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Kansas basketball player Arterio Morris’ court case in state of Texas ends with plea deal

LAWRENCE — Kansas basketball player Arterio Morris’ criminal case in the state of Texas is now closed, after a plea agreement.

Originally, Morris was arrested in June 2022 and faced a charge of a Class A misdemeanor for allegedly committing assault that caused bodily injury to a family member — with the affidavit for his arrest extending that description to potentially including someone with whom there’d been a dating relationship. According to Denton County court records, the disposition file outlines a plea agreement for a Class C misdemeanor for assault. And as punishment, Morris is responsible for a $362 fine.

This means that there will be no jury trial next month for Morris — who transferred to the University of Kansas from the University of Texas ahead of the upcoming college basketball season — as that’s been canceled. Morris did not end up pleading guilty, instead choosing to enter a plea of “Nolo Contendre.” In the agreement, there is a note that states the state has abandoned its family violence finding.

The development comes after the complaining witness in the case stated a desire, in an affidavit of non-prosecution earlier this year, to no longer pursue charges against Morris. The witness expressed in that document a full recanting of statements made to any law enforcement agency. The witness — who was described in the affidavit for Morris’ arrest last year as his ex-girlfriend — had asked for all charges to be dropped, but understood as well that might not happen.

A spokesperson for KU Athletics said the department has no comment.

Then with Texas, Arterio Morris (2) drives the ball around TCU Horned Frogs forward Emanuel Miller (2) during the first half of a Big 12 Conference tournament game March 10 in Kansas City.
Then with Texas, Arterio Morris (2) drives the ball around TCU Horned Frogs forward Emanuel Miller (2) during the first half of a Big 12 Conference tournament game March 10 in Kansas City.

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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: Court case for Kansas basketball player Arterio Morris ends with plea