Photo Credit: USATSI
After sitting out almost an entire season, Panthers defensive end Greg Hardy will likely be ready for next season. Hardy was placed on the Commissioner’s Exempt List after being found guilty of domestic violence. He asked for an appeal on July 15th after being found guilty of assaulting his then-girlfriend Nicole Holder.
The appeal was set to begin yesterday, but Holder failed to appear in court. The district attorney said that he had knowledge that Hardy and Holder had come to a settlement outside of court. He went on to say that she “intentionally made herself unavailable”.
“To prosecute domestic violence cases, we encourage domestic violence victims to not only report domestic violence but to participate in every level of the prosecution,” Charlotte District Attorney Andrew Murray said outside the courthouse. “We need that participation in order to gain justice for not only victims of domestic violence, but for this community.”
Hardy only played one game last season before being suspended. He is an unrestricted free agent and the Panthers are not expected to pick him up. The NFL must review his case before taking him off the Commissioner’s Exempt List.
