Major Culbert

[husker rob]

Awesome. Is he still off the team then or has he not reached a plea agreement?

he has until the 28th of June to reach a plea agreement, after that a trial date will be set.

 

LJS has a story about it.

[T-BONE]

any word on this kid?

[NU fan in Denver]

Major Culbert

 

LINCOLN - The Lane County deputy district attorney prosecuting the Major Culbert case said the Nebraska football recruit still has not contacted his office regarding a possible plea bargain agreement.

 

Culbert's next court appearance is scheduled for Wednesday in Eugene, Ore.

 

"We hoped to be able to negotiate with Major," Bob Gorham said, "but right now I don't know how to get ahold of him."

 

Gorham remains unsure if Culbert has hired an attorney. Oregon recruit Marvin Johnson already has reached a plea deal to lesser charges - sentenced to probation and jail time for criminal trespassing and harassment - and the resolution allowed him to keep his Ducks scholarship.

 

Both Johnson and Culbert, 18, of San Pedro, Calif., were accused of groping two women in a dorm room during a January recruiting visit to Oregon. Culbert pleaded not guilty to charges of burglary and sexual abuse, and Gorham previously said about 97 percent of such cases never reach trial.

 

Culbert's scholarship has been suspended by NU coach Bill Callahan pending his case.

 

Sounds like the DA is willing to deal. Maybe he wants to fight it all the way because he feels he is innocent.

[huskerhaze]

Culbert

 

LINCOLN - Nebraska football recruit Major Culbert reached a plea-bargain agreement Wednesday to settle his legal case in Eugene, Ore., leaving it now to the Husker coaching staff to decide whether he retains his scholarship.

 

 

Major Culbert

 

Culbert accepted misdemeanor charges of trespassing and harassment. The defensive back from San Pedro, Calif., was sentenced in Lane County district court to five years of probation and 30 days in jail.

 

Coach Bill Callahan said Wednesday night through NU sports information that he wasn't ready to comment on Culbert's future with the Huskers, and planned to review information pertinent to the case as he received it.

 

Callahan suspended Culbert's scholarship when he was arrested and charged with first-degree burglary and first-degree sexual abuse in May. Two women accused Culbert and Oregon recruit Marvin Johnson of groping them during a January recruiting visit to Oregon, just weeks before Culbert signed with NU.

 

Culbert could not be reached for comment, but Bob Gorham, the Lane County deputy district attorney, said Culbert told him he had remained in contact with Nebraska coaches and still planned to come to Lincoln.

 

Gorham said the two victims backed the lesser charges for Culbert and Johnson, who already had reached a plea deal and kept his Oregon scholarship.

 

"I met with them, and they said a number of times this is what they wanted to happen," Gorham said. "They didn't want these guys to be (ruled as) sex offenders. These were serious charges."

 

Culbert, 18, already has served five days in jail. Gorham said Judge Cynthia Carlson would allow him to do the remaining time next summer, possibly on work crew or work release.

 

Culbert pleaded not guilty to initial charges last month.

 

"I believe he was just appointed an attorney today

[NU fan in Denver]

I guess now we wait and see what decision is made. I would really like to have this kid on the team if he can keep himself out of trouble. I guess if he does get into trouble while on probation, he is looking at some serious pokey time.

[gamecocks]

I hope that we take a chance with him under the understanding that if he screws up again, he is off the team.

[KansasHusker]

I hope that we take a chance with him under the understanding that if he screws up again, he is off the team.

I think we should go with that too...I believe he is innocent and should be given his chance with us.

[husker rob]

with the deal in place Callahan is probably going to wait to comment until after he serves the 30 days. After that I bet that Callahan gives him one chance to prove himself, and 1 violation of team rules he would be gone.

[HSKRNOKC]

You know that the rival fans would have a feild day with this one if we took him back.

[Spartness]

If Cal takes him back, and I don't know enough about the situation to determine whether that would be a bad decision or a good decision, Culbert should have to sit out at least a year and prove his character to the coaches.

[KansasHusker]

You know that the rival fans would have a feild day with this one if we took him back.

The ksu fans especially...it'll be worth it though when he proves he's worthy of bringing to lincoln. They'll shut up in the future when Major takes a ksu wr's head off when they go over the middle.

[BigRedfxtoy]

We shouldn't let a bunch of fools (outside schools with ill intent for Nebraska) decide this kids future. I agree with making him accountable at the U of N but give him a chance. He may straighten out quickly and maybe not but give him a chance. I like the fact that Nebraska isn't taking it lightly. Oregon went ahead and accetped the other player that was involved almost emediately. They are the Ducks and we are HUSKERS. Nebraska holds high expectations for the student athletes and that is part of what makes Neb what it is. I agree with making sure Major understands this type of behavior is not acceptable nor tolerated at Nebraska. That being said: This situation doesn't sound like it should be an event that becomes an unrecoverable hurdle in this kids life. He was looking at being labled a sex offender for the rest of his life. Even the victums said that wouldn't be a justified punishment.

 

 

I live in Oregon and they call it gods country. God should take a trip here, he has lots of work to do. The only reason a Nebraska student athlete should be here is to kick their a** in what ever sport.

[NU fan in Denver]

If Cal takes him back, and I don't know enough about the situation to determine whether that would be a bad decision or a good decision, Culbert should have to sit out at least a year and prove his character to the coaches.

The only thing I don't like about him having to sit out a year is idle time. Idle time = time to get into trouble. If they accept him, get him involved in the team right away and put him with some older players to help get him acclimated to college life and steer him in the right direction.

[DJR313]

I think the kid deserves a second chance. I think this is a lot different than Frostee Rucker, or Dusty Dvoracek or Jason Berryman. It sounds like what he did was definitely inappropriate, but I think the accusers and the law in Oregon may have possibly exaggerated the situation.

 

He walks in with one strike against him, if he screws up, hit the road. Perhaps he will learn from this and become a better man. He is going to be doing work release for the remainder of his 30 days. Allow him back on the team, equal with the others, with the opportunity to play this fall. Perhaps the wake up call of having your dream snatched from you will be ample motivation to stay clean in Lincoln.

[Eric the Red]

Narbonne football star makes deal in sex case

 

Alleged victims in Oregon wanted the recent high school graduate to keep his scholarship, prosecutor says. Culbert avoids felony trial but draws 25 days in jail and five years of probation.

By Bob Holtzman

Daily Breeze

 

A star football player and recent graduate of Narbonne High School pleaded guilty to misdemeanor criminal trespassing and harassment Wednesday in an Oregon courtroom to avoid standing trial on felony sex abuse.

 

Major Culbert, 18, will serve 25 days in jail and five years of probation. The jail time must take place within the next 12 months.

 

 

 

Culbert pleaded not guilty in May to felony charges of first-degree sexual abuse and burglary. If convicted on those charges, he would have faced six years and three months in prison because of Oregon's mandatory minimum sentencing laws for sexual abuse cases.

 

Culbert, the 2005 Daily Breeze Player of the Year, was a highly recruited football player out of his Harbor City high school and signed with the University of Nebraska.

 

"Sometimes, on charges of this magnitude, you don't throw the dice (and go to court)," said Culbert's defense attorney, Elizabeth Baker, who added that the prosecution would not budge from its offer.

 

"I hate the way it went," Culbert said. "It's not right. I didn't do anything. It has been real frustrating. I have had to think about it 24/7, just all the time. It was so stressful, I'm surprised I graduated, to tell you the truth."

 

Prosecutors alleged that during a football recruiting trip to the University of Oregon in Eugene, Culbert and Compton resident Marvin Johnson, 18, touched two female freshmen students in "a forcible, sexual manner," the morning of Jan. 14.

 

Culbert was accused of pinning an unnamed female against the wall and rubbing her crotch while she asked him to stop. Johnson, who signed with Oregon out of Dominguez High, pleaded to the same misdemeanor charges on June 12. Oregon has already said that Johnson will retain his scholarship.

 

Nebraska suspended Culbert's scholarship after he was arrested in May. Nebraska press officer Keith Mann said the school has no timetable set and that once coach Bill Callahan has received all of the pertinent information, he would review it before making a decision.

 

"The victims wanted this to happen," Lane County prosecutor Bob Gorham said of the plea bargain. "They wanted these guys to have a chance to retain their scholarships and, hopefully one day, graduate from college, which also means play football."

 

Baker said she would be willing to have Culbert take a polygraph test and talk on his behalf to officials at Nebraska so he could retain his scholarship.

 

"I was supposed to (go) to Nebraska (on Wednesday), not go to Oregon," Culbert said. "I took the plea ... and, hopefully, I'll be at Nebraska in a couple of days."

Culbert did not receive the plea offer until Wednesday, the same day he met with Baker, his Oregon attorney. Gorham said the prosecution and victims wanted to see Culbert and Johnson receive a second chance and felt the terms were "equitable."

 

Baker disagreed.

 

 

 

"I wish I had more time to work on this matter," said Baker, whose previous knowledge of the case was based on newspaper reports. "This is one of those cases where the benefits of the bargain are more important than going to trial to prove a point."