Chris Rainey, the Florida running back/wide receiver arrested for stalking nearly two weeks ago after sending a text message reading "time to die," has agreed to a misdemeanor charge, avoiding the felony charges he originally faced. The deferral comes with counseling and fines.
"Although I believe that probable cause existed for a felony charge because the facts involve an at least arguable threat, which is within the legal definition of felony stalking, the Defendant was never in a position to have acted on that threat and there is little if anything in his actions that night or in his background to suggest that he would have done so,'' Gainesville state attorney Bill Cervone said ...
The Victim has in fact essentially stated that she was more annoyed than threatened, and that she did not want an arrest or prosecution, only the resolution of an immediate problem.
Cervone added that he won't consider dropping the case entirely though, "because [he is] concerned when young people act in this way and believe that we should intervene at least to the point of forcing a cooling off period."
The ol' "cooling off period." Law 101, right there.
While this is certainly a step closer towards Rainey returning to the football field, that won't come this week -- coach Urban Meyer already ruled out Rainey against No. 1 Alabama, before Monday's ruling, saying, "He is not part of the team."