Los Angeles Lakers power forward/ center Jordan Hill is facing up to ten years in prison for an assault that allegedly took place back in February, but he’s vowed to keep his focus entirely on the NBA playoffs. Nearly a month after the incident, Hill’s girlfriend went to the police station and filed a report claiming the twenty-four-year-old left bruises on her legs and attempted to choke her. Not long after, the former 8th pick in the NBA Draft was traded to Lakers for Derek Fischer. Authorities in Texas continued their investigation and ultimately decided to formally charge Hill today with felony assault.
According to TMZ, Hill issued a statement this afternoon apologizing to the Lakers organization and the fans for the “untimeliness of (the) accusations”. He stayed away from commenting on the specifics of the allegations, but if he had, he likely would have attracted even more attention to the situation, which, judging by his comments, he clearly doesn’t want.
Given the length of time the girlfriend waited to file a report as well as the length of time it took police to formally press charges, it’s unclear how much evidence the authorities might have against Hill or whether ten years in jail is a real possibility. If the situation was a misdemeanor, the likeliness of a plea agreement would probably be high, but given any cooperation here might result in a small jail stint, I would be surprised if Hill doesn’t have his day in court.
We’ll keep you updated as the case progresses.
