May 21, 2025
Judge Howard Coates ruled that he doesn’t want to give the older Hunter ‘special treatment’ since Travis Jr. was recently drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars.
A judge overseeing Travis Hunter’s father’s criminal case has denied Travis Sr. a request to modify his sentence because he doesn’t want to appear like he is giving him “special treatment.”
The younger Hunter, who won the Heisman Trophy last year, was recently drafted second overall by the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars.
According to USA Today, Judge Howard Coates ruled that there will be no changes after Travis Sr. asked the court to convert his remaining sentence of community control supervision to a less restrictive form of probation. He requested that action so he can “assist his son with furthering his very promising career with the National Football League.”
After hearing Travis Sr.’s attorney, Bradford Cohen, plead for the alteration, the judge didn’t buy the reasoning behind the request.
“I hear these circumstances have changed, you know, my hat’s off to his son,” Coates said. “I don’t know that changes the father’s situation for me. In fact, it’s given me some concern that you’re almost arguing for special treatment.”
“That’s not special treatment; I’m not looking at that,” Cohen said after telling him that Travis Jr. can give his father “stable housing and a stable environment.”
“So say you, but probably 99 percent of the public out there that doesn’t have an athlete son who’s incredibly successful, might look at this and say, ‘This sounds like special treatment for the athlete’s father,’” the judge responded.
With that, the judge denied the request.
However, in April, Coates gave the older Hunter permission to travel to Green Bay for the NFL Draft to be with his son. He also granted Travis Sr. the opportunity to go to Tennessee to see Travis Jr. get married this weekend.
Travis Sr. is currently serving three years of probation in Palm Beach County, Florida, after he was convicted of gun and drug charges last year.
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