MONTGOMERY, Ala. – A federal judge has denied former Auburn basketball player Varez Ward's request to enter a pretrial diversion program in his point shaving trial.
Ward's attorney, Everett Wess, said Wednesday U.S. District Judge Keith Watkins denied the request.
The judge had agreed to delay the trial until Nov. 4 so Ward could apply for the program that would have allowed the player to clear his record.
Wess says since Ward has no criminal record and wants to get a degree makes him "the type of person that that program is for."
Ward was arrested June 3 on charges of bribery related to a sports contest and conspiracy counts. He's accused of trying to fix the point spread in Auburn's game against Arkansas on Jan. 25, 2012. He has pleaded not guilty.
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