Ex-Laker Javaris Crittenton May Be Released from Prison Early from 2011 Homicide Case

Former NBA player Javaris Crittenton, who was sentenced to 23 years in prison for voluntary manslaughter and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, was resentenced Thursday and is scheduled to be released immediately, according to a report by WSBTV Atlanta.

Crittenton, 35, was sentenced in 2015 in connection with a 2011 drive-by shooting that killed Julian Jones, a mother from the Atlanta area. The four-year NBA pro pleaded guilty to the crime, although he said he wasn't trying to kill anyone.

However, prosecutors from the trial alleged that he was trying to shoot a man that had robbed him a few days prior to the incident and that Crittenton did not intend to shoot Jones.

The plea deal that he took helped him avoid a murder charge and led to a much lighter initial sentence.

Following Thursday's resentencing, the Fulton County District Attorney's Office asked the judge in the case to rescind it. The office said that a senior assistant D.A. consented to the sentence. However, District Attorney Fani Willis wasn't aware of the hearing until a WSBTV reporter reached out to her about it.

Willis reportedly represented Crittenton briefly as a defendant, so her entire office has a conflict of interest with the case. They are asking for a special prosecutor to be put on it if the sentence ends up getting rescinded.

Crittenton played 113 games in his relatively short NBA career, averaging 5.3 points per game.