Peter G. AIken-USA Today Sports
Well, some good news rang in over the weekend for North Carolina Tar Heels‘ star guard P.J. Hairston.
The prosecution in the case of a Jun. 5 arrest of Hairston has decided to drop all the charges stemming from the incident. According to reports, the charges were dropped on Jul. 19 when Hairston requested and was given a drug assessment. Based on those results, the state prosecutors then made the decision not to move forward from a legal standpoint.
This, is an obvious relief for the UNC guard and now that his legal troubles are apparently solved for now, his eligibility status for the 2013-14 season will be what comes into question. Up until now, the NCAA and the university has not been involved in the case, simply considering the legal procedure had still been ironing itself out. Hairston was originally arrested with two other men during a traffic stop and charged with driving without a license and marijuana possession. Those were the charges that were dropped, but the investigation surrounding the vehicle that Hairston was driving could have other consequences for the lead guard.
According to prior reports, Hariston had the vehicle rented for him so that he could drive to Atlanta to see friends. That, could be labeled as an impermissible benefit, which could make Hairston ineligible. This is where the school and the NCAA will come into play in the coming weeks or months. Hairston could face suspension by either establishment and other punishments could even come from head coach Roy Williams, who has already released a statement and has spoken with Hairston on multiple occasions.
While there is good news in this case for Hairston, he is not out of the woods just yet.
Follow Paul Seaver on Twitter: @PaulSeaverRS
