LINCOLN - Nebraska receiver Maurice Purify has been authorized to
participate in a pre-trial diversion program, which would make it unlikely that
formal charges would be filed against him in Lancaster County court for his
arrest nearly four weeks ago.
Chief City Prosecutor John McQuinn said his office, after reviewing police
reports, agreed to pre-trial diversion at the request of Purify's attorney, Jon
Braaten. As of Wednesday, however, McQuinn said nothing has been arranged
yet.
Purify is scheduled for a June 7 appearance in Lancaster County
court."
At the present time, we assume that he won't be going to court if he
participates in pre-trial diversion," McQuinn said. "If something should happen
and if he elects not to participate, then our office would probably reassign him
a court date."
It's unclear how pre-trial diversion might affect any team discipline
handed down by Nebraska coach Bill Callahan. In a statement after Purify's
arrest, Callahan said he was "very concerned about this current situation" but
wouldn't comment further until the matter went through the legal process.
Lincoln police charged Purify with two counts of assault, resisting arrest,
trespassing and failure to comply after a May 5 incident at a downtown Lincoln
bar. Purify allegedly threw a man over a table and hit him several times, and
allegedly also struck the victim's girlfriend.
Purify was the Huskers' second-leading receiver last season, catching 34
passes for 630 yards and seven touchdowns.
MY THOUGHTS:
I had hoped that this case would actually go to trial so that the truth could come out and Purify could be exonerated in public. With pre-trial diversion, people (both locally and nationally) will think that "another Nebraska football player got over on the justice system".
From what I've heard from people with knowledge of what really happened, the only place Mo was in the wrong was refusing to offer his hands to the police when ordered to do so. He resisted arrest in that manner, but that is all that he did wrong from the reports I've heard.
He did not start the altercation, and he did not hit the woman.
There were multiple witnesses willing to testify to those same facts also, which I'm guessing is why Lancaster County is not pressing the issue. They know they have only one charge - resisting arrest .
I guess Purify is correct to take that pre-trial diversion, because even though it's a "non-violent resisting arrest" (my term, not legal), it would still go on his pemanent record and follow him the rest of his life.
I just wish he could have been publically exonerated on the more serious charges that he was crucified on in the court of public opinion.
