Former Illinois football player sentenced to 12 months of conditional discharge
URBANA — A former University of Illinois football player has been sentenced to 12 months of conditional discharge after pleaded guilty on Monday to battery in connection with an incident in November.
Evan H. Frierson, 20, who listed an address in the 600 block of South Randolph Street, Champaign, pleaded guilty to battery.
Judge Heidi Ladd sentenced Frierson to 12 months of conditional discharge, which is a form of probation, to one day he has already served at the county jail and to pay $2,088 in restitution to the victim.
A second charge of aggravated battery with the intent to cause great bodily harm was dismissed as part of a plea agreement.
According to a Champaign police report, Frierson was arrested at 12:04 a.m. on Nov. 14 for allegedly punching a 19-year-old Oak Lawn man in the face in a crosswalk in the 500 block of East Green Street, Champaign.
The victim was taken to Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana, where he was treated and released. The $2,088 in restitution is the amount of the victim’s out-of-pocket medical costs, according to Assistant State’s Attorney Troy Lozar.
Frierson, a linebacker, was dismissed from the Fighting Illini team following his arrest. Frierson has since transferred to Illinois State University.
Another injustice. Always notice how persons of high school age or younger when convicted of a crime find themselves with a criminal record for life where as persons of a college age find themselves with conditional discharge. How are the younger persons to build a prosperous life when having a criminal record for life? It appears that if you are enrolled in college, the scales of justice will weigh in your favor but beware if you are in high school, for the powers that be will throw away the key for life. So much for rehab, mistakes, mitigating circumstances. If all it takes to be a judge is to separate those enrolled in college or high school, any monkey can do that for bananas rather than thousands of dollars.
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