Aden Holloway faces drug felony, attorney targets search
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- Aden Holloway faces a Class C felony drug possession charge and a failure-to-affix-a-tax-stamp charge after the West Alabama Narcotics Task Force found 2.1 pounds of marijuana in his apartment; both charges carry a maximum sentence of 10 years and a $15,000 fine.
- Prosecutors alleged in a Friday complaint that 'drug transactions' were visible on Holloway's phone — texts referencing meetings 'after the season' — and that $400 seized from a jacket in smaller denominations was 'indicative of narcotic sales.'
- Attorney Jason Neff said officers violated Holloway's Fourth Amendment rights by conducting a 'trash pull' from his garbage bin to establish probable cause, and pledged to file a motion to suppress the evidence once the case moves forward.
- Alabama removed Holloway from campus and separated him from the team, causing the second-leading scorer to miss the Crimson Tide's 90-70 first-round NCAA tournament win over Hofstra; coach Nate Oats said he has spoken with Holloway daily and called the incident a 'mistake' while pledging continued support.
- Holloway posted $5,000 bail and was released from Tuscaloosa County jail shortly after his Monday arrest; Neff is seeking a meeting with school officials after spring break to potentially reverse the campus ban, which could clear the way for a return if Alabama advances.
Why it matters: The prosecution's case rests heavily on evidence derived from a 'trash pull' that Holloway's attorney is preparing to challenge as an unconstitutional search — meaning the 2.1 pounds of marijuana and the phone-based 'drug transaction' allegations could be suppressed, while Holloway's removal leaves Alabama's tournament rotation thinner if the team reaches the second weekend.
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