Hairston, Dale trial to end today

By Gus Bode

Stetson Hairston’s trial will not drag into the conference season after all.

At 11 a.m. Monday, Hairston and fellow Saluki guard Mike Dale’s lawyer, John Clemmons, will enter what he calls a partial plea bargain.

The sentencing is still open and will be done at a later date, but a mutual agreement on the charges will be presented to the judge, Kimberly Dahlen. If she accepts the compromise, the trial is over.

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Clemmons would not say what those charges are going to be.

“We’re going to show up at 11, and we’re going to show a partially negotiated plea to Judge Dahlen,” Clemmons said.

Clemmons said neither side initiated the deal, but both the prosecution and defense feel it is in their best interests not to go to trial. He would not say if the bargain had anything to do with the new witnesses the prosecution brought in last month, which delayed the trial.

Hairston and Dale, before the plea, were charged with criminal trespassing, mob action and battery, which could mean as much as seven years in prison for each athlete.

The two served three-game suspensions earlier in the season, and Hairston has been averaging 14.3 points per game since his suspension ended.

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