Darren Collison pleads guilty to domestic violence charge

Sacramento Kings point guard Darren Collison has plead guilty to one count of misdemeanor domestic violence on Friday. The guilty plea comes as part of a plea deal that will see Collison on probation for three years, as well as a 20-day jail sentence. However, according to James Ham of CSN California, Collison is expected to serve the 20 days in an Alternative Sentencing Program and won’t actually spend any time in prison.

Collison released the following statement after entering his plea:

The Sacramento Kings released a statement of their own following the plea:

The NBA will now determine how to punish Collison. Previous misdemeanor domestic violence charges have resulted in suspensions of as many as 24 games.

As always, please treat this topic with the gravity it deserves. As Kings fans we’ll focus on the NBA aspect of this issue and how it impacts the team, but that should never undermine the fact that domestic violence is a serious issue and its impact extends far beyond the basketball court.