TAMPA Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Jerramy Stevens has 30 days to work out a deal with prosecutors before facing a possible trial on drug charges.
At a hearing on Tuesday, Judge Steven Stephens granted a request by Stevens' attorney, Mark O'Brien, for a pre-trial conference to be schedule within 30 days.
Stevens is charged with possession of marijuana, a third-degree felony, and possession of drug paraphernalia, a misdemeanor, stemming from an Oct. 23 arrest.
The Hillsborough County State Attorney's office decided not to pursue a charge of possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, O'Brien said.
"It was not filed against him and appropriately so," O'Brien said.
O'Brien said he expects a trial date to be set if a deal cannot be reached with prosecutors before the next pre-trial conference.
Stevens, 31, was not in court on Tuesday, but O'Brien said he was not legally required to be there.
A Tampa police officer stopped Stevens' 2006 Ford pickup shortly after 7 p.m. on Oct. 23 at North West Shore Boulevard and West Cypress Street after hearing loud music coming from the truck. After smelling marijuana, the officer searched the truck and found 38 grams of marijuana, reports state.
Stevens was released from jail a few hours later after posting $4,500 bail.
The Bucs released him two days after the arrest. He remains unsigned by any NFL team.
Stevens entered the NFL as a first-round pick (28th overall) of Seattle in 2002. He spent five years with the Seahawks before signing with Tampa Bay as a free agent in 2007. Steven re-signed with Tampa Bay in 2009 for two years and was in the final season of his contract at the time of his arrest.
Stevens has 202 receptions for 2,217 yards and 22 touchdowns in his career.
arichardson@tampatrib.com (813) 259-8425
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