Pacers Players Enter No-Contest Plea in Basketbrawl Incident

Three members of the Indiana Pacers who were involved in last November's brawl between the Pacers and fans at the Palace at Auburn Hills have entered no contest pleas in a Michigan court room on charges of misdemeanor assault.

Ron Artest, Jermaine O'Neal and Stephen Jackson entered the no-contest pleas Friday. In Michigan, no-contest is not considered an admission of guilt but is treated as a guilty plea for purposes of sentencing.

Judge Julie Nicholson heard the pleas and is scheduled to enter a sentence this afternoon. According to an agreement with the Oakland County District Attorney's Office, the players are expected to receive sentences of probation and community service.

Two other Pacers players had separate hearings. David Harrison will not appear before the court until October 3 while Anthony Johnson has already entered a plea of no-contest and is scheduled to be sentenced on October 7.

Artest was suspended for the rest of the season after the November 19 brawl, considered one of the worst in American sports history. Jackson was suspended for 30 games, O'Neal for 25 and Johnson for five as a result of the melee. The league did not suspend Harrison.

O'Neal's suspension was later reduced to 15 games by an arbitrator and upheld in federal court.