Atlanta Hawks: Mike Scott receives notice of accusation
Remember when Atlanta Hawks forward Mike Scott was arrested on felony drug charges in July 2015? The Banks County Court District Attorney’s office has recently filed a notice of accusation against Scott. What does this mean for Scott and the Hawks?
The Atlanta Hawks forward Mike Scott has been delivered a notice of accusation from the Banks County Court District on drug charges that amount to a total of 25 years in prison.
A notice of accusation, according to the Sixth Amendment to the US Constitution, is defined as:
"The constitutional right to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation entitles the defendant to insist that the indictment apprise him of the crime charged with such reasonable certainty that he can make his defense and protect himself after judgment against another prosecution on the same charge."
For those who are unaware of Mike Scott’s arrest last summer, according to Chris Vivlamore VIA The Atlanta Journal – Constitution:
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"Scott faces up to 25 years in prison on two felony drug charges. He was arrested, along with his younger brother, on July 30 after a traffic stop along I-85 in Homer. In the vehicle, police found 35.2 grams of marijuana and 10.9 grams of Schedule I drug MDMA, known as Molly.The charge on the MDMA carries a sentence of up to 15 years. The charge on the marijuana carries a sentence of up to 10 years, according to Georgia statutes. The drugs were sent to an independent lab for verification and the results have been returned to the District Attorney’s office ahead of the filing of the notice of accusation.Scott consented to an interview with police after being arrested. According to the incident report from the Banks County Sheriff’s Office, Scott told police that the drugs located in the vehicle belonged to him, that his brother was unaware and that he “takes full responsibility for the drugs.”"
Though the Atlanta Hawks have chosen not to comment on the incident, there is the question of whether or not Scott will face any consequences from the organization and the NBA as a whole. After all, a felony drug charge is a pretty big deal when you’re a professional athlete.
Scott is under contract with the Atlanta Hawks for one more year at $3.3 million. At 6’8”, 237 lbs., Scott was the second round pick of the Hawks in the 2012 NBA Draft. Since then, he has spent his entire professional career with the Atlanta Hawks and has proven himself to be a valuable asset to the team.
This season, Scott averaged 6.2 points per game and 2.7 rebounds. Let’s not forget when he led the Atlanta Hawks to a 110-83 playoff victory over the Boston Celtics on April 26th. That night, Scott was the Hawks’ game leader with 17 points and five rebounds.
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All in all, it’s a very unfortunate situation for both Scott and the Hawks. While there is a good chance he will get off without jail time, hopefully he has learned his lesson. In the prime of his NBA career, Scott should be making better decisions.