Jamar Smith charged with felony DUI and failure to report accident

[whitesoxfan101]

Figured this deserved it's own thread...

 

http://www.wandtv.com/dsp_story.cfm?storyi...uestTimeout=500

 

Player Charged with Felonies

Dated: 02/20/2007 1:02:18 PM Updated: 02/20/2007 01:02:51 PM

 

 

Late Tuesday morning, State's Attorney Julia Rietz filed felony aggravated “D.U.I.” and “Failure to Report an Accident with Injury” charges against Smith.

 

 

 

The charges stem from last Monday's traffic accident on the university campus that left Smith's teammate Brian Carlwell with a severe concussion. At one point, Carlwell was listed in critical condition but was released from the hospital late last week.

 

 

 

Smith already faced improper lane usage charges and has decided to sit out the remainder of the season.

 

 

 

Newscenter 17 is closely following this story and we'll have more details on Newscenter 17 at 5 and 6.

 

Welp, that's 1 more open scholly. What an idiot Jamar is. It's also being reported on radio in Chambana that Jamar blew a .17, AFTER the 2 hours he was MIA before he showed up at the hospital. And keep in mind the drug test, which isn't going to be good, won't be in a for a few weeks.

Edited February 20, 2007 by whitesoxfan101

[fathom]

There's a lot more to come from this. I expect the next big story will be who supplied the alcohol at that basketball team party that night.

[whitesoxfan101]

There's a lot more to come from this. I expect the next big story will be who supplied the alcohol at that basketball team party that night.

 

I heard it wasn't even a basketball team party, it just so happened most of them showed up. It's far from a sure thing that players themselves supplied the alcohol, but either way this is far from over. I guess wearing orange is appropriate for this squad.

[watchtower41]

Wow. I heard he was suspended for at least the rest of the season, anybody else think if or appearantly WHEN this gets worse he'll be straight kicked off the team??

[whitesoxfan101]

Wow. I heard he was suspended for at least the rest of the season, anybody else think if or appearantly WHEN this gets worse he'll be straight kicked off the team??

 

If he ever plays again for Illinois, I will have lost all respect for Bruce Weber, and will want him fired. As it is now, he can't recruit AND his team has some major off the court issues, which is trouble itself.

[fathom]

I heard it wasn't even a basketball team party, it just so happened most of them showed up. It's far from a sure thing that players themselves supplied the alcohol, but either way this is far from over. I guess wearing orange is appropriate for this squad.

 

Yeah, I just read that the state attorney said there were no other bball members involved, which is a good thing. I agree with you.....there's not a chance in hell Jamar Smith should ever be allowed to play for the Illini again. Considering all the issues with his drinking last year, for him to do what he did last week, Weber would look like such a pussy if he let him play again.

[fathom]

Couple of interesting tidbits:

 

- At the hospital, they only tested for alcohol, and not drugs.

 

- When Jamar went back to the apartment complex, at least one of the basketball players not involved in crash went to check on Carlwell (unconscious) with Jamar, and they went back into the apartment. There were numerous basketball players at the apartment complex they went back to, and it sure seems like they were trying to help Jamar sober up. Weber should be absolutely embarrassed about this entire string of events.

[whitesoxfan101]

Couple of interesting tidbits:

 

- At the hospital, they only tested for alcohol, and not drugs.

 

- When Jamar went back to the apartment complex, at least one of the basketball players not involved in crash went to check on Carlwell (unconscious) with Jamar, and they went back into the apartment. There were numerous basketball players at the apartment complex they went back to, and it sure seems like they were trying to help Jamar sober up. Weber should be absolutely embarrassed about this entire string of events.

 

There is a blood sample of Jamar's from the hospital undergoing tests at the lab in Champaign County right now. As for point #2, I'm not sure where you heard that, but i'm skeptical of it. NOBODY saw Jamar for 2 hours after he made the 911 call, which was about 5 mins after he got back to the complex. I believe other players live at the complex (almost all of the basketball players live off campus I believe, which is another issue that should be addressed), but with as fast as help got there for Brian (somebody called 911 almost immediately after seeing the car), if players were trying to help sober up Jamar (which IS possible) it was after Carlwell had left in an ambulance. Either way, this team has some serious issues.

Edited February 20, 2007 by whitesoxfan101

[fathom]

There is a blood sample of Jamar's from the hospital undergoing tests at the lab in Champaign County right now. As for point #2, I'm not sure where you heard that, but i'm skeptical of it. NOBODY saw Jamar for 2 hours after he made the 911 call, which was about 5 mins after he got back to the complex. I believe other players live at the complex (almost all of the basketball players live off campus I believe, which is another issue that should be addressed), but with as fast as help got there for Brian (somebody called 911 almost immediately after seeing the car), if players were trying to help sober up Jamar (which IS possible) it was after Carlwell had left in an ambulance. Either way, this team has some serious issues.

 

It's in the News-Gazette article with quotes from the State's Attorney. Also, since you know some stuff about this, have you heard that Jamar Smith called an assistant coach that night for advice on what to do?

[whitesoxfan101]

The detailed story is even worse....although sounds a lot like what I had heard. But I can say alcohol wasn't the only illegal thing at that party.

 

http://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/200..._accident_scene

 

Tuesday, February 20, 2007 12:54 PM CST

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URBANA – Felony charges of driving under the influence of alcohol and leaving the scene of an accident were filed this morning against University of Illinois basketball player Jamar Smith.

 

The 19-year-old sophomore from Peoria left the team last week in the wake of a crash late on Feb. 12 that left his fellow teammate Brian Carlwell, 19, of Maywood, severely injured with a concussion. Carlwell was hospitalized until Friday.

 

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Champaign County State's Attorney Julia Rietz sought a warrant for Smith's arrest, which Judge Tom Difanis signed. Difanis set bond at $10,000.

 

Smith's attorney, Mark Lipton of Champaign, learned of the felony charges late this morning and declined to comment on the additional charges. UI police had initially ticketed Smith with improper lane usage.

 

Rietz said from reviewing the reports compiled by UI police, Smith and Carlwell had been drinking beer and tequila earlier that evening at a woman's apartment in the College Fields complex in Savoy where Smith lives.

 

Sometime after 11 p.m., the two left in Smith's 1996 Lexus and were headed north on South First Street in Champaign when Smith left the 2000 block of South First Street, north of the UI Employees Credit Union. Tire tracks left in the snow show he crossed the southbound lanes and struck a tree, a police report said.

 

Rietz said Smith then drove the car, badly damaged on the passenger side, back to the College Fields complex at the southwest corner of First Street and Curtis Road.

 

"There were two girls in the parking lot who saw the damaged car pull in the parking lot, saw a tall man in UI sweats get out and go inside. They saw an unconscious individual in the car. They then saw the tall man come back out with someone else, approach the car, then both went back in and the young women called 911," Rietz said.

 

Rietz said the call to the METCAD dispatching center was received at 11:41 p.m.

 

"There were no other 911 calls," Rietz said.

 

Carlwell was taken to Carle Foundation Hospital for treatment of his injuries after having to be cut out of the car, police said.

 

Smith, however, went in his own apartment, where "a number of other basketball team members were present," Rietz said, declining to reveal who they were. He remained there for about two hours before he too went to Carle for treatment of a slight concussion.

 

"There was no evidence he drank anything in the apartment after the crash," Rietz said. "It appears Smith was distraught and upset at the fact that he thought Carlwell was dead."

 

Rietz said a state crime lab test done on blood drawn from Smith at the hospital shows his blood alcohol level was 0.17 percent, more than twice the limit for an Illinois motorist to be presumed intoxicated. Illinois also has a zero tolerance law for anyone under the age of 21 who is caught with any amount of alcohol in his or her system.

 

She said alcohol was the only chemical for which he was tested.

 

Because of the "great bodily harm" to Carlwell, Smith could face an extended term of one to 12 years in prison if convicted of the DUI charge. Probation is also an option.

 

The leaving the scene of a personal injury accident charge alleges that he not only left the scene but failed within 30 minutes to report the incident.

 

That is a Class 3 felony carrying penalties ranging from probation to two to five years in prison upon conviction.

 

Illinois coach Bruce Weber could not be reached for comment late this morning. The Illini were to practice in advance of Wednesday's final home game, an 8 p.m. start against Michigan.

 

Weber on Friday said in a statement that Smith would not play the rest of the season.

 

"It has been mutually agreed upon between myself and Jamar Smith and his family, that he sit out the remainder of this season so that he can focus all of his attention on the physical, emotional, academic and other related issues he will face in the coming weeks," the statement read. "As I said Wednesday, this is a very difficult time for Jamar. Our coaches, players and program will continue to support him as he deals with this situation."

 

The Illini have three regular season games and the Big Ten tournament remaining. It is likely they'll receive a bid to either the NCAA tournament or the NIT.

 

Smith, a 6-foot-3 News-Gazette All-Stater from Peoria Richwoods, averaged 8.1 points, 1.9 assists and 1.6 rebounds in 21 games. The guard missed six games with an ankle injury.

 

Smith is the second Illini to face charges this season.

 

Senior Rich McBride was arrested for driving while intoxicated on Sept. 29, when he was driving his car erratically on South First Street about 2 a.m. McBride's case is set for March 1 before Champaign County traffic Judge Rich Klaus.

 

The most damning verbage of this story is makes it clear that Jamar NEVER called 911, as first thought based on word of mouth. Ouch. It also points out he was tested for more than alcohol (since he was smoking pot, that isn't good) and a number of other basketball team members were present, but that was probably since the original party was at Jamar's complex (which I was NOT aware of), so hopefully there is nothing more to that.

 

It's in the News-Gazette article with quotes from the State's Attorney. Also, since you know some stuff about this, have you heard that Jamar Smith called an assistant coach that night for advice on what to do?

 

I orginally heard the only person he called before going to the hospital was Wayne McClain, and based on today's details, I believe that is probably accurate now.

 

My last question is, WHERE THE HELL WERE JAMAR AND BRIAN GOING?? If the party was at the complex itself, and the others players and partygoers were still all there, where were they going, with a drunk driver, in a blizzard?!?! That is mind boggling to me.

Edited February 20, 2007 by whitesoxfan101

[AssHatSoxFan]

The most damning verbage of this story is makes it clear that Jamar NEVER called 911, as first thought based on word of mouth. Ouch. It also points out he was tested for more than alcohol (since he was smoking pot, that isn't good) and a number of other basketball team members were present, but that was probably since the original party was at Jamar's complex (which I was NOT aware of), so hopefully there is nothing more to that.

 

actually it sounds like they only tested for alcohol which won't really matter because being under 21 and being over twice the legal limit is bad enough as it is

this is just a really bonehead move on both parts since Brian appears to have been drinking too

[MHizzle85]

plain stupidty. Jamar will deserve what he gets.

[Jimbo's Drinker]

Wow thats a real shock.....

 

Weber wil let him back on i expect.

[Dick Allen]

I'm not going to condemn the underage drinking. I used to get hammered when I wasn't of age, and even drove a few times. Dumb, I know. But to risk another life trying to cover your ass is being a pussy.

 

I'm not going to condemn the underage drinking. I used to get hammered when I wasn't of age, and even drove a few times. Dumb, I know. But to risk another life trying to cover your ass is being a pussy.

[CanOfCorn]

My take:

 

Let him stay in school, but suspend him for the year, and that includes his scholarship. If, he goes to AA meetings, does some serious community service, and moves on campus or with a Asst. coach and meets regularly with his probation officer and/or serves his time, then you give him a half scholarship for his senior year and let him play.

 

If he won't agree to those terms...division 3 is a calling, Jamar.

 

But completely turning your back on a 19 year old kid is a little rough. Offer up a solution, even if it's more harsh than mine...but let Jamar make the choice and be a man.

Edited February 20, 2007 by CanOfCorn

[Jimbo's Drinker]

Its probablly better for the Illini, they can find a JUCO or player who can do more than just jack up 3's. Hey KU has lost Giles, Giddens and Downs for various reasons.

 

they ended up getting Darrell Arthur and a bonus 2008 out of it.

 

It is sad, but the way it goes with kids.

[Dick Allen]

My take:

 

Let him stay in school, but suspend him for the year, and that includes his scholarship. If, he goes to AA meetings, does some serious community service, and moves on campus or with a Asst. coach and meets regularly with his probation officer and/or serves his time, then you give him a half scholarship for his senior year and let him play.

 

If he won't agree to those terms...division 3 is a calling, Jamar.

My dad is a Uof I grad and he started college when he was 16. He got caught with a fake ID and got thrown out of school for a year. This is a felony, and perhaps prison time. This guy has no business ever being on scholarship again.

[thedoctor]

normally i'm pretty lenient in my assessment of stuff like this. it wasn't that long ago that i was that age and made some bad decisions i'm happy didn't make it into a newspaper.

 

all that said, this story is disturbing and just gets worse. smith should be done. period.

[fathom]

My dad is a Uof I grad and he started college when he was 16. He got caught with a fake ID and got thrown out of school for a year. This is a felony, and perhaps prison time. This guy has no business ever being on scholarship again.

 

No way will he be allowed back on the team. If Weber does that, he's digging his own grave. This situation is already so messy, and the sooner it dies down, the better. It wouldn't shock me to see some more players get in trouble, and maybe a coach to come under a lot of heat.

[whitesoxfan101]

actually it sounds like they only tested for alcohol which won't really matter because being under 21 and being over twice the legal limit is bad enough as it is

this is just a really bonehead move on both parts since Brian appears to have been drinking too

 

First off, from the DA herself:

 

Rietz said a state crime lab test done on blood drawn from Smith at the hospital shows his blood alcohol level was 0.17 percent, more than twice the limit for an Illinois motorist to be presumed intoxicated. Illinois also has a zero tolerance law for anyone under the age of 21 who is caught with any amount of alcohol in his or her system.

 

She said alcohol was the only chemical for which he was tested.

 

So yes, he was tested for drugs too. And to compare what Brian did (underage drinking, a law of which I've never met a single person who didn't break it) to what Jamar did is pretty....well yeah, that doesn't work.

 

My take:

 

Let him stay in school, but suspend him for the year, and that includes his scholarship. If, he goes to AA meetings, does some serious community service, and moves on campus or with a Asst. coach and meets regularly with his probation officer and/or serves his time, then you give him a half scholarship for his senior year and let him play.

 

If he won't agree to those terms...division 3 is a calling, Jamar.

 

But completely turning your back on a 19 year old kid is a little rough. Offer up a solution, even if it's more harsh than mine...but let Jamar make the choice and be a man.

 

If these charges are true, and based on word of mouth alone and how accurate it turned out to be, they probably are, Jamar is a felon and probably going to jail. And this is BEFORE the drug test. He'll never play ANYWHERE again.

[WhiteSoxfan1986]

Its probablly better for the Illini, they can find a JUCO or player who can do more than just jack up 3's. Hey KU has lost Giles, Giddens and Downs for various reasons.

 

they ended up getting Darrell Arthur and a bonus 2008 out of it.

 

It is sad, but the way it goes with kids.

 

Off topic, but what did happen with Giddens? I know he ended up transferring to New Mexico.

[whitesoxfan101]

Its probablly better for the Illini, they can find a JUCO or player who can do more than just jack up 3's. Hey KU has lost Giles, Giddens and Downs for various reasons.

 

they ended up getting Darrell Arthur and a bonus 2008 out of it.

 

It is sad, but the way it goes with kids.

 

I actually agree with this. It could work out, especially considering how many really good '08 players Illinois has a shot at.

 

Off topic, but what did happen with Giddens? I know he ended up transferring to New Mexico.

 

I think he was a multi time offender, and got into a bar fight while underage and drunk or something like that.

[Jimbo's Drinker]

I actually agree with this. It could work out, especially considering how many really good '08 players Illinois has a shot at.

I think he was a multi time offender, and got into a bar fight while underage and drunk or something like that.

 

 

Giddens got into numerous bar brawls. but at the moon bar in Lawrence he got in a fight and was stabbed numerous times. He transferred to New Mexico, and I believe was just suspended for the year also.

[illinilaw08]

My last question is, WHERE THE HELL WERE JAMAR AND BRIAN GOING?? If the party was at the complex itself, and the others players and partygoers were still all there, where were they going, with a drunk driver, in a blizzard?!?! That is mind boggling to me.

 

The complex which the majority of the basketball team lives in is approximately 2 miles south of campus and they live there because the rent is dirt cheap (I know this because I live out there as well) and when you get a monthly stipend for room and board, the less you spend on housing, the more you can spend on other things (leasing cars for instance).

 

In response to where they were going, I imagine that Jamar was driving Carlwell back to the dorms where I assume Carlwell lives as a Freshman before the blizzard hit. There is a bus to the apartment complex in Savoy, but it stops running at like 11 P.M, useful for getting into campus, but not for getting back (something the University and the city might want to address).

 

Regardless of why they did it, this was clearly a horrible decision that Jamar Smith will be paying for for the rest of his life. I have to imagine his career at Illinois is over (though I could see him playing basketball somewhere else, I don't see why he shouldn't get a second chance somewhere, just not here).

 

What strikes me as the worst thing about this is that the only 911 call came from the witnesses, I cannot believe that neither Jamar, nor any of the people he told about the accident, called 911.

[IlliniKrush]

Bye bye Jamar. I don't care if 101 and myself have to suit up for the Illini...he better not play for the Illini ever again. He has zero business. .17 two hours AFTER the accident? Are you kidding me? What a complete moron.

 

Still a few questions that need to be answered, but we knew this would be ugly.