University of South Carolina women’s basketball star Ashlyn Watkins won’t appear in state criminal court on Friday after all.
Following her arrest at a university-owned apartment complex on Aug. 31 on charges of assault and battery and kidnapping, court records indicated Watkins would make what is called a “first appearance” in court at the Richland County courthouse Friday. She has been free on $30,000 personal recognizance bond.
But Watkins’ attorney Todd Rutherford and 5th Judicial Circuit Solicitor Byron Gipson told The State that first appearances are not required for defendants with attorneys, such as Watkins.
A first appearance is one of the initial steps in a defendant’s journey through the criminal justice system, which spans the arrest to how the case is finally disposed of in court.
“It’s an opportunity for us to make sure that all cases that are coming through our office stay on track,” said Gipson, chief criminal prosecutor in Richland and Kershaw counties.
After the first appearance, defendants get a second appearance date, which could be up to six months down the road, Gipson said.
At some point, a trial date would be scheduled, Gipson said.
There can also often be a plea deal where a defendant pleads guilty, usually in return for reduced charges.
“Any case can be resolved at any time,” Gipson said. “In every case that we have, we are always open to communication with the lawyers.”
Out-of-court discussions can continue between prosecutors and defendants’ lawyers, and defendants’ lawyers look through evidence that is turned over to them in a process called discovery.
Rutherford said, “We’re going to review the discovery and see what we need to do.”
Watkins was arrested in the early hours of Aug. 31 after what began as a heated argument between Watkins and the victim led to to kidnapping and assault charges. Watkins and the victim knew each other.
According to arrest warrants, Watkins assaulted the victim by “forcefully grabbing her face, pulling her by her arms, and pushing her.” She also allegedly picked the victim up against her will and carried her away, grabbed her head and forced her to walk down the hall and prevented her from leaving.
The victim eventually got away from Watkins and pulled a fire alarm. Police and fire personnel responded and treated the victim for her injuries, which were not life-threatening.
A USC police officer responded to 650 Lincoln St. just before 3 a.m. for a fire alarm and saw a group of individuals running toward the parking garage, according to a police report released to The State in September. The officer also heard “someone screaming for help” and saw a person leaning over the ledge on the third level of the garage yelling for help, and another person holding her back.
The victim was “visibly upset,” according to the report. She told police she had gotten into an argument with Watkins, 20, and was “attempting to get away from her.”
The victim said she had driven to the university-owned apartment building to see her “best friend” and pointed to Watkins. Later the victim was on the second floor helping a sick friend, she told police.
Watkins returned and confronted her because she believed the victim was “cheating on her,” the victim told police.
While the victim initially told police several times that Watkins hit her, she later said that Watkins did not hit her, according to the report.
Watkins told police she went looking for the victim — whom she described to police as her “girlfriend” — on the second floor to take her to her car on the fourth floor.
According to the police report, Watkins admitted to “grabbing her” and walking outside. The two then returned to Watkins’ room to let out her dog. While letting out her dog, Watkins said the victim began to run through the parking garage and lifted herself up onto the ledge. Watkins told police she “wrapped both arms around” the victim because she believed she was going to jump off.
EMS and police spoke to all parties and determined the victim was not suicidal, according to the police report.
In addition to her $30,000 bond, Watkins was released on on the condition that she has no contact with the victim and stays 1,000 yards away from the victim’s home, work, school and place of worship, according to online court records. Another listed condition is “permission to travel out of state for games and practice.”
Watkins’ arrest triggered an automatic team suspension that remains in place ahead of the Gamecocks’ season opener against Michigan in Las Vegas on Nov. 4. The Gamecocks play a home exhibition game Monday.
On Sept 24, Coach Dawn Staley addressed Watkins’ situation and team status in media interviews, saying: “We’re not gonna move until her situation’s settled down a little bit. It’s out of her control. It’s out of our control.”
Still, Staley spoke about Watkins in a way that suggested she expects the veteran to return to the team at some point. Watkins, a junior, is a 6-foot-3 forward and regarded as one of the Gamecocks’ best defensive players and contributes to team morale.
“Ashlyn has a great voice in the locker room,” Staley said when talking about the team’s leaders.
Watkins was a member of South Carolina’s 2024 national championship team. She attended Cardinal Newman for high school, where she won the state’s Gatorade Player of the Year Award in 2022. She also won the McDonald’s All-American dunk contest that year.
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