State drops charges against Florida LB Morrison

By Chip Patterson | College Football Writer

July 23, 2013 4:19 PM ET

The State Attorney's Office has dropped the misdemeanor charges against Florida linebacker Antonio Morrison for barking at a police dog and resisting arrest.

According to the Associated Press, State Attorney Bill Cervone said the "dismissal is based on the lack of evidence to warrant much less legally sustain those charges, and the complete inappropriateness of pursing court action against Morrison, or anyone else, under the circumstances involved."

Cervone told the AP that he reviewed the tape and did not see any resistance "beyond questioning the actions of law enforcement, which is not illegal."

The incident, which occurred Sunday morning, has been reviewed by authorities. Alachua County Sheriff Sadie Darnell told the Gainesville Sun on Monday that Morrison should have received a warning instead of being arrested.

The Gators' linebacker was walking in a group past a police vehicle when he began to bark at a police K9 in the car. That's when Morrison began to interact with an officer and was eventually arrested and charged with the two misdemeanors.

''I would expect that Morrison has learned that being out at that hour of the night under those circumstances is setting himself up for a situation where he could risk and lose a great deal,'' Cervone told the AP. ''However, counseling him about where he was and whatever he was doing is not the function of my office. I can only concern myself with criminal culpability, of which there is none.''

Florida kicks off the 2013 season against Toledo, then travels to Miami to face the preseason ACC Coastal Division favorite on Sept. 7. If there is a time when the Gators defense needs Morrison early, it will be against Hurricanes' running back Duke Johnson and the high-powered Miami offense.

"I'm extremely disappointed in Antonio Morrison's decision making," Gators' coach Will Muschamp said in an official statement after the arrest. "He has been suspended from the team and will miss at least two games to begin the season."

It is not known whether Muschamp will amend or reverse his decision.

Morrison's first arrest of the offseason came on June 16 on charges of simple battery. He later accepted a deferred prosecution agreement, which will reportedly not be affected if the dog barking charges are dropped. The Gainesville Sun also obtained a video of the incident with the K9 cop, you can check it out below.

---

Eye on College Football is maintained by the four handsomest men to ever handsome: Tom Fornelli, Jerry Hinnen, Chris Huston, and Chip Patterson. Follow Eye on College Football on Twitter, discover the meaning of life.

You May Also Like

Biggest Stories

" } //console.log(customStrings.signIn); callFBApi = function() { var accessToken; var uid; //CBSi.injectJS('//connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#xfbml=1', 'facebook-jssdk'); /* FB.init({ appId : '297742330311988', oauth : true }); */ FB.getLoginStatus(function(response) { if (response.status === 'connected') { handle_fb_response(response.authResponse); } else{ FB.login(function(response) { if (response.authResponse) { handle_fb_response(response.authResponse); /* uid = response.authResponse.userID; accessToken = response.authResponse.accessToken; //CBSi.log("== FB APP DATA ==", response); FB.api('/me', function(social) { //CBSi.log("== FB USER DATA ==", social); log_in_socially(social.name, social.username, 'fb'); document.cookie = "lf_social_info=|FB|; expires=0; path=/"; }); */ } }); } }); }; handle_fb_response = function(authResponse){ uid = authResponse.userID; accessToken = authResponse.accessToken; FB.api('/me', function(social) { //CBSi.log("== FB USER DATA ==", social); log_in_socially(social.name, social.username, 'fb'); document.cookie = "lf_social_info=|FB|; expires=0; path=/"; }); } log_in_socially = function(dn, userid, site) { $.ajax({ url: "/data/common/livefyre/lf_social_login", dataType: 'json', data: { lfdn: dn, lfuser: userid, ssite: site } }).done(function(profile) { //CBSi.log("== Social Login ==",profile,site); if (profile.error) { //CBSi.log("Social login failed with error: ", profile); return null; } else { document.cookie = "lf_social_login="+ profile.socialsess +"; expires=0; path=/"; profile.socialsess = '1'; userObj = profile; lf_user_profile = profile; doLivefyreAuth(profile); } }); }; callTwitterApi = function() { window.open('/common/livefyre/V3/via_twitter?debug=32','twitterOauth','width=600,height=500,menu=0,status=0'); }; callTwitterApiHidden = function() { var arr1 = readCookie('lf_social_info').split(/\|/); log_in_socially(arr1[2], arr1[3], 'twitter'); hasProfile = 1; } function doLivefyreAuth(cval) { //console.log("== Attempting LF Login ==",cval); var isLoggedIn = 1; if (cval) { try { fyre.conv.login(cval.token); } catch (e) { isLoggedIn = 0; } } } changeDOM = function() { // DOM hacks. Change the UI for the dropdown box //console.log("== Running Dom Hacks =="); if (isLoggedIn == 1){ //console.log("== Checking Match =="); if (hasProfile == 0) { //CBSi.log("== adding get comment link =="); // They need a screen name //$('.lf_auth_section a.lf_user_loggedout').html('Get a Screen Name to Comment').addClass('loginLink'); $('.fyre .fyre-user-loggedout').hide(); $('#getScreenName').show(); var screenNameContent = 'Get a Screen Name to Comment'; $('#getScreenName').html(screenNameContent); } /* else { if (typeof userObj.profile.profile_url != 'undefined'){ if (userObj.profile.profile_url) { //CBSi.log("== adding login profile links =="); $('.fyre .fyre-box-wrapper a.fyre-user-profile-link').attr('href',userObj.profile.profile_url); $('li.fyre-edit-profile-link').html('Edit Profile'); } } } */ } changedDom = 1; //console.log("== finished dom hacks =="); }; function updateCommentCounts(element,count){ //CBSi.log("== updating comment counts =="); if (count == 1){ $(element).html('' + count + ' ??| ?Comment'); $(element).show(); $('.commentsCountLabel').html('comment'); } else{ $(element).html('' + count + ' ??| ?Comments'); $(element).show(); $('.commentsCountLabel').html('comments'); } $('.commentsCount').html(count); } function removeLfError(){ $('#cbsLfError').remove(); } var authDelegate = new fyre.conv.RemoteAuthDelegate(); authDelegate.login = function (handlers){ if (isLoggedIn Please log in above to post a comment.

'); handlers.failure(); } else{ removeLfError(); handlers.success(); } }; function updateAuthorLinks(){ $('.fyre-comment-username').each(function() { $(this).click(function() { window.location.href = $(this).attr('href'); }); }); $('.fyre-comment-author').each(function() { $(this).click(function() { window.location.href = $(this).attr('href'); }); }); } function updateOneLineComments(){ //console.log("Checking Comments"); $(".fyre-comment-wrapper").each(function() { if ($(this).find(".fyre-comment").css('display') != 'none'){ var commentText = $(this).find(".fyre-comment").html(); if (commentText != null){ var loopCtr = 0; // for IE8 while ( (commentText.indexOf("

",' '); loopCtr++; } //console.log(commentText); $(this).find(".fyre-comment").css('display','none'); $(this).find(".fyre-comment-head").append(commentText); } // end check for blank text } //console.log("Checking Height"); cntHeight = $(this).find(".fyre-comment-head").height(); if (cntHeight > 0){ //console.log("Setting Height"); cntHeight = -1 * ((cntHeight / 2) + 12); $(this).find(".fyre-flag-link").css('top',cntHeight); } }); } function change_profile_link(){ $(".fyre .fyre-box-list .fyre-edit-profile-link a").attr("href",'#'); $(".fyre .fyre-box-list .fyre-edit-profile-link a").attr("alt",''); $('.fyre .fyre-box-list .fyre-edit-profile-link a').click(function() { return false; }); $('.fyre .fyre-box-list .fyre-edit-profile-link').remove(); $(".fyre .fyre-comment-head .fyre-comment-username").attr("href",'#'); $(".fyre .fyre-comment-head .fyre-comment-username").attr("target",''); $(".fyre .fyre-comment-head .fyre-comment-username").attr("alt",''); $('.fyre .fyre-comment-head .fyre-comment-username').click(function() { return false; }); $('.fyre .fyre-comment-head').each(function() { var alltxt = $(this).html(); var nickname = $(this).find('.fyre-comment-username').html(); if (!(nickname == null)){ alltxt = "

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/cbssportsline/cfb_news/~3/aZ0hZmUsehs/attorney-florida-lb-antonio-morrisons-charges-to-be-dropped

petrino fired george zimmerman charged big sean sherri shepherd sherri shepherd arkansas razorbacks trisomy 18