If the tape fits, you must not acquit.

Remember this development way back when Junior was still garbed in orange?

Freshman safety Janzen Jackson has been reinstated to the team and will start Saturday against Kentucky, Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin said Tuesday.

Jackson, who had been barred from team activities, had the attempted armed robbery charges against him dismissed earlier this week after the Knox County district attorney said there wasn’t sufficient evidence to proceed.

Evidence is a tricky thing.  Particularly when it involves a starting defensive back on a Kiffin-coached team.  If you don’t believe me, check out the security tape.

Here’s how Clay “Kiffin never wuz a Tennessee man” Travis described the Laner’s dilemma at the time.

Lane Kiffin has yet to announce whether Jackson will be permitted to play in Tennessee’s final regular-season game at Kentucky Saturday. The 6-5 Vols will be looking for their 25th consecutive victory in a row over the Wildcats.

In the meantime, Jackson, a five-star recruit who Kiffin believed was on his way to being named a first-team freshman All American, remains barred from all team activities. Since Jackson’s removal from the lineup, the Tennessee defense, beset with injuries, has played its three worst games of the season in succession.

So Kiffin has a decision. Is a two-game suspension for being arrested and charged with a crime the district attorney now says he didn’t commit, sufficient punishment for putting himself into a situation that leads to an arrest? Or does he deserve further punishment?

Looks like somebody could use some brushing up on how to review a security tape.  It’s a real stretch to conclude that Jackson had no prior knowledge of the robbery.

In the meantime we can all rest assured that Junior maintained only the highest standards in meting out justice to Jackson.  At least that’s what he said at the time.

“As I’ve said before, we wanted to take our time to get all the information regarding this situation. These were very serious allegations, and we had to make sure we handled this properly. After an extensive and thorough investigation by the Knoxville Police Department and the District Attorney’s office, they have cleared Janzen of any wrong doing and determined he had no prior knowledge of this incident. Janzen will join team activities today.

“We hold our student-athletes to an extremely high standard on and off the field. Janzen has seen the effect personal decisions had on his former teammates and is excited to rejoin our team activities.”

Good luck with all that, Mike Garrett.