UCLA quarterback Pierce Clarkson might avoid criminal charges
More than a month after being arrested on suspicion of felonious assault with a deadly weapon resulting in serious bodily injury, UCLA backup quarterback Pierce Clarkson has taken a major step toward being able to resolve his case while avoiding charges altogether.
After the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office referred the case to the Los Angeles City Attorney for a possible misdemeanor, the latter agency decided to handle the case through a city attorney hearing, according to Ivor Pine, deputy director of communications for the city attorney.
A municipal attorney’s hearing is an informal process that allows people facing certain crimes to resolve their situation with a hearing officer without filing a criminal complaint.
The resolution of these hearings, including conditions imposed to remedy and rehabilitate, depends on the facts and varies from issue to issue, according to Pine. If the participant successfully completes the conditions, the matter is diverted and no charges are filed. If the participant does not comply, criminal charges may be filed.
A spokesperson for the UCLA athletic department said Tuesday evening that there was no update on Clarkson’s status with the team. He had been suspended from all team activities pending the resolution of legal proceedings following his September 5 arrest.
Before his suspension, Clarkson had been one of the top backups to quarterback Nico Iamaleava. Son of quarterback guru Steve Clarkson, Pierce Clarkson transferred to UCLA this offseason after spending last spring at Mississippi. The former St. John Bosco High star spent his first two college seasons at Louisville, where he played sparingly.
Luke Duncan was UCLA’s top backup in Clarkson’s absence, playing briefly late in the Bruins’ win over Michigan State.
