Charge to be dismissed against former UW player Venoy Overton if he stays out of trouble

If former Washington basketball player Venoy Overton can stay out of trouble for a year and comply with other court orders, a charge of supplying alcohol to a minor filed against him by city prosecutors will be dismissed.

Overton was granted a dispositional continuance in Seattle Municipal Court on Thursday, which would lead to the dismissal of the gross misdemeanor charge if he avoids new criminal charges for a year and completes 24 hours of community service in the next two months.

Overton did not plead guilty, but as a condition of the continuance he gave up his right to a trial. If he violates the terms of the continuance, a judge will render a verdict against him based solely on the police report, according to Marc Mayo, supervising attorney for the city.

Overton could have faced up to one year in jail on the charge of furnishing alcohol to a minor, according to the City Attorney's Office.

The UW senior was charged March 8 with the gross misdemeanor in connection with an incident involving two 16-year-old girls he met online.

According to Seattle police, Overton met with the two girls on Jan. 8 and took them to his sister's apartment in South Seattle. The report says Overton, 22, furnished the girls with alcohol and had sex with both.

Police launched an investigation after one of the girls told police she felt pressured to have sex with Overton because he was a UW basketball player.

King County prosecutors declined to file charges against him in connection with the alleged sex acts, citing the age of consent, which in Washington is 16, questions about the girl's account and contradictory statements from witnesses.

Washington coach Lorenzo Romar suspended Overton for the Pac-10 Conference tournament, but allowed him to play in the NCAA tournament. The Huskies' season — and Overton's college career — ended with a March 20 tournament loss to North Carolina.

Christine Clarridge: 206-464-8983 or cclarridge@seattletimes.com.

Information from The Seattle Times archives is included

in this report.