By Brandon Ortiz
bortiz@herald-leader.com
University of Kentucky football player Ashton Cobb pleaded not guilty Wednesday to charges of stalking and terroristic threatening.
Ashton Cobb
Cobb, a safety, who was arrested on Friday, was arraigned Wednesday in Fayette County District Court. He did not appear in court. Instead, Jim Lowry, a Lexington attorney who often represents UK players, entered the plea on Cobb’s behalf.
Lowry declined to comment after the arraignment.
Cobb is accused of sending threatening text messages and making threatening phone calls to his ex-girlfriend.
UK has suspended Cobb, and Coach Rich Brooks said Monday that Cobb has applied for reinstatement to school.
Cobb will return to court Oct. 24 for a preliminary hearing.
I think she should be granted a restraing order and he should get probation and let back in school. This sounds more like an abuse case of some sort unless Cobb has a history of violence.
There is no excuse for a person doing what he did but he should get a slap on the wrist from UK and a restraining order protecting the one he abused.
He is innocent until proven guilty… I think this is still the premise our judicial system is based upon. Anyone can file a complaint against someone causing them to begin a process of going through the legal system. He should not have been suspended in the first place. When he is found guilty by a jury of his peers that would be the proper time to administer justice. Until then, especially in this case, it is nothing more than an “accusation” in a “he said, she said” situation.
I think Cobb should be allowed back in school and on the football team, but after receiving counseling. If these allegations are true, then the young man needs help. You don’t make a lot of money off these kids and when they mess up once throw them to the wolves. U.K. may need to send him to counseling to learn to better channel his frustrations.
“an abuse case of some sort”???????? This is a history of violence. All that separates his verbal and text abuse from actual physical abuse is one degree. A slap on the wrist for something that there is “no excuse for”? I think Mr. Pride just wants a football player back. It has been proven time and time again a restraining order is little or no protection.
Robert,
Ask yourself this question: How would you feel if you were the father of the ex-girlfriend? I am certain that you’d feel this type of behavior warrants a punishment a bit more severe than just a slap on the wrist.
Quite frankly, he sounds like a rather disturbed individual.
S Shields? you say that a restraining order is No protection? How does being suspended from UK provide protection?
I never said it did Michael. I didn’t address all aspects of Mr. Pride’s comment.
I am disappointed in this young man’s alleged behavior but too often these kids come to college after being the big man on campus in high school and are used to having their own way and the people with authority often turn their heads because he is a “star athlete”. It’s a tough lesson but someone needs to put their foot down (if he’s guilty) and make it a lesson to the other student athletes that they have a responsibility to other people besides themselves.
I was told that he pleaded not guilty because the ex-girlfriend had a mutual “friend” steal Ashton’s phone and send the messages to get him in trouble because she was mad over him cheating on her. If this is true, they need to throw HER under the jail for abusing the sensitivity of the nature of the alleged crime.
Ashton also skipped out on paying 4 months of rent to me, his prior landlord, totaling almost $3,000.
He left my apartment in an unlivable condition, causing over a thousand dollars worth of damage and one month;s worth of renovations.
Time to file a suit, I think.
i don’t know the ex-girlfriend but i wouldn’t doubt that she would do something like that and i say that because i’ve known a few females to do something like this out of revenge. everyone automatically assumes he “just snapped because she left him” but how do we know that? how do we know he didn’t leave HER so she’s doing it to get back at him?
lets be real people. give the guy a chance. he’s earned his way here and it’s being jerked away (not only football but his education as well).
Does anyone remember what happened to the Duke Lacrosse team. That probably isn’t happening here, but i think we all have something to learn from this. Innocent until proven guilty.
Mr. Doresy,
I am sorry that you were left in a bad financial situation, but being a landlord myself, that is the risk we take when we decide to rent real estate to anyone, much less college age kids. I feel that the comments regarding the loss of rent and damage to your place are inappropriate in an article dealing with charges unrelated to your complaint.
I am concerned that this young man allegedly made these threats, but I believe that there are two sides to every story. One person can say that this happened, or that happened, and because of the way that violence has entered society, the authorities have a protocol on how to handle these situations. I think that with the judges we have in lexington, they will make decisions based on facts rather than hearsay.
Are you guys serious? You really think that he should be allowed special treatment? Why? Because he is a football player and we don’t want to upset Rich Brooks season? I do firmly believe innocent until proven guilty but I really hate to see some of the other comments. I have personally never chosen to get “revenge” on an ex-boyfriend for any reason and haven’t befriended any other girls who thought it might be appropriate to do something of that nature. It is crazy to say that she is overreacting etc…
Couldn’t it be that a big UK football player, big macho man on campus got so used to getting what he wanted at all times that he flew off the handle when his girl didn’t want him anymore???
no body is saying he should get special treatment but she shouldn’t either. maybe YOU haven’t chosen to get “revenge” but there ARE people out there who will.
because this is SUCH a big issue on college campuses, no one is taking into account that there are two sides to EVERY story. I mean, I’m a female and I’m all for protecting females rights as far as rape and abuse and stuff but this is being blown WAY out of proportion.
It is completely possible he did something wrong, but it is also completely possible that he didn’t do it too. i’m just tired of reading post saying “good riddance to the kid” and “he’s getting what he deserves” because in all actuality, no one here knows the details. and no i’m not saying this because I don’t want to upset the football season.
I just think the university overreacted by suspending him and I think people need to step back and realize that there are tons of factors in this that we don’t know about so we don’t need to judge. give him a chance. like i said, he earned his way here and it’s being jerked away before anythings even been proven.
Yes, you all say what if you were the parent of the ex-girlfriend…but what you don’t think about, is that anyone is capable of saying that…whether they mean it or not, there have been times when I have said things that I don’t mean but I still say them, you just don’t expect the other person to nark on you…like this ex-girlfriend did for some reason…I am behind Ashton 100%…girls are crazy and apparently if he is pleading not guilty then they must not have enough evidence to back up her what she is saying.
“He is innocent until proven guilty… I think this is still the premise our judicial system is based upon.”
AMEN JOHN !!!!! Who here has any evidence that this young man is guilty. Dont ask well , “Do you know he is not guilty” , because he DOES NOT have to prove that.
It is a sad day, whether guilty or not , that people in this Country are having to prove there innocence . If I call and say that someone here called my house or emailed me a threat because of my post I made does that mean you are guilty??? Should you be suspended from work without pay ????? Should you be arrested ??? Careful what you wish for people, you might find yourself oneday living in a place like that. We used to call it the U.S.A .
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