Advertisement

What’s happening with former Kansas basketball player Arterio Morris’ local court case

LAWRENCE — The Kansas basketball program announced the dismissal of Arterio Morris at the end of September, following an arrest and a charge of rape.

The incident allegedly occurred locally in Douglas County in late August. Morris had been suspended earlier in the fall following the initial allegation. And now Morris, previously set to a sophomore guard for the Jayhawks, will never compete in a regular season game for his new team after transferring in from the Texas Longhorns’ program earlier this year.

“When we learned of allegations regarding Arterio Morris, he was suspended from the Kansas men’s basketball program,” Kansas basketball coach Bill Self said in a statement on Sept. 29. “We are now aware he has been arrested and charged, and he was dismissed from the program. As this is an ongoing legal matter, we are not able to comment further at this time.”

Here’s what we know about the case as it stands, and Morris’ status:

When Arterio Morris was arrested

Morris was arrested the morning of Sept. 29 and charged with rape, before later being released on a $75,000 surety bond.

What Arterio Morris is accused of, and the possible penalties

According to the complaint document, the accusation is that Morris did “unlawfully, feloniously, and knowingly engage in sexual intercourse” with an 18-year-old woman who didn’t consent and “was overcome by force or fear.” It’s one count of rape, a severity level 1 person felony. The penalty range varies “from a minimum of 147 months to a maximum of 653 months in prison and/or a fine of up to $300,000 and 36 months of post-release supervision.”

Following the arrest, Arterio Morris was still enrolled at KU

On the afternoon of Sept. 29, following Morris’ arrest, a KU official said Morris remained enrolled at the school.

A few days after Arterio Morris’ arrest, and dismissal, Bill Self didn’t provide many more details

Self spoke with the media a few days after Morris’ arrest. Self was asked different things about Morris’ situation, dating as far back as the process earlier this year that they used to vet Morris — who was facing a separate court case in the state of Texas, which was eventually pled down to a Class C misdemeanor for assault. But Self declined to get too much into anything about it all.

“I’ve said all I’m going to say,” Self said Monday. “It’s — you guys can ask and your questions are fair, but I’ve been instructed the correct way to handle this and even though it may not please those that are asking the questions, but it’s still the best way. And so, everything that’s been said has been said. And what was said was not much, but until this is completed there’s not much you can say.”

Arterio Morris is not living in campus housing at KU

That KU official who spoke to Morris’ status as a student also said Wednesday they don’t discuss the investigations or disciplinary actions regarding individual students. However, the official did note that Morris is not living in campus housing.

When Arterio Morris is next scheduled to appear in court

Morris’ next scheduled appearance in Douglas County District Court is the afternoon of Oct. 18.

Then playing at Texas, Arterio Morris (2) high-fives a teammate during the first half of a game March 9 this year against Oklahoma State at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City. Morris later transferred to Kansas.
Then playing at Texas, Arterio Morris (2) high-fives a teammate during the first half of a game March 9 this year against Oklahoma State at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City. Morris later transferred to Kansas.

RELATED: Kansas basketball coach Bill Self declines to provide many details about Arterio Morris

RELATED: Kansas basketball player Arterio Morris: What we know about his college career

RELATED: Former Kansas basketball player Arterio Morris remains enrolled at KU amid rape charge

Jordan Guskey covers University of Kansas Athletics at The Topeka Capital-Journal. He is the National Sports Media Association’s sportswriter of the year for the state of Kansas for 2022. Contact him at jmguskey@gannett.com or on Twitter at @JordanGuskey.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Examining former Kansas basketball player Arterio Morris’ court case