Florida Gators CB J.C. Jackson out of jail, still facing felony charge, status up in the air

By Adam Silverstein
April 21, 2015

Updated on Wednesday at 11:30 a.m.

Still facing a first-degree felony charge for armed robbery and with his football-playing future in serious doubt, Florida Gators redshirt freshman cornerback J.C. Jackson is no longer behind bars as of Tuesday evening, OnlyGators.com uncovered in a review of Alachua County Court and Alachua County Jail documents.

Jackson, whose bond was set at $150,000 by an Alachua judge on Sunday, spent the better part of three days behind bars and must still face charges of aiding an armed robbery in Gainesville, Florida.

Head coach Jim McElwain , while meeting with the media in Lakeland ahead of a speaking engagement with the Polk County Gator Club, provided little comment on Jackson’s situation other to say that no decision has been made on his future at this time.


McElwain’s comments were made before OnlyGators.com reported Jackson’s incarceration status.

“He’s not on campus obviously,” McElwain said, according to the Orlando Sentinel‘s Edgar Thompson. “At the end of the day, we’ve all got freedom of choice. We don’t have freedom of consequence. He’s got a lot of things to deal with right now. He’s got to get it taken care of.”

He continued: “It’s not something that’s reflective of who we are and what we’re all about as an organization. So he’s got a long row to hoe, and we’ll go from there.”

Jackson is accused of arranging an armed robbery at an apartment complex; three victims were held at gun point while the assailants stole marijuana, $382 in cash and two video game consoles.

After the victims identified Jackson due to his status as a Florida football player, he turned himself into police Sunday morning. The victims were unable to identify the co-conspirators, who remain at large.

Though in police custody, Jackson refused to cooperate with investigators as of Monday and did not have permanent legal representation at that time. Gainesville attorney Huntley Johnson is listed as Jackson’s representation on recent court documents, but it is unknown whether Johnson has chosen to take Jackson’s case on.

Update: On Wednesday, Johnson told The Gainesville Sun‘s Robbie Andreu that he has decided not to represent Jackson in this case. Johnson has represented dozens of Florida student-athletes – including sophomore quarterback Treon Harris during a sexual assault accusation last season – over the last decade-plus.

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