Grand jury to hear LSU football players case Wed.

Jordan Jefferson, right, and Joshua Johns leave EBR parish Prison after being charged and bonding out Friday, Aug. 26.

A grand jury will begin hearing evidence Wednesday in the second-degree battery case against two suspended LSU football players, East Baton Rouge Parish District Attorney Hillar Moore III said.

Moore said he has received most of what he needs from the Baton Rouge Police Department and has spoken with many witnesses and the four people injured in Aug. 19 fight outside Shady’s bar on East Boyd Drive.

Results of DNA taken from suspended quarterback Jordan Jefferson and suspended linebacker Joshua Johns are inconclusive, Moore added. There were no matches to the victims, he said.

Jefferson and Johns were booked into East Baton Rouge Parish Prison on Aug. 26 on one count each of second-degree battery for their alleged involvement in the brawl.

Police searched Jefferson’s and Johns’ homes last month, taking shoes and DNA samples from each.

The football players told police they were not involved in the altercation, according to affidavits of probable cause for the search warrants of the players’ homes.

The affidavits say Jefferson and Johns, both 21, told police Aug. 23 they were at the bar that night but denied involvement in the fight.

Comments

1) Comment by caliguy58 - 19/09/2011

I see the Grand Jury returning "no true bills" against both players on all counts presented to it. This constitutes a finding by the Grand Jury that there is no "probable cause" to try the players on the charges against them. At that point, it's a guess what the D.A. will do. He could charge the players using a "bill of information". But, I don't think the D.A. will do what the Grand Jury refused to do. At that point, I think the D.A. dismisses all charges against the players, or lets the players plead guilty to misdemeanor charges of "simple battery" and recommends suspended sentences.