The legal predicament Davon Durant found himself in earlier this year has nearly come to a conclusion. Whether he ever steps foot on a football field wearing an Arizona State is another matter entirely.
The Arizona Republic reported that Durant was sentenced Monday to two years of supervised probation and will be barred from contacting his girlfriend until he enrolls in a domestic violence program. Last month, Durant had pleaded guilty to a reduced charged of disorderly conduct.
The court case was the result of a March domestic violence incident in which Durant was initially charged with one count of felony aggravated assault and three counts of misdemeanor disorderly conduct.
It was alleged at the time that the female victim was hit by Durant “in the face once and grabbed her around the neck,” leading to “visible injuries, including a bruise below her left eye and bruising around her neck that was consistent with finger marks.”
From the Republic‘s report on the sentencing:The prosecution argued for a harsher sentence on Monday and cited strangulation statistics to prove the severity of Durant’s case. Prosecutor Jaime Balson said the bruising on the victim’s neck was evidence of an attempted strangulation.
Assault victims who have been strangled, particularly those in domestic-violence cases, have a higher chance of later becoming murder victims, Balson said.
The victim, Durant’s still-girlfriend Kelsi Langley who had previously recanted her initial claims, read a statement in court that said, in part, “I would like to continue my relationship with him, whatever that may be.”
Durant was indefinitely suspended by the football program shortly after his arrest. Late last month, Durant appeared before the ASU Hearing Board, an entity that will determine whether the player can remain at the institution as both a student and an athlete.
There’s been no public announcement of the decision, although it’s expected to happen at some point this month
“Life teaches us all many lessons,” Benjamin Taylor, Durant’s attorney, said in a statement released after sentencing. “This is one for Davon as he seeks to become the best possible person, which means a good boyfriend now, and one day a good husband, father and leader.”
Transferring in from the JUCO ranks, Durant had been expected to be a significant contributor to the Sun Devils’ defense in 2015.
Coming out of Butler County Community College, Durant was a four-star member of ASU’s 2015 recruiting class. Durant, a South Carolina native, had actually been a verbal commitment to South Carolina during part of his time at the Kansas JUCO, but flipped his commitment to ASU in October.
(Photo credit: Rivals.com)