USC signee Shameik Blackshear in court on Tuesday

USC signee Shameik Blackshear of Bluffton will have a bench trial on Tuesday at the Bluffton Municipal Court, his attorney said Friday.

Blackshear, a defensive end, is facing a misdemeanor petit larceny charge dating back to February. The maximum penalty upon conviction in the case is a fine of not more than $1,000 or imprisonment of not more than 30 days at the discretion of the judge.

“We initially had demanded a jury trial, but because Shameik is scheduled to report to USC on the 30th of May and they start summer training at that point and time, we did not want to run the risk of this thing being delayed any longer,” said Thomas C. Taylor, Blackshear’s attorney.

“We have asked for what is known as a bench trial or a trial by judge. ... We did not want any further delay. We just need to get this done and get this behind him. This young man deserves to be exonerated, and hopefully we’ll have the case put behind him by Tuesday.”

Taylor said he is optimistic Blackshear will be able to join the Gamecocks this summer.

“We have pled not guilty and we intend to put on a vigorous defense,” Taylor said.

The trial is set to begin at 9:00 a.m., and Taylor said ordinarily a decision from the judge would be rendered the same day.

Blackshear was charged with stealing about $1,400 worth of items in a safe and purse he allegedly took from a home he was visiting on Feb. 7 in Mill Creek.

The USC athletics department and coach Steve Spurrier have said they will let the legal process finish before deciding on Blackshear’s status.

This story was originally published April 17, 2015 at 4:26 PM with the headline "USC signee Shameik Blackshear in court on Tuesday."