DA drops charges
Jackson - free to play
By JENNIFER ALEXANDER
Jackson is expected to play in the upcoming game Saturday, Nov. 28.
In the statement Kiffin said:
“As I’ve said before, we wanted to take our time to get all the information regarding this situation. These were very serious allegations, and we had to make sure we handled this properly. After an extensive and thorough investigation by the Knoxville Police Department and the District Attorney’s office, they have cleared Janzen of any wrongdoing and determined he had no prior knowledge of this incident. Janzen will rejoin team activities today.
“We hold our student-athletes to an extremely high standard on and off the field. Janzen has seen the effect personal decisions had on his former teammates and is excited to rejoin our team activities,” the statement said.
On Nov. 23 the District Attorney’s office announced they were dropping charges against Jackson and Marie Montmarquet, who was accused of driving the getaway car after the robbery.
“The decision was made after an intensive investigation by the Knoxville Police Department, numerous interviews of persons with any relevant information on these charges and reviews of more than 10 hours of video and audio records related to the charges,” the DA’s office said in a press release, Nov. 23.
Nu’Keese Richardson and Mike Edwards both 18-years-old, were charged with attempted aggravated armed robbery after KPD said they tried to rob three men Nov. 12 outside a Pilot store on Cumberland Avenue.
Both Richardson and Edwards played football for UT. Edwards played defensive back, while Richardson played wide receiver for the team.
Last Monday, Nov. 16, both Edwards and Richardson were kicked off the team, due to their poor decision- making skills, according to Kiffin.
Following the Nov. 12 incident Janzen Jackson was barred from playing and team activities.
Montmarquet, 22 a fellow UT pre-law student was charged with aggravated armed robbery and with possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia.
Gregory Issacs told media Nov. 24 that the charges of aggravated armed robbery Montmarquet faced were not part of a
plea bargain.
Issacs also said Montmarquet was glad to have the robbery case over.
While Edwards and Richardson will have to return to court for a preliminary hearing Jan. 20, their once accused accomplice Jackson went free.
Don Bosch, Jackson’s defense lawyer said he never left the back seat of Montmarquet’s car and was unaware of the robbery until after they were back at Gibbs Hall on UT Campus.
Bosch said if Jackson were to be called to testify that he would say he didn’t see anything.
“The investigation and careful review of all relevant evidence failed to show Ms. Montmarquet or Mr. Jackson had prior knowledge that the attempted robbery was going to take place and were unaware something had occurred until after they pulled out of the Pilot store,” a statement from DA’s office stated.
“Therefore, there is insufficient legal basis to continue a prosecution against them,” the statement went on to say.
The statement also said, both Montmarquet and Jackson cooperated with KPD from the time they were pulled over and voluntarily responded to police questioning. Their statements assisted the investigation and were consistent with the other evidence that was developed.
“It is an ethical obligation and the standard practice of district attorneys to dismiss charges at the earliest stage of the criminal justice process once investigations reveal the evidence will not support a conviction and occurs almost daily in the Knox County courts,” the DA’s statement said.
According to a Knox County General Sessions Court document police responded to a armed robbery in progress call at 2218 Cumberland Avenue, a Pilot store.
Upon arrival, the three victims Cory Zickefoose, Benjamin Everett and Corey Smith told police that they were sitting in their car when Michael Edwards and Nu’Keese Richardson approached their car.
The document further states Edwards and Richardson opened the victims car doors, and both stated, “Give me everything you got!”
One of the males brandished a black semi-automatic hand gun. In the complaint the victims said they showed the robbers their empty wallets, at which time Jackson approached from the store and said, “We’ve gotta go.”
During a search of Montmarquet and her blue Toyota Prius, police found marijuana in her pocket and a marijuana grinder which she admitted belonged to her.
Furthermore, officers found two black hoodies and a black CO2 powered pellet gun under the back seat.
The victims described men who robbed them as two black males wearing black hooded sweatshirts.
