Carter has eye on ball, not court cases

Duron Carter’s focus remains on the Saskatchewan Roughriders while two charges for alleged marijuana possession work their way through the courts.

“It’s just responsibilities that you have to handle,” the Riders’ wide receiver/ defensive back said Thursday.

“I don’t see it as a distraction. I don’t particularly think about it that much, to tell you the truth.”

Carter was in Regina with the Roughriders on Thursday preparing for Friday’s regular-season opener against the visiting Toronto Argonauts.

While he was in the Queen City, Carter’s latest court date in Saskatoon ended with a third adjournment. Louis Mercier, Carter’s Regina-based lawyer, appeared by telephone and requested the adjournment. The appearance lasted less than five minutes.

Carter, 27, is scheduled to return to Saskatoon court June 27. Before that, he is scheduled to appear in Winnipeg court June 18 on a second marijuana-possession charge.

Carter was charged with allegedly possessing more than 30 grams of marijuana when he was stopped at Winnipeg International Airport on Nov. 25.

On Feb. 1, he was charged with possession of marijuana at Saskatoon International Airport.

Carter didn’t sound worried when asked for further comment on the pending charges.

“Everything is going great, according to my lawyers,” he said.

“I haven’t talked to my lawyer (on Thursday), but things are going pretty smooth and I’m here.”

It has been football as usual for Carter since the charges were laid. He signed a one-year contract extension two months after being initially charged.

Carter doesn’t know what the future holds with regard to the charges.

“It’s really up to the Crown and how they want to handle it,” he said.

“All I can do is be super co-operative and do my due diligence and see how it goes.”