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Defensive end Greg Hardy’s jury trial that was scheduled to take place Monday morning at the Mecklenburg County Courthouse in North Carolina will no longer take place after the domestic abuse charges set against him were dismissed.
The Panthers placed the franchise tag on Hardy last year after he was denied the long-term contract that he desired. However, he only appeared in one game after he was found guilty of domestic abuse in June of last year. More specifically, he was set to begin his jury trial for assaulting and threatening to kill his ex-girlfriend Nicole Holder.
Even though he will not be punished under state law, there is still a chance the NFL could suspend him six games for the alleged domestic abuse if they find he did commit the crime Mecklenburg District Court Judge Rebecca Thorne Tin believed he did in 2014. However, if the league is unable to find sufficient evidence to link him to the domestic abuse of Holder, they will be unable to suspend him. That means he will be set to wreak havoc on opponents for all 16 games in 2015.
One of the main reasons the NFL is unlikely to suspend Hardy is because Holder decided against helping the court with the case. Being the accuser, she contains the majority of evidence that would allow a jury to confirm Hardy being guilty. But, the fact that she refuses to assist the case certainly brings up red flags, such as if her description of the event is legitimate.
With Hardy set free with no repercussions under North Carolina law, it is nearly guaranteed a surplus of NFL teams are prepared to go after the free agent this offseason. This is especially the case considering he has shown the dominating ability to get after the quarterback consistently in his four-year career. Plus, his 34 sacks in 63 career games is everything any team needs to know about his playing ability.
With the Carolina Panthers reportedly moving on from the elite pass rusher, Hardy is set to sign with the highest bidder.
Michael Terrill is a Senior Writer for Rant Sports. Follow him on Twitter @MichaelTerrill, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
