The fate of men’s basketball sophomore Zaveral “Zay” Jackson remains unknown this week after Judge Craig Clymer rejected the plea deal the point guard originally entered last month.
Clymer held a status hearing at Wednesday afternoon and offered Jackson one year in jail for two charges of first-degree wanton endangerment. If Jackson accepts this offer, he will be sentenced Nov. 21.
If Jackson accepts the offer, he will be eligible for shock probation, allowing Jackson to serve a portion of the year in a correctional facility and serve the rest on probation. If he declines, the case will be taken to trial.
The original plea deal Jackson accepted from Judge Dennis Foust included 30 weekend days in jail, attendance of anger management courses, community service projects and restitution for the victims. Jackson would not only serve weekends under the one-year sentence.
Jackson plead guilty last month to two counts of wanton endangerment after striking two individuals with his car in a Walmart parking lot in September after a verbal altercation.
Foust left the trial in mid-October after an unknown media source questioned his ties to the Murray State basketball team. Clymer, a McCracken County circuit judge, was appointed after Foust recused himself.
Head Coach Steve Prohm and athletic director Allen Ward suspended Jackson from all team activities, including practices shortly after Foust left the trial.
At basketball media day late last month, Prohm announced he was allowing Jackson to practice with the team.
“He’s back to practice now,” Prohm said. “I think he has to practice because he’s got great leadership, he’s got great competitive spirit and he’s a great teammate. He wants to be a part of the program and he wants to win. At the end of the day, what happened to him does not define who he is.”