<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Clarett's former lawyer: Prosecution offered plea dealAssociated PressCOLUMBUS, Ohio -- A fired attorney for Maurice Clarett said Friday an assistant prosecutor offered a plea deal in July with a sentence as short as 1? years if the former Ohio State football standout admitted to a robbery charge.On Friday, Clarett was in court for a status hearing on that January robbery charge. He is scheduled to go on trial Sept. 18, pending a mental evaluation, on charges that he held up two people outside a Columbus bar early New Year's Day and took a cell phone from them.During the 20-minute hearing, Judge David Fais ruled he will not issue a gag order in the case. Clarett spoke just once, responding, "Yes, sir" when Judge Fais asked if he understood the proceedings. He turned to smile at his mother and two friends who sat behind him.Fired attorney Bob Krapenc, who sat in on Clarett's hearing, told reporters afterward that the former Ohio State running back, Krapenc and his partner met in July with assistant prosecutor Doug Stead about a plea deal. Krapenc said Clarett had not decided whether to accept the deal and admit to a felony robbery count in return for a five-year sentence with the option to apply for release after 1? years.Clarett fired Krapenc and his partner about two weeks later.It's not clear if the deal is still on the table, and Stead would not comment Friday.Clarett's current attorneys said they were trying to find out more about the meeting."Certainly, anyone who had an opportunity to talk to my client prior to my representation of my client is someone I need to talk to," said Nick Mango, Clarett's attorney.Clarett has been jailed since Aug. 9, when he was charged with carrying a concealed weapon after officers found four loaded guns in his SUV after a police chase that began near the home of a woman set to testify against him in the robbery case. Officers said they had to use pepper spray to subdue him because he was wearing a bullet-proof vest that thwarted their stun guns.Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press</div>http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2561504
Yet again another wrong decision made by Maurice Clarett. A year and a half is probably far less then he's gonna get if he runs this through.
