Pacers involved in fight expected to get probation

According to a report in USA Today, prosecutors will likely request probation and community service rather than having the players spend time in jail.

On Friday, Ron Artest, Stephen Jackson and Jermaine O’Neal are scheduled to appear in front of Judge Lisa Asadoorian in a suburban Detroit court for a pre-trial hearing.

The paper stated that the prosecution has asked that the three players seek probation and roughly 50 hours of community service each due to the fact that none of them have a prior criminal history and nobody suffered any serious injuries during the incident.

If community service is required, there is a possibility that it could be accomplished by working in clinics for children in Michigan and Indiana.

There were two other Pacers involved in the melee and both will also likely avoid jail time. Guard Anthony Johnson has already pleaded no-contest to an assault charge in a pre-trial hearing on September 16, while center David Harrison is scheduled for his hearing on October 3.

The infamous brawl involving spectators and players broke out near the end of the November 19 game between the Pacers and Pistons after an on-court dispute over a foul.

The contest was stopped with 45 seconds left in the fourth quarter and Indiana was credited with a 97-82 victory. With the Pacers ahead by 15 points, things unraveled when Ben Wallace was fouled by Artest and the Pistons’ center took exception to what he deemed a hard foul and gave Artest a two- handed push to the face.

The pushing and shoving continued by the scorers’ table as players came off both benches. The Detroit fans then lost control and began throwing cups filled with liquid and ice at Artest, who was surprisingly staying out of harm’s way on top of the scorers’ table. Artest was hit in the head by a flying cup and immediately raced into the stands and started punching whom he thought was the culprit.

Jackson followed into the crowd, along with other players, and started swinging away at the unruly fans.

Two days after the disgraceful incident, NBA commissioner David Stern issued harsh penalties, including the suspension of Artest for the remainder of the season. In addition, the NBA issued a revised set of arena guidelines to all teams. The guidelines consisted of policies dealing with security, alcohol sales and fan behavior.