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Embattled Gorman football player enters plea deal
Oklahoma recruit pleads no contest to two misdemeanors, hopes to reduce all felony charges
Wednesday, April 29, 2009 | 3:58 p.m.
Justin Chaisson
Chaisson Signs with Oklahoma
Bishop Gorman standout Justin Chaisson signs his National Letter of Intent to play football with Oklahoma.
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Former Bishop Gorman football standout Justin Chaisson is one step closer to pursuing his gridiron dreams at the University of Oklahoma.
Chaisson pleaded no contest Wednesday to one count of misdemeanor coercion and one count of misdemeanor domestic battery stemming from an alleged attack on his ex-girlfriend, during which Chaisson allegedly threatened to kill the young woman with a screwdriver after violently forcing her into his car.
Judge Melissa Saragosa of Las Vegas Justice Court Department 4 sentenced Chaisson to one year of domestic violence counseling.
Chaisson, who also faces three felony charges from the screwdriver incident, waived his right to a preliminary hearing Wednesday morning and will proceed straight to the Eighth Judicial District Court.
The 6-foot-5, 285-pound defensive end is expected to plead no contest to four separate gross misdemeanor charges when he appears in front of Judge Stefany Miley of Department 23 on May 6, according to Court public information officer Michael Sommermeyer.
If Judge Miley accepts Chaisson's misdemeanor pleas, then all of the felony charges will be dropped.
Although Okahoma officials have yet to comment on Chaisson's proceedings, head coach Bob Stoops last year allowed wide receiver Josh Jarboe to play for the Sooners after Jarboe pleaded felony gun charges down to misdemeanors. Jarboe was later released from the team for other off-field incidents.
Chaisson's hearing Wednesday was originally scheduled for 1:30 p.m. but Chaisson's lawyer, Michael Cristalli, managed to switch the proceeding's time without having the public docket schedule changed.
Cristalli did not immediately return phone calls.
Chaisson notched 148 tackles and 28 sacks in his final two seasons at Bishop Gorman – earning him the distinction of the 73rd best football player in the nation by Rivals.com. The strongside defensive end, who can bench press 395 pounds and squat 500 pounds, chose Oklahoma over Florida, UCLA, Arizona and Iowa.
Steve Silver can be reached at 948-7822 or steve.silver@lasvegassun.com.
Discussion: 11 comments so far…
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You know, I honestly believe this is the right call. Put the kid on a tight leash and try to rehabilitate.
It's just too bad that this same call wouldn't be made for a kid from Canyon Springs, Desert Pines or Clark.
The kids at the other schools do not have money....
Another proud recruit for the Oklahoma Gooners. They must be trying to built their All Arrested team.
This is complete BS. If this kid wasn't some star football player he would be getting ready to put on a prison uniform not a football uniform.
I agree. This is total BS. This punk was given VIP treatment, and for no good reason.
I can't help but think that whichever HS football in his position was second on the Sooners list...
they should give THAT kid the scholarship and a place on the team.
Chaisson's not going to be rehabilitated. He'll only get worse with the bigger fan base he'll have
on a college team. I hope that the judge will
reject the deal. What this kid did was serious,
and what kind of a 285 pound guy decides to
terrorize a girl not even half his size?
Another white boy with steroid rage, punk beating up on women. Nice. Rehabilitate, the most worthless word in the English language. He got away with this now and Oklahoma is not a college know for the best behaved football players. He will be back in trouble within the next 4 years. A slap on the hand for, threatening to kill an ex-girlfriend.
And in four years after receiving a college education and contributing to whatever football program he ends up at, many of you will still be here, living your dull yet extremely judgmental lives, whining about the next kid who gets in trouble with the law and demanding that they're given the electric chair for a speeding ticket.
Posted a month ago:
"Career not over. This is a pretty prominent family (ever heard of the Chaisson Auto dealerships?). That fact will likely help get the charges dismissed or lowered to such a degree it won't hurt him."
I'm glad you guys aren't part of the judicial system, otherwise we'd have everyone thrown in prison for life without parole for almost anything. The thought of giving someone a second chance seems to beyond anything you're capable of granting. Considering that Vegas rarely ever produces any worthwhile people that are worthy of national spotlight, I'd think the locals would rally around this kid.
This guy is nothing but trouble. Saw him the other night with a girl that was a quarter of his size that was one of the most beautiful girls I've ever seen. Wonder if the poor girl knows what she is getting into? Can't imagine my daughter being seen with this guy.Once a beater always a beater.
Roach, perhaps you should have gone up and told her if you were so concerned?
How is this girl's beauty relevant here? You mention you have a daughter, but yet you're talking about this teenage girl as "the most beautiful you've ever seen"...do you teach at Durango?
First of all I never said "I" had a daughter. When you're walking thru a casino and see a couple that sticks out who the hell isn't going to look? I'm a male species and happen to notice pretty girls.i wish the kid the best of luck it just seems that he got off rather easy.wondering why you are so pro chaisson???
Ohhhhh ok, now you DON'T have a daughter, of course.... (???)
It's not so much about being pro-Chaisson, I just don't believe in wrecking a young persons life over something that could still treated. Like I said above, there ain't much good that comes out of this town, so it'd be nice to see someone succeed.
I despise this kind of behavior and think it should be punished but hopefully this young man has changed his perspective and will stay out of trouble.