Sara Evans’ husband, Jay Barker, won’t have to spend time in jail after accepting a “best interest plea” to avoid harsher punishment in his domestic violence case. According to TMZ, the former Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback pled down from charges of felony aggravated assault with a deadly weapon to lesser charges of misdemeanor reckless endangerment.
Barker was arrested in January for reportedly attempting to run his car into a separate car Evans had been riding in at the time. At the time, Evans noted she was in the passenger seat of her friend’s car after leaving a party and Barker was spotted gunning his car in reverse in an attempt to hit the friend’s vehicle. Barker’s car never made contact.
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As part of the plea deal, Barker will be on a year of probation and forced to complete several items before the year is up. The plea includes forfeiture of all weapons, a ban on other infractions and substance use, plus he has to complete a 26-week batterers intervention program.
According to WKRN, the couple is legally still married but separated with a divorce in progress. The couple wed in 2008, a year after Evans’ prior divorce from Craig Scheiske. Evans has three children from her previous marriage, while Barker shared custody of four children with his ex-wife. Evans had reportedly filed for divorce before the incident, making the decision in August 2021 and citing “irreconcilable differences” and “inappropriate marital conduct.”
Barker responded to his initial arrest and the attempted vehicular assault with a statement on Instagram. “We all confront challenges in life, and my family and I are facing one now,” Barker said, according to PEOPLE. “Unfortunately, headlines and quick-to-publish news stories do not adequately capture the full context and complex fabric of our lives. I love my family dearly, and at this difficult time, I respectfully ask for privacy for the sake of my family and especially for our kids.”
Evans currently resides in Nashville to be closer to her career, but had previously lived with Barker in Birmingham. Barker’s college success did earn him entrance into the NFL, though he never got a chance to start during tenures with the Green Bay Packers, New England Patriots and Carolina Panthers. He also spent time in the CFL and was part of the initial XFL run.
