Less than a week after being arraigned on charges of possession of counterfeit money, MSU running back Nick Turner pleaded guilty to the charge.
Turner was given a sentence to three years probation Friday.
The sentence may possibly allow Turner to resume to his football career.
“We are very satisfied with the outcome of the case,” Turner’s attorney Charles Yoste said.
Yoste was not the only one who recognized that Turner’s case came out better than expected.
“This is the best outcome for the situation that Turner could have received,” Angie McGinnis, Oktibbeha County Circuit Court clerk, said.
Turner pleaded guilty before Judge Lee Howard Friday in the Oktibbeha County Courthouse, but Howard rejected his plea. Instead Howard sentenced Turner to non-adjudicated probation. He also fined Turner $500 and ordered him to pay $500 in restitution.
“This non-adjudicated sentence is very common among first-time offenders especially for those at a young age,” McGinnis said.
Yoste said if Turner fulfills his requirements, he will automatically be dismissed and his case will be expunged. However, he must follow all requirements for the next three years in order for his case to be expunged.
“This will give Nick Turner a second chance-I’m his advocate, and I think he deserves a second chance,” Yoste said.
Turner, the 19-year-old running back and former Parade All-American, had waived arraignment last week and was slated to stand trial April 30. The indictment was connected to an October 2002 incident in which Turner was charged for using $100 bills that were allegedly counterfeit.
Under Mississippi law, a conviction for possession and usage of counterfeit currency carries a 2- to 15-year sentence.
Yoste said it is his understanding that Turner will be able to keep his scholarship and return to collegiate football.