3 UA football players deny guilt, face Aug. 27 trial

— Arkansas football players Marquel Wade, Maudrecus Humphrey and Andrew Peterson pleaded not guilty to felony burglary and theft charges Wednesday and have been assigned a trial date of Aug. 27 in Washington County Circuit Court before Judge William Storey.

Each was charged with three counts of Class B felony residential burglary and one count of Class D felony theft during Wednesday’s arraignment at the Washington County Detention Center court.

When Wade, Humphrey and Peterson were arrested May 12 by UA police, the preliminary report listed nine counts of residential burglary against Humphrey and Peterson and one countagainst Wade, but Washington County deputy prosecuting attorney Mark Booher said Wednesday that report included a typographical error and that Wade also was originally charged with nine counts. Booher said the police quickly notified the prosecutor’s office of the mistake.

Booher said that after reviewing the case, he made the decision to charge each player with three counts of burglary and one of theft.

“That’s not uncommon,” Booher said of the number of counts against a suspect being changed between an arrest and arraignment. “At this point we’re going with three and one, and we’ll see how that goes from here. We still have the option to amend [the counts].”

Arkansas Coach John L. Smith said in a statement released Wednesday that Wade, Humphrey and Peterson remain suspended from the team. They were suspended immediately after being arrested.

“Marquel Wade, Maudrecus Humphrey and Andrew Peterson are not members of our football team, and once the legal system has ruled on their status we will determine their status with the team,” Smith said.

Wade, a sophomore receiver and kick returner, is hopeful of returning to the team, said Chad Atwell, Wade’s attorney.

“Although we haven’t seen all the discovery yet, my client looks forward to a resolution of this case,” Atwell said. “He came here to go to school and play football.

“I think he’s working out hard and he’s working out as if he’s going to be playing in the fall.”

Wade, Humphrey and Peterson declined comment, as did Humphrey’s attorney, W.H. Taylor, and Peterson’s attorney, Renae Hudson. Humphrey is a red shirt junior receiver. Peterson is a red shirt freshman tight end.

A Class B felony conviction carries a sentence of 5 to 20 years in the Arkansas Department of Corrections and/ or a maximum fine of $15,000.

A Class D felony conviction carries a sentence of up to 6 years with a maximum fine of $10,000.

Wade, Humphrey and Peterson remain free on the bonds they posted after being arrested - $3,500 for Humphrey and Peterson and $2,500 for Wade - and left the Washington County Detention Center after the arraignment. Judge Ray Reynolds told the three their bonds would be revoked if they got into trouble before their trial.

The three sat together Tuesday and spoke quietlywhile awaiting their arraignment.

Wade, Humphrey and Peters were arrested on suspicion of stealing laptops, textbooks and DVDs with a combined value of $4,817 from UA dormitory rooms.

Surveillance video cameras showed the three going through the dormitory hall and entering unlocked rooms, according to the UA police report. A clerk at a campus bookstore identified the three as having been in the store several times selling textbooks, the report stated, and textbooks and other stolen property were found in Peterson’s dorm room.

Sports, Pages 13 on 06/28/2012

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