Rams’ Perry Sentenced, May Miss Some Camp

Gerald Perry, the newly acquired Ram offensive lineman, faces at least 45 days and probably 65 days in jail after being sentenced Thursday for third-degree sexual assault.

In a plea-bargain arrangement, Perry was sentenced in a Denver-area court to a 75-day term but will serve no more than 45 days if he stays out of trouble in Arapahoe County Jail, according to his lawyer, Gene Ciancio. Perry entered the jail Thursday.

Perry, 26, also is expected to be sentenced in the next few days on a charge of violating probation after a conviction of soliciting a prostitute. That sentence is expected to be an 20 additional days.

“Best-case scenario, he’s out July 7,” Ciancio said Thursday. “Worst-case would be another 20 days on top of that--end of July, max.”

Ram workouts are scheduled to begin on July 17, and although Perry’s expected term runs well into training camp, team officials were obviously relieved to have much of the uncertainty of Perry’s status removed.

Since acquiring him last month from the Denver Broncos, the Rams have expected Perry would serve time up to and possibly into training camp. The worst-case scenario was that Perry might remain in jail well into August.

“(It’s a relief) to know that there’s something we can count on,” Ram Coach John Robinson said. “We hope to hear more about the possibility of an early release, good behavior time or whatever. But we’re uncertain as to that.

“We want Gerald to have this episode in his life behind him when he comes here, so we’re hopeful that he can obtain a release by mid-July to make it to camp on time.”

If Perry, as expected, serves a total of 65 days beginning Thursday, he will get out of jail July 28, about a week before the Rams’ Aug. 3 exhibition opener. But once he is out, Perry will finally be unencumbered by the legal problems that haunted his Bronco career. He is, however, unsigned, and can’t report to training camp until he agrees to terms with the Rams.

The regular season starts Sept. 1.