Michigan State football's Luke Fulton gets Holmes Youthful Trainee Act status after arrest
One of the Michigan State football players arrested during a September incident at an East Lansing fraternity house has been granted Holmes Youthful Trainee status.
Attorney Mike Nichols confirmed his client Luke Fulton, a redshirt freshman linebacker from Youngstown, Ohio, had his plea heard and accepted Wednesday by Judge Richard D. Ball according to 54B District Court records.
Nichols said Oct. 19 that Fulton’s charges were reduced to assault and battery, and was hopeful Fulton will be granted Holmes Youthful Trainee Act status.
In Michigan, offenders younger than 24 who have pleaded to some criminal offenses can have their court records closed to public view under HYTA. Under the law, such records become nonpublic unless the trainee commits another offense. Successfully completing the program without further crimes allows for an HYTA participant's record to be cleared.
MSU coach Mel Tucker suspended Fulton and Charles Willekes indefinitely following their arrests last month. The two have not been participating in practices since the team resumed workouts Sept. 16. A message with a football program spokesman about their status was not immediately returned
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Fulton, 20, initially was charged with aggravated assault in an incident Sept. 8 at Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity house and posted $1,000 personal bond. There is no recent online court record on that date for 21-year-old Willekes. However, Steve Gonzales, deputy chief of the East Lansing Police Department, confirmed on Oct. 19 that Willekes was arrested but his record is in a nonpublic status with 54B District Court.
The Free Press has filed a Freedom of Information Act request for the police report.
The 6-foot-4, 225-pound Fulton did not play last season but was MSU’s scout team special teams player of the week for the Rutgers game in late November.
Willekes, a 6-1, 225-pound walk-on redshirt freshman from Rockford, is the brother of former two-time All-American Kenny Willekes. He played in one game last season, against Michigan, and was the scout team special teams player of the week from MSU’s 2019 season opener against Tulsa.
Contact Chris Solari: csolari@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @chrissolari. Read more on the Michigan State Spartans and sign up for our Spartans newsletter.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan State LB Luke Fulton gets Holmes Youthful Trainee Act status
