Tennessee Titans Chris Simms’ marijuana incident a big misunderstanding, according to lawyer
The lawyers for Tennessee Titans backup quarterback Chris Simms told the jury on Monday 2 May, 2011 that the driving under the influence of drugs was a simple, yet big, misconception.
Authorities said that Simms admitted to smoking marijuana when he was stopped in his Mercedes-Benz Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) on 1 July, 2010 at a sobriety checkpoint in Manhattan, New York. However, Simms’ lawyer, Harvey A. Steinberg, said that he actually
said that one of the passengers had been smoking the illegal drug.
"What this case is about is a rush to judgment," he said in a statement.
However, police and prosecutors say that they have enough evidence to prove that Simms, son of former New York Giants quarterback Phil Simms, was high and in no condition to drive when he was stopped at around 1:00 AM local time on July 1.
Officer Francisco Acosta said that Simms made a tire-squealing, “wild” turn just before approaching the checkpoint, slurring his words and walked unsteadily when stopped. Acosta’s testimony also said that Simms claimed that they did not have any marijuana
on them because “he smoked it all in the car.”
"He was out of it. Like a zombie," the officer said. Acosta also said that the smell from the vehicle was so strong that it made his tongue numb and gave him a headache, the same reaction he had the last time to the drug’s smoke.
Prosecutor Alexandra Glazer said that after Simms was arrested and transported to a police station, he passed out on the holding cell floor. Simms declined to give a urine sample to test for drugs while an alcohol breath test came back negative.
Acosta also said that Simms’ wife, Danielle, told him not to take any tests. Steinberg said that his client refused tests because he was furious with his arrest and tested later. Simms felt that his image would be tarnished due to the arrest and thought
“I can’t get my reputation back,” according to his lawyer.
Steinberg explains the night of the ordeal in a different matter than what police told the jury and prosecutors. He said that the night began when Simms, Danielle and two other friends went out to dinner. On the way back after dinner, Simms stopped by a
friend’s 40th birthday party while the other passengers stayed in the vehicle. While Simms made a brief appearance at the party, one of the male passengers smoked marijuana and Steinberg said that the friend that smoked would testify.
When Simms came back to the car, he told his friends “What are you guys doing? Get rid of this stuff!” before leaving for dessert at Balthazar. They were on their way to the eatery when the group was stopped at the sobriety checkpoint.
If convicted, Simms could be looking at one year in prison, a $500 fine and/or five days of community service.
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