Hamlett Receives ‘Deferred Prosecution’ -- UPDATED

HILLSBOROUGH, N.C. – North Carolina tight end Jon Hamlett was in the Orange County Superior Court Thursday morning, and entered into a “deferred prosecution” agreement, according to the Clerk of Court. Hamlett has since been cleared by UNC to practice and will be eligible to participate in the Continental Tire Bowl.

“A deferred prosecution gives him time to do certain stipulations that the court requests, and once he does that, his case will be dismissed,” said the Clerk of Court, who did not have all of the requirements of the deferment available, but did say that one required that the gun involved had to be destroyed.

Hamlett, a sophomore from Lynchburg, Va. who has 12 receptions for 161 yards this season, paid a fine of $500, before exiting the courtroom.

He was charged by UNC police on Dec. 9 after an officer allegedly found a 12-gauge shotgun in his illegally parked pickup truck at Avery Residence Hall. UNC officials said Hamlett had been hunting and forgot that the unloaded gun was in his truck.

Hamlett has not been officially suspended, UNC athletics director Dick Baddour told The News & Observer earlier this week, but “I would say that his practice and participation are on hold.”