GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) -The State Attorney’s Office has started processing the felony burglary case involving Florida safety Tony Joiner, but it’s still unclear whether the senior starter will play at top-ranked LSU on Saturday night.
Coach Urban Meyer said the charge would have to be reduced Friday for Joiner to play for the ninth-ranked Gators.
“I’m just waiting on the legal part of it,” Meyer said Thursday. “I’ve got my own thing that I’m taking care of for him being out late at night. … If the charge that I’ve heard like you have heard stays, then he will not play.”
Spencer Mann, chief investigator for the State Attorney’s Office, said he has began work on Joiner’s file. There’s a chance the felony burglary charge could be reduced to misdemeanor trespassing, but it could take several days or even a couple of weeks for Mann to interview all witnesses and determine formal charges.
In the meantime, Joiner practiced with Florida the last two days.
He’s not doing as well off the field, Meyer said.
“He’s struggling,” Meyer said. “He knows that the head football coach at Florida that he’s very close with is about as disappointed in him as I’ve ever been. Not even the legal part, but just Monday night doing that.”
Joiner was arrested around 5 a.m. Tuesday for allegedly trying to take his girlfriend’s car out of a towing company’s impound lot.
The owner of the property called the whole thing a misunderstanding, saying Joiner had arranged to pay the $76 towing bill and pick up the car. But when no one was there to help Joiner, Gainesville Police said he pushed a heavy electric gate open, got into the car and started to drive off.
Joiner stopped to close the gate and was confronted by a witness, who then called police.
If Joiner doesn’t play against the Tigers, Florida would start two freshmen and two sophomores in the secondary. Dorian Munroe would replace Joiner and play alongside safety Major Wright and cornerbacks Joe Haden and Wondy Pierre-Louis.
Meyer all but ruled out cornerback Markihe Anderson, who had been hoping to return after missing the last two games with a sprained posterior cruciate ligament in his right knee.
“I don’t think he’s going to be good to go,” Meyer said. “I think he’ll be ready for when we get back after the bye week. But he’s trying as hard as he can. He’s a really, really tough kid. … Obviously, depth is an issue.”
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