A slight uptick in the right direction for Hairston's troubles though the elephant in the room continues to be the rental cars and possible NCAA violations.
Durham Police told WRAL Wednesday they don't anticipate any additional charges against University of North Carolina basketball player P.J. Hairston following his June 5 traffic stop and arrest.
Hairston was charged with marijuana possession and driving without a license after a traffic stop in Durham in early June. A 9-mm handgun and ammunition were also found at the scene but police said they do not expect to file any charges related to the firearm.
"We are not releasing any additional information in regards to this incident," Durham Public Information Officer Kammie Michael told WRAL.
Had the Durham Police tacked on a gun or upgraded drug charge, it would have further complicated the situation or maybe even ended Hairston's time in Chapel Hill. Instead the Tar Heel junior will go to court next month simply facing the misdemeanor marijuana possession charge and a citation for driving without a license. Assuming Hairston actually holds a license and his previous speeding ticket would indicate he does, the latter charge won't amount to much. Hairston will probably receive some punishment from the court on the possession charge but in the grand scheme of things, that is not a huge deal.
It will be interesting to see what, if anything, UNC does with this piece of information. Obviously the rental cars and Hairston's use of them remains the bigger fish to fry. However there is now some indication of how the legal angle might turn out. Does Roy Williams announce some sort of discipline for this aspect or do they wait until both the legal and NCAA issues are resolved? Since Bubba Cunningham released a statement pointing to the latter, it is a safe bet radio silence will continue to be SOP.
