Report: Warriors' Jackson Violated Probation; Could Do Time

Warriors guard Stephen Jackson violated his probation in Michigan when Indiana prosecutors charged him with firing a gun outside a strip club, a judge ruled today. Not. Good.

Jackson was serving probation after pleading no contest to misdemeanor assault and battery charges in September 2005 for his role in a 2004 brawl between Indiana Pacers players and fans at The Palace of Auburn Hills. He is charged in Indiana with criminal recklessness, which is a felony, and misdemeanor counts of battery and disorderly conduct.

Police said Jackson fired a gun in the air at least five times during an Oct. 6 fight outside an Indianapolis strip club. Jackson originally told police that he fired the gun in self-defense, but Marion County (Ind.) Prosecutor Carl Brizzi said Jackson retrieved his gun from his car and fired it before he was struck and injured by another car.

Jackson could spend a maximum of 93 days in prison if found guilty, though his lawyer, James Burdick, believes it's unlikely his client will ever see bars. (I mean, what else is he going to say?) The trial could be set as early as February.

Here's a question that immediately comes to mind: Where does this leave the team that just traded for him? Your answer: A lot richer. San Francisco Chronicle's Jenny Hu explains:

The NBA issues a minimum 10-game suspension for those found guilty of committing a violent felony. While the Warriors wouldn't be responsible for Jackson's salary for any games missed, they could also move to void the rest of his deal. He is due about $6 million this season and $21.5 million over the following three years.

The standard players' contract contains a morality clause that gives teams an out if the player shall "at any time, fail, refuse, or neglect to conform his personal conduct to standards of good citizenship, good moral character (defined here to mean not engaging in acts of moral turpitude, whether or not such acts would constitute a crime), and good sportsmanship, to keep himself in first class physical condition, or to obey the team's training rules."

So to recap here: S-Jax could go to jail, and lose over $20 million for an incident outside a strip club in Indy. Um, yeah, something tells me the Pacers don't have to worry about Dunleavy Jr. doing this. (Boobies make him feel funny "down there".)

UPDATE: Please disregard that last sentence ... DRUNKLEAVY IS GANGSTA!