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It's been a while since we filled you in on the day-to-day happenings of the life of one Elijah Dukes, and for that, we here at FanHouse would like to apologize. That being said, we'd also like to point out that it isn't exactly our fault. The truth of the matter is that he just hasn't been threatening to kill many people lately, and his exploits on the actual baseball field haven't really warranted attention. To put it bluntly, Elijah has been boring as hell, dawg.

Oh wow, he didn't high-five his manager. I mean, big deal, right? The fact is that unless he pulls a gun on Manny Acta sometime soon, nobody cares. Which is why we should all be thankful that Elijah's relationship with his estranged wife NiShea Gilbert still isn't fixed. Apparently Elijah still owes Gilbert about $40,000 in child support and alimony -- that's a whole lot of Pampers and Similac-- and if he doesn't pay up by Friday, he could be going to jail. Dawg.

A week and a half ago Matt Watson told you how Elijah Dukes may have violated the protective order filed by his estranged wife NiShea Gilbert by calling her on the phone. A few days later Dukes found out he might be held in contempt of court for forgetting to pay Gilbert her alimony.

The good news for Elijah is that he's not in contempt of court. The bad news for Dukes is that he's been found guilty of violating that protective order.

The Hillsborough County State Attorney's Office on Thursday charged beleaguered baseball player Elijah Dukes with a single count of violating a domestic violence injunction.

If convicted on the misdemeanor, Dukes faces a maximum punishment of a year in jail.

Dukes will have yet another court date because of this, but he's not likely to be arrested or serve any time for it. Which is a good thing, because it's hard to attend all those court dates when you're in prison.

As if all of this wasn't enough, there was also a hearing on Dukes' marijuana possession charge on Thursday. Dukes didn't have to show up to it, so he didn't. He was probably at home smoking weed and sending texts to all of his friends.

Previously at FanHouse:
The Complete Elijah Dukes Saga

Of all the developments in the Elijah Dukes case -- from Dukes storming into his wife's classroom, to Dukes sending her a photo of a handgun, to Dukes threatening her over the phone with the repeated use of "dawg" -- well, yeah, this one is definitely the least surprising.

A judge has barred Dukes from contacting his wife for a year, and he has to be evaluated by a psychiatrist before he can see his children. And finally, his wife, NiShea Gilbert, is filing for divorce:

"The next step is to do what's right for the kids, finalize the divorce and move on from this and close this chapter in my life," Gilbert said, according to the St. Petersburg Times, outside of court.

"I feel a little more comfortable," Gilbert said. "But I'm sure I'll still have some rough nights."

"He still gave me a hard time," Gilbert told the newspaper. "It really is just a piece of paper. Hopefully, this time he'll take it seriously. If he cares about his career, I think he will."

This is a sad story all around. I guess I'll never understand how people get into marriages in which their spouse later wants to kill them, but that's not really for us to judge. Let's just hope Gilbert can get on with her life, and that Dukes gets the help he needs ... even if it is from pappy Sheffield.

Previously on the FanHouse:
Elijah Dukes Needs to Call Uncle Gary Sheffield
Elijah Dukes Allegedly Threatens Wife and Kids

(Photo Credit: Getty Images)