Or, more specifically, a probation violation.
When Jeremiah Masoli pleaded guilty to second-degree burglary in March, he was sentenced to, among other things, 12 months probation. Of course, three months later, the quarterback was busted for, among other things, possession of marijuana.
That last act led to his permanent dismissal from Oregon. And could play a role in what his football future holds as now, just as talk of the former Oregon QB enrolling at Ole Miss and playing football for the Rebels in the fall has reached a fever pitch, Masoli’s lawyer has unzipped and is looking for the punch bowl.
From The Oregonian:
Dan Koenig, Masoli’s attorney, said the player, who led the Ducks to last season’s Rose Bowl and has two years to use his remaining season of eligibility, is done with all matters involving the Springfield Municipal Court. He added, however, that last week’s guilty plea may be deemed a violation of the yearlong probation Masoli received after his burglary conviction.
“There still is the potential that the district attorney could file a probation violation,” Koenig said. “We don’t know if they see these violations -- not crimes -- in Springfield as a probation violation.”
The Lane County district attorney’s office on Wednesday did not answer inquiries about the fate of Masoli’s probation. The office, since news of his marijuana and traffic stop broke six weeks ago, has not answered The Oregonian’s repeated requests for comment on how it will handle the matter.
The first condition of Masoli’s probation, according to court documents, states that Masoli must not violate any law and must report any citation or arrest on any crime or traffic offense to the Lane County Circuit Court. The document later states that Masoli’s conviction for second-degree burglary -- originally a felony charge -- would be treated as a misdemeanor “at this time” under terms of the probation.
It was reported Wednesday that head coach Houston Nutt was given clearance by the higher-ups at Ole Miss to pursue the logistical aspects involved in getting Masoli to Oxford; it appears that, in addition to admittance to grad school and securing a waiver from the NCAA, the probation angle is one of those “logistical aspects” that will have to be overcome in order for Masoli to do what seems inevitable -- become a member of the Ole Miss football program.
