Falcons' James Pearce Jr. approved for 1-year diversion program as ex-girlfriend drops restraining order request
Atlanta Falcons pass rusher James Pearce Jr. is one step closer to putting his legal troubles behind him, but it will take a little longer than expected.
Pearce's attorney, Yale Sanford, confirmed Tuesday that Pearce has been approved for a pretrial intervention program, though the timeline has been extended from the originally announced six months to one year. If Pearce completes the program without any further legal trouble, all felony and misdemeanor charges against him will be dropped, and he will avoid jail time.
In a separate development, Pearce's ex-girlfriend, WNBA player Rickea Jackson, voluntarily dropped her attempt to obtain a permanent restraining order against the Falcons star. However, Pearce is still required to stay away from Jackson for the next 12 months until the case is officially closed.
Pearce, 21, faces three felony charges stemming from an alleged domestic dispute on Feb. 7 in Miami-Dade County involving Jackson. The Florida State Attorney's Office filed charges of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, fleeing and eluding police and resisting an officer with violence on March 13. A fourth charge of stalking was brought as a misdemeanor. An additional charge of aggravated battery of an officer was previously dropped.
According to the police account, Jackson told authorities she attempted to drive away from Pearce and was heading toward the Doral police station to seek help when Pearce allegedly collided into the rear of her vehicle with his SUV before police arrived. Pearce allegedly refused an initial order from police to get on the floor, then drove away and struck a police officer's left knee with his vehicle in an attempt to evade arrest, according to an affidavit.
Pearce was the Falcons' first-round pick, No. 26 overall, in the 2025 NFL Draft. He led Atlanta with 10 and a half sacks in his rookie season and set a Falcons rookie record with 45 quarterback pressures.
His legal situation has left his status with the team uncertain.
