Mariah Rose, the daughter of former NBA guard Jalen Rose, voiced her displeasure with the court’s verdict on the case involving the Atlanta Falcons linebacker James Pearce Jr. and Rickea Jackson, who is a WNBA star.
Pearce Jr. was arrested in February in Florida on multiple charges, including two counts of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, aggravated stalking, and fleeing police. On Thursday, it was announced that Pearce’s charges could be dropped if he completes a pretrial intervention program.
Mariah Rose reacted to the news in a video posted to Instagram.
“This man was stalking her; he rammed his car into hers on purpose while she tried to flee to a police station,” Rose said. “He got his felony charges dropped. Are you f***ing kidding me? He needs to go to jail.”
She continued, saying that the handling of the situation sets a bad precedent.
“God forgives, but I don’t have to. The Falcons declined to comment; of course, they did. … It sets a bad example and a bad precedent for men and what football players are able to get away with that regular men walking on the street cannot. I am disgusted, I am embarrassed and my heart aches for Rickea Jackson.”
Rose’s video was posted with the caption:
“Imagine getting sentenced to therapy for abusing someone…the life of an NFL player.”
Pearce is slated to appear in court on May 7 to finalize his plea deal. Jackson previously told officials that she would have reason to be scared for her life if Pearce Jr. was not held accountable, according to TMZ.
Every condition James Pearce Jr. needs to meet to have his charges dropped in Rickea Jackson case
According to Pearce’s attorney, Yale Stanford, he would have to complete a six-month intervention program offered by the state of Florida, while avoiding any further legal trouble, to have his charges from February dropped.
The intervention program requires Pearce Jr. to attend therapy sessions ahead of the trial. According to reports, the involved police officers and Jackson consented to the resolution offered in Pearce’s plea deal.
While Pearce Jr. prepares for therapy, Jackson will be embracing a new start with the Chicago Sky after being traded there by the Los Angeles Sparks this summer. She played 78 games over two seasons in Los Angeles, averaging 14.7 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game, shooting 43.9%, including 34.7% from 3-point range.
Read More: Rickea Jackson Seemingly Takes Shot at Sparks, Says She Missed Feeling “Wanted” Her Entire Career
