An Emporia State football player has been released from jail.
Junis McDowell, 26, was suspended by ESU coach Dave Wiemers after he was arrested in June on two felony drug charges. A jury late Wednesday found McDowell not guilty. But an arrest warrant for a parole violation still hung over his head.
The warrant alleged a violation of law based on McDowell’s arrest, Frances Breyne, spokesman for the Kansas Department of Corrections, said this morning.
“Once he was determined not guilty,” Breyne explained, “the agency staff determined there wasn’t enough evidence to pursue the parole violation.”
McDowell was on parole for 1999 convictions for aggravated robbery and kidnapping after he robbed a McDonald’s when he was 18. The sentence also included a juvenile forgery charge. McDowell served five years and seven months before being released on parole Aug. 17, 2004.
After that, Wiemers met with him and decided to let McDowell join the Hornet squad.
Wiemers said McDowell’s status with the team was still being discussed.
“I’ve spent a substantial amount of time on this,” Wiemers said. “Right now, I think it’s best to continue to take more time.”
The coach said he would continue to meet with McDowell and that a final decision on his standing would probably not be made until Monday.
ESU athletic director Kent Weiser said he would rely mostly on Wiemers to make the final call.
“The person that knows the student-athlete the most and that has other kind of information is the coach,” Weiser said. “I trust their opinions very highly.”
McDowell was released from Lyon County Jail on Thursday, according to jail staff. He remains on parole until at least April 12, 2007, Breyne said.