On Tuesday, the Daily Princetonian reported that Devin Cannady entered into a plea deal Monday for the four charges brought against him after he was arrested in an off-campus convenience store earlier this year. The former Tiger guard had three of the charges dismissed with the fourth, per the Princetonian: being under the influence without a prescription, resulting in a conditional discharge that can be dismissed in a year if he does not face any other arrests or convictions. As part of the agreement, Cannady will have to serve 20 hours of community service, according to the Princetonian.
In the early morning hours of Jan. 18, officers from the Princeton University Department of Public Safety (PSAFE) were called to a local Wawa due to the complaint of a disorderly person. According to The Trentonian, Cannady, identified as the offending individual, was allegedly high on marijuana when he pushed a customer and threatened others standing nearby. He was then alleged to have approached the officers while shouting and threw a punch toward one of the PSAFE officers, who ducked but was struck on the hand.
Cannady was initially charged with aggravated assault, resisting arrest, and improper behavior, per the Princetonian. The case was being handled by the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office.
In addition to the arrest, Cannady was suspended from the Princeton basketball team due to a violation of team policy. Following the university’s investigation and adjudication of the incident, the team captain’s suspension was lifted on Feb. 8, and he was reinstated hours before his team was to take on Yale in New Haven. That same day, the Daily Princetonian reported that the most serious charge of aggravated assault was downgraded to a disorderly persons offense and the case had been remanded to the Princeton Municipal Court.
After playing four straight games, Cannady was not on the bench for the Feb. 22 and 23 games against Columbia and Cornell due to undisclosed personal reasons.
On Mar. 1, it was announced that the student-athlete had decided to take a leave of absence from the school due to personal reasons. “I’d like to thank our AD, the athletic department, and the coaching staff for supporting me through this tough time,” Cannady wrote on Twitter. “While it saddens me that I’ll no longer suit up for the program that I gave my all to, they will have my continued support as they pursue another Ivy League Title.” Deputy Princeton University Spokesperson Mike Hotchkiss said, “Devin Cannady has decided to take a voluntary leave of absence from school to attend to a personal matter and, consequently, will not be playing basketball for the remainder of the season. He has our full support.”
After Monday’s hearings, Cannady’s attorney Kim Otis discussed the details of the plea deal with the Daily Princetonian, “That’s what we asked for and the prosecutor agreed to it because it was appropriate, and a normal deal in these sort of situations. It’s a relatively minor case of the use of marijuana. It happens a lot at the University.” The prosecutor, Kim Lacken, informed the paper that she had reached out to the officers involved in the arrest and both stated the charges were “just a result of an unfortunate event.”
Cannady, a native of Mishawaka, Ind., has returned to his home state His driving license was subject to a one-year suspension, but the judge dropped this condition after Otis noted that Cannady is living and working in different parts of his home state of Indiana and that the loss of his driving privileges would have a “devastating impact on him,” the Princetonian reported.
The 6′ 1″ shooting guard was Princeton’s leading scorer, averaging 18.2 points a game. He left the program fifth on its all-time scoring list with 1,515 points and third in three-pointers with 268. He announced on Twitter that he will get ready to enter the NBA Draft and has plans to return to the university to complete his degree.