in this state. Every year when I have to renew it, I have to sign an affidavit saying that I have not been convicted of, or plead nolo contendre to anything other than a moving violation in this state. Any other violation and the State of Georgia has the right not to renew my license. Without a license, I have no practice. So yes,livelihoods can be lost. It’s not about the ticket. It’s about Caleb’s failure to remotely be worried about taking care of it. Hence the warrant for his arrest. If he’s not concerned about it, Mark Richt should not be worried about keeping him around.
Clean House
October 11th, 2010
8:05 pm
You people dont understand it Richt said no more, now lets see if he backs it up. Caleb azz should be grass….
dawgfan4life
October 11th, 2010
8:06 pm
He doesn’t get it!
Dorsey Hill
October 11th, 2010
8:07 pm
Clean House,
Incredible analysis. Detailed, thoughtful, precise and fact-based. Really, from you I expected something like: “that Dorsey guy, he’s s-s-s-stupid in stuff. And he’s kinda dumb cause a what he says.” You out performed my expectations. Congrats.
GTFan
October 11th, 2010
8:07 pm
Shane
October 11th, 2010
5:11 pm
Hey at least we didnt lose to Kansas.
That would be embarrassing
What does Tech losing to Kansas, have to do with this? I am actually pulling for UGA to fix whatever issues they have. I work for a court system, and we give FTA’s 2 weeks to get their tickets paid, or come to court. We have many ways to get the citations paid. If not then the license is suspended, or a bench warrant is issued. I don’t know if this is quite tops news, but it’s still very irresponsbile of King.
Clean House
October 11th, 2010
8:08 pm
Again Dorsey Hill STFU !!!!
scottlarock
October 11th, 2010
8:09 pm
munsondawg, Did you blog about Mettenberg when he got kicked off about how you thought he was a thug, or now when its said and done? I would think his situation is alot tamer than Mettenbergs.
Let me see if Caleb was to fondle a white check, what happens to him, Let’s hang him….
Delbert D.
October 11th, 2010
8:09 pm
Chapas at tailback, Munzenmaier at fullback. No more missed blocks.
jerome
October 11th, 2010
8:10 pm
Clean House STFU
Dorsey Hill
October 11th, 2010
8:10 pm
munsondawg,
But is was a moving violation so what’s your point? There is no license that you aren’t getting renewed over a failure to pay a traffic offense, yours included.
Tired
October 11th, 2010
8:11 pm
We won’t ever win with fans like Clean House b!tching about little stuff
munsondawg
October 11th, 2010
8:11 pm
Scott,
I typed on the Athens paper’s blog (onlineathens.com) many times. Sure did.
Clean House
October 11th, 2010
8:11 pm
scottlarock…… I did ! Mett was a thug too. Satisfied?
GT
October 11th, 2010
8:11 pm
Seems th east is still wide open!! The Gayturds seem equally as bad loosing to LSOOOooo..
Police Chief
October 11th, 2010
8:12 pm
Clean House how about saving yourself by getting off the blog please
Dorsey Hill
October 11th, 2010
8:13 pm
Clean House,
Even more impressive. You learned an acronym. See if you can decipher this one: KMWA.
scottlarock
October 11th, 2010
8:13 pm
Clean house or whatever you changed your name to, everytime you log on is easy to say now.
Clean House
October 11th, 2010
8:13 pm
Police Chief…. save yourself blind homer….
munsondawg
October 11th, 2010
8:14 pm
Dorsey,
There was a WARRANT for his arrest. If I had a warrant for my arrest and had to go to jail, you can rest assured that the licensing board would have me visiting their offices in downtown Atlanta for violating their rules.