Guard Javaris Crittendon, the “other” player involved in the infamous Showdown at the OK Corral style standoff in the Verizon Center locker room, plead guilty to a misdemeanor gun charges Monday in D.C. Superior Court.Reports of the possibility of Crittendon being charged with a gun crime began to pop up on multiple websites early Monday morning, with the Washington Post first reporting confirmation that Crittendon would be charged Monday afternoon.The charges come on the heels of reports that have surfaced in the weeks following the incident and related charges for guard Gilbert Arenas that seemed to suggest that Crittendon may, in fact, not be charged with a crime at all after investigators interviews with teammates turned up contradictory reports and a search of his Arlington home failed to produce the weapon in question. It is unclear exactly how or when investigators decided to proceed with prosecution of Crittendon despite the absence of the weapon as evidence and the conflicting testimony from teammates.Crittendon plead guilty to one misdemeanor count of possession of an unregistered firearm after early reports suggested he might face a felony count of unlawful possession of a firearm and a misdemeanor count of attempting to carry a pistol without a license. Crittendon was able to work out a plea agreement with prosecutors to drop one of two misdemeanor charges and recommend no jail time for the infraction, which carries a maximum charge of one year in jail. Presiding Judge Bruce Beaudin fined Crittendon $1,250 and sentenced him to one year of unsupervised probation.Following Crittendon’s appearance in court, his attorney, Peter H. White, issued a statement suggesting that the 22 year old guard brought the gun to the Verizon Center “only because he legitimately feared for his life” and that the gun was not loaded, nor did Crittendon threaten anyone with the weapon, as some reports have suggested.
While Crittendon’s legal troubles are effectively placed in the past with his plea agreement, his troubles with the league and the Wizards could be just beginning.
Crittendon has not appeared in a game for the Wizards this season while nursing an injury sustained late in training camp during the offseason. While the team has been standoffish in its approach to disciplining Arenas, a possibility made difficult by the fact that Arenas has not yet been sentenced and by a “double jeopardy” clause in the NBA’s collective bargaining agreement that would prohibit the team from disciplining Arenas for an infraction for which the league has already imposed punishment, there will likely be swift movement in disciplining Crittendon as the team looks to work past what has been a terribly embarrassing situation for the organization.This afternoon the Wizards’ organization released the following statement. "The charges filed today against Javaris Crittenton and his subsequent plea represent another disappointing development in what has already been a long and frustrating process for the team, the NBA and, most importantly, our fans. Javaris clearly used very bad judgment in this situation and will now face the consequences of his actions.”While Arenas’ contract and status as the face of the franchise make releasing him a near impossibility, Crittendon’s much smaller rookie deal isn’t quite as prohibitive. Washington could, conceivably, release Crittendon without taking a significant hit to the team’s salary cap – a possibility that, according to Internet chatter, could become reality. Kavanaugh said Crittenton voluntarily surrendered his gun to authorities. Police had searched his apartment Jan. 14 but didn't find it.Crittenton's lawyer, Peter H. White, said his client was scared of Arenas. He emphasized that Crittenton, in his third year in the NBA, did not have the stature on the team that Arenas enjoyed.
White said that after Crittenton tossed one of Arenas' guns on the floor, Arenas said: "If I'm giving you these three guns, imagine what I have in my car."
Arenas has said repeatedly that the situation was a misguided attempt at a joke and that he never intended to hurt anybody.White told reporters after the hearing that Crittenton wouldn't make any more statements because he is scheduled to meet with NBA officials Tuesday.Crittenton faces a suspension or fine from the NBA because possession of a gun at an NBA arena is a violation of the league's collective bargaining agreement.NBA spokesman Tim Frank said the league had no immediate comment on Crittenton's plea.The Wizards said in a statement Monday that Crittenton used "very bad judgment.""The charges filed today against Javaris Crittenton and his subsequent plea represent another disappointing development in what has already been a long and frustrating process for the team, the NBA and, most importantly, our fans," the team said.A spokeswoman for Arenas' lawyer declined to comment on Crittenton's plea. Arenas, who is in the second season of a six-year, $111 million contract and has been suspended indefinitely by the NBA, is scheduled to be sentenced March 26. Washington Wizards guard Javaris Crittenton pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor gun charge Monday, explaining he had a pistol because he feared teammate Gilbert Arenas would shoot him or blow up his car after the two argued over a card game.The hearing marked the first time authorities confirmed Crittenton was the other player involved in the confrontation with Arenas, who pleaded guilty Jan. 15 to a felony gun charge.D.C. Superior Court Senior Judge Bruce Beaudin sentenced Crittenton, 22, to a year of unsupervised probation after Crittenton pleaded guilty to misdemeanor possession of an unregistered firearm. Beaudin ordered Crittenton to mentor young people in Washington and to help with relief efforts for Haiti.Beaudin didn't order a specific amount of community service but said his lawyer must report regularly on the work.Crittenton must also pay a $1,000 fine and $250 into a victims' fund.
"I accept full responsibility for my bad judgment, my terrible mistake," Crittenton, who appeared in court wearing a gray suit and glasses, told the judge as he entered the plea. "I'm deeply sorry to the city of Washington, to the Wizards, to my family and to the NBA for this embarrassment."
Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Kavanaugh said the two players first clashed Dec. 19 over a card game on a team flight back from a game in Phoenix. Arenas said he was too old for a fistfight and threatened to shoot Crittenton in the face, and Crittenton replied he would shoot Arenas in his surgically repaired knee, Kavanaugh said.Later, Arenas said he would blow up or burn Crittenton's car, Kavanaugh said.
Two days later, Crittenton put his legally owned, unloaded handgun into his backpack before he left his apartment in Arlington, Va., for practice at the Verizon Center, Kavanaugh said.Crittenton put the backpack in his locker and went to see team trainers, Kavanaugh said. When he returned he saw several guns - Crittenton's lawyer said there were three, not four, as previously reported - on a chair in front of his locker with a sign saying, "Pick 1."Crittenton tossed one of the guns on the floor and told Arenas to get the weapons off the chair. Then, fearing for his safety, Crittenton took the handgun out of his backpack and showed it to Arenas, Kavanaugh said.However, Kavanaugh said there is no evidence Crittenton ever threatened anyone with the gun.Prosecutors said Arenas told Crittenton: "You are going to need more than that little gun."Kavanaugh said Crittenton voluntarily surrendered his gun to authorities. Police had searched his apartment Jan. 14 but didn't find it.Crittenton's lawyer, Peter H. White, said his client was scared of Arenas. He emphasized that Crittenton, in his third year in the NBA, did not have the stature on the team that Arenas enjoyed.White said that after Crittenton tossed one of Arenas' guns on the floor, Arenas said: "If I'm giving you these three guns, imagine what I have in my car."
Arenas has said repeatedly that the situation was a misguided attempt at a joke and that he never intended to hurt anybody.White told reporters after the hearing that Crittenton wouldn't make any more statements because he is scheduled to meet with NBA officials Tuesday.
Crittenton faces a suspension or fine from the NBA because possession of a gun at an NBA arena is a violation of the league's collective bargaining agreement.
NBA spokesman Tim Frank said the league had no immediate comment on Crittenton's plea.The Wizards said in a statement Monday that Crittenton used "very bad judgment."
"The charges filed today against Javaris Crittenton and his subsequent plea represent another disappointing development in what has already been a long and frustrating process for the team, the NBA and, most importantly, our fans," the team said.A spokeswoman for Arenas' lawyer declined to comment on Crittenton's plea. Arenas, who is in the second season of a six-year, $111 million contract and has been suspended indefinitely by the NBA, is scheduled to be sentenced March 26.
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