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Very little spectroscopic information is available about Mg-containing species even though they have considerable astrophysical importance and play a significant role in biological systems. The present work reports the first high resolution spectroscopic study of the $MgCH3$ radical. Rotationally resolved spectra have been recorded and analyzed for both spin-orbit components of the $000$ band of the $A~2E⟵X~2A1$ transition in $MgCH3$. The free radicals were obtained using the laser ablation/photolysis $techniquea$ and their laser-induced-fluorescence probed in a supersonic free-jet expansion. Analysis of the spectra yields the molecular constants in the $X~$ and $A~$ states. No Jahn-Teller effect was detected for this radical. A discussion of the fitted constants and the geometry proposed for $MgCH3$ will be presented.