Just as he was about to stand trial on felony malicious wounding charges, Jets defensive lineman Kenrick Ellis has reached an agreement to plead guilty to misdemeanor assault and battery instead.
As first reported by Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News, Ellis reached a plea agreement that will mean he does not risk deportation. Ellis was born in Jamaica and is not an American citizen, and he could have been been deported if he had been convicted of a felony. The Jets drafted him last year knowing he was facing these charges but said they were confident that it would eventually be resolved in a way that wouldn’t see him deported or spending significant time in prison.
The victim’s attorney told the Star-Ledger that Ellis will likely have to spend 90 days in jail and may get credit for time he has already served. Ellis assaulted the victim in Virginia in April of 2010.
Even if Ellis had to serve a full 90 days, he’d be free before the season started. It’s unknown whether Ellis will face any league discipline. As a rookie last season Ellis played in five games, starting two.