An Arizona judge has set a bail hearing for Darren Sharper in his ongoing sexual assault case, meaning the disgraced former NFL vet could be a free man as early as next week.

According to TMZ, attorneys for Sharper will go before an Arizona judge sometime next week seeking to have their client released from the custody of L. A. jail officials on two counts of rape charges. In all, the 38-year-old Sharper has been implicated in as many as nine similar attacks in at least five different states.

Darren Sharper arrested on rape charges

Sharper has been held in an L.A. jail cell since February, despite the fact he posted bail in his rape cases there several weeks ago because the California judge felt the charges he's facing in Arizona were "non-bondable."

The Arizona judge is now expected to rule on the validity of that assertion, giving Sharper his best chance of being released since he was taken into custody nearly two months ago.

TMZ adds if If prosecutors can't provide "clear and convincing evidence" of Sharper's guilt the judge will likely set bail and Sharper could be released as early as that same afternoon.

Darren Sharper bond to be raised to $10 million?

Sharper played 13 NFL seasons, winning a Super Bowl with New Orleans in 2010 and being named to the All-Decades Team.

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