Former Cincinnati Bengals WR Jerome Simpson jailed over drug charges-NFL News
Former Cincinnati Bengals’ wide receiver and unrestricted free agent, Jerome Simpson, luckily, has escaped the possibility of a 60 days' imprisonment, which had been recommended to the court by the prosecution on a felony drug charge.
He was given rather reduced jail term of 15 days as the judge considered him to deserve a leniency because of his character in the community and social services he renders for the welfare of different needy segments of the society.
Judge, Gregory Bartlett, of Kenton County Circuit Court in the judgement noted that Simpson appeared to be "a good person" but made "serious lapse in judgment."
The judge further said that in spite of the player’s community service the fact remains that he was found guilty of committing the offence.
Simpson pleaded to the charge as a result of the agreement he had reached with the prosecution, who as a part of the deal had dropped the charge of drug trafficking.
The player was charged on the lesser count of drug abuse, and the prosecutors had pleaded for at least 60 days in jail for him.
Since start of the proceedings of the case, a large number of football fans and community members wrote letters of endorsement of Simpson’s character and honesty to the judge.
Also, several people of his circle testified in the court pleading for the players’ innocence. Those who offered their testimony in the court included his agent and a woman who works with the player as a volunteer at a local church.
The judge noted down all the endorsements of the player’s character in his judgement and probably this was the reason that he was handed the reduced jail term.
Simpson has apologised to his family, friends and fans over his action, saying "I take full responsibility for my actions." The player further said "because of this I am a better person."
He said while rendering his service for the welfare of local communities he will be passing the message onto them of not committing the same mistake he did.
The prosecutors had indicted the player on the felony drug charge after he agreed to enter into a bargaining agreement with them on March 01, 2012, and since then has been facing the court regularly.
It all started in September 2011 when the US federal agents traced a package containing two pounds of marijuana addressed to the player’s home in northern Kentucky.
The agents then raided the player’s house and during the search found another two pounds of the drug. After the initial inquiry, the investigators made public the possible charges the player could face.
He, however, denied all those charges in the beginning, but later pleaded guilty to the charge of drug abuse and the prosecutors, as part of the agreement, dropped the charge of drug trafficking.
The prosecutors told the judge that the drug was probably for use of the player himself or his friend.
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