LITTLE ROCK, AR – Pro boxer Jermain Taylor has been ordered back to jail after a court hearing Friday morning at the Pulaski County Courthouse.
Judge Leon Johnson ordered Taylor back behind bars to await an evaluation, stating that he was concerned Taylor is a danger to himself and others.
Also during the hearing, the embattled athlete changed his plea in the August shooting case to not guilty by mental disease/defect.
As Taylor was taken into custody and led from the courtroom, deputies with the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office served him with an arrest warrant on a battery charge for an incident earlier this month at the rehab center where Taylor has been undergoing treatment since March. A fellow patient claims Taylor hit him and caused serious injuries to his face.
Judge Johnson says his decision today wasn’t based solely on the new charges filed against Taylor but also concerns about other issues involving his treatment program.
Taylor has been undergoing substance abuse treatment since being released from jail in early March. He has two upcoming trials in separate cases.
In the August 2014 case, Taylor is accused of shooting his cousin during an incident at his home near Maumelle. In the January 2015 case, Taylor is accused of firing a gunshot and threatening a family at the MLK Day parade in Little Rock.
As Taylor walked into the Pulaski County Courthouse for today’s hearing, he said only “I love my state,” and would not answer questions about the alleged rehab center incident.
Outside the courtroom before the hearing, Taylor’s mother told reporters that people have been scandalizing her son’s name.
Taylor’s first trial is expected to begin next month and the second trial is set for September.