Christensen gets probation, jail for resisting arrest

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BY LORI PILGER / Lincoln Journal Star

A Lancaster County judge sentenced Andy Christensen to probation Friday for resisting arrest at a Lincoln bar and kicking a police SUV last March.

Lancaster County District Court Judge David Arterburn ordered Christensen to spend three weeks in jail starting Dec. 20 — and to tour a state prison.

At his sentencing Friday, Christensen had a chance to speak first. “I’d just like to apologize to the officer that I resisted,” he said.

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Andy Christensen

Andy Christensen

Christensen said he wanted to pay for the $400 dent he put in the Tahoe.

Christensen was acquitted in August of a felony sexual assault charge.

As that jury trial was set to begin, he pleaded guilty to criminal mischief and resisting arrest.

Prosecutors had alleged Christensen reached under a woman’s skirt at the Brass Rail bar. When police tried to talk to the 6-foot-3, 300-pound Christensen about the woman’s allegation, he walked past them.

And when they tried to cuff him, he resisted and later kicked a police Tahoe, Deputy County Attorney Krista Hendrick said on the day he entered his plea.

On Friday, his attorney, Robert Creager, said Christensen accepted responsibility for the things he did “because, among other things, it was the right thing to do.”

With the exception of the night of March 7, he had two speeding tickets on his record.

“It was an aberration,” Creager said.

But his client has been on “self-imposed probation” since the case began, Creager said. Christensen got treatment for anger management and alcohol dependency.

Because of the case, he was off the football team for months.

Now Christensen is getting on with his life, Creager said.

“We don’t feel incarceration is necessary in this case to make a point,” he said.

Arterburn disagreed, in part. He gave Christensen 15 months of probation, then added the jail time. He said he chose the Dec. 20 start date so Christensen could finish the fall semester at UNL.

It could dash any hopes Christensen had of playing in a bowl game. With credit for time served and good time, he will serve nine days in jail.

Arterburn added another 30-day jail sentence at the end of probation, which can be waived.

He also ordered Christensen to wear an alcohol monitoring device starting Monday, pay $600 in fines, $450 restitution and do 150 hours community service.

The judge said he was troubled by the nature of the offense.

That night, the judge said, something happened that resulted in a confrontation. When the woman confronted Christensen, he reacted by pouring a drink over her head and pushing the bar owner.

“Basically there was a series of events where you were out of control,” he said.

Reach Lori Pilger at 473-7237 or lpilger@journalstar.com.