This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Many wondered why cornerback Dominique Hatfield wasn't allowed to return to Utah's football team after robbery and theft charges against him were dropped by the district attorney last month.
Monday, when Salt Lake City prosecutors filed a misdemeanor assault charge against Hatfield that stems from a separate incident, might have brought some clarity.
According to a probable cause statement, Hatfield was rolling a marijuana cigarette at a July 5 party involving multiple U. athletes when a man asked him to stop, "due to the fact that a large number of athletes from the University of Utah were present and are subjected to drug testing."
At that time, according to the statement, Hatfield and other unknown individuals — four to five others, Salt Lake City police told The Tribune — grabbed the victim and beat him up. The victim sustained cuts to his face and nose and bruising around his eyes, on his shoulder and his back.
Police said the incident occurred around 1:30 a.m. July 5, while Hatfield was free on bond.
Attorney Greg Skordas, who defended Hatfield on robbery and theft charges, said he plans to represent him again. Hatfield is currently in Utah, Skordas said.
Skordas said he was surprised, based on the evidence he'd seen previously, that the city filed charges.
"I'm pretty comfortable after talking to the client that the case is not going to go very far," he said.
Hatfield was expected to be Utah's starting cornerback this fall. He was suspended indefinitely following the district attorney's charges in early July and later dismissed from the team after what Kyle Whittingham termed "further concerns" about his off-field behavior.
At Pac-12 Conference Media Days in Burbank, Calif., last week, Whittingham said the Utes were proceeding as if Hatfield wouldn't be back this fall.
"I guess you'd never say never, so I guess there is a possibility, but we'll just have to see how things unfold," he said.
Twitter: @matthew_piper