Oregon running back LaMichael James was arrested and jailed Tuesday on charges stemming from an alleged domestic dispute with his girlfriend.
James, 20, pled not guilty at his arraignment Wednesday. The pre-trial hearing has been set for March 24 at Lane County Courthouse.
James faces charges of five misdemeanors, including two for fourth-degree assault, two for physical harassment and one for strangulation.
James was in custody yesterday at Lane County Jail, and bail was set at $100,000.
Each of James’ five charges carries a maximum punishment of one year in prison.
Police said James’ 22-year-old girlfriend reported him pushing her down by the neck on Monday. She reported neck pain and abrasions after James “applied pressure” to her neck, according to espn.com. As stated by KVAL, the altercation occurred after 7 p.m. outside of James’ Springfield apartment.
The accusations against James, the latest in a string of charges leveled at Oregon football players, prompted head coach Chip Kelly to speak out.
“We are concerned any time a student-athlete is mentioned in a police report,” Kelly said in a statement. “We do not condone any behavior that doesn’t meet University standards or our football program’s standards, and we go to great lengths to actively educate our student-athletes regarding appropriate conduct.”
James, who burst onto the scene as a redshirt freshman last year, is no stranger to legal troubles. According to The Oregonian, he was arrested in June 2008 on charges of disorderly conduct and third-degree battery. The arrest came in response to an altercation between “rival high schools,” but James was cleared of the charges in July 2009.
Though clearly upset about the arrest, Kelly made clear that he intends to let the situation play out before making any drastic decisions.
“We have the utmost confidence in the local law enforcement authorities to determine the facts in all instances involving our student-athletes,” Kelly said. “(We) will reserve further judgment or comment until further information is available.”
The news of James’ arrest came just one day after kicker Rob Beard was charged with fourth-degree assault on a 19-year old woman.
Oregon quarterback Jeremiah Masoli and former wide receiver Garrett Embry were also recently accused of stealing property from the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. Neither Masoli nor Embry have been charged with any crime, but Embry was recently kicked off the team for violating team rules.
Kicker Mike Bowlin and defensive end Matt Simms have also left the team. Bowlin was involved in the fight that left placekicker Rob Beard badly beaten, and chose to walk away from the team earlier in the week.
Simms, meanwhile, was removed from the team after being charged of misdemeanor assault.
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