Senior cross country runner Bobby Lockhart has a chance to wipe his record clean after the state filed battery charges against him last November. Lockhart, whose felony charges were reduced to a misdemeanor March 23, may have all charges dropped upon completion of a defender's program run through the District Attorney's office, said Lockhart's lawyer, Marcus Berghahn, Tuesday.
Felony charges were filed in early December with the Dane County District Court by his ex-girlfriend after a November incident where he allegedly shoved her against a wall and threw a wine glass at her.
Simply, the state couldn't prove its case,\ Berghahn said. According to him, the crux of proof in the case lay in the witnesses.
However, he said, the witnesses who were interviewed by investigators and police all indicated there was no intent to injure the complaining witness.
""The injury that resulted was one that was caused out of recklessness or negligence,"" Berghahn said the court ruled.
As the case stands, Lockhart entered a plea for his disorderly conduct and has been referred by the court to a defender's program. This program, which is run by the District Attorney's office, is anywhere from six to nine months long and may include classes, counseling, and/or community service, Berghahn said.
""[Lockhart] has not been convicted of any crime at this point in time,"" he said. ""If he completes the program, he will never be found guilty and the case will just be dismissed.""
Although she is not involved with Lockhart's case, Carmen Hotvedt, a UHS Violence Prevention Specialist, commented on athlete violence on campus. ""Unfortunately the athletic department sends a pretty clear message that when student athletes commit or allegedly commit these crimes and continue to be athletes, that in some way they are condoning that behavior,"" she said.\
