Javaris Crittenton was sentenced to 23 years in prison back in 2015 over his involvement in a homicide case, but the former NBA player may be released in the near future.
Crittenton was given a prison sentence of 23 years and 17 years of probation after he pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in the 2011 shooting death of Atlanta mother Julian Jones. His attorney, Brian Steel, confirmed to WSB-TV in Atlanta that Crittenton was resentenced on Thursday and is scheduled to be released immediately.
Prosecutors said at the time that Crittenton, who was allegedly in a gang, was aiming for a man who robbed him days earlier and did not intend to shoot Jones. A senior assistant D.A. for the Fulton County District Attorney’s office consented to the new sentence in court on Thursday.
The D.A.’s office told WSB-TV investigative reporter Mark Winne that District Attorney Fani Willis was unaware that Crittenton’s sentence had been changed until the news outlet contacted the office. Willis briefly represented Crittenton as a defense attorney, so the D.A. said the entire office has a legal conflict. The office has filed a motion to rescind the new sentence.
Crittenton’s new sentence for the voluntary manslaughter charge is 20 years, including 10 years of probation. It also credits 10 years time served. The new sentence for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon is 20 years of probation after the manslaughter sentence.
The new sentence also calls for 7,200 hours of community service and for Crittenton to wear a monitoring system during the first five years of his probation.
Crittenton played for the Los Angeles Lakers, Memphis Grizzlies and Washington Wizards across four NBA seasons from 2007-2009. He is best known for being the other player involved in the infamous locker room gun incident with Gilbert Arenas.
Arenas felt that all the legal trouble Crittenton got into years after the incident showed who the real problem was.
