Colts owner Jim Irsay pleads guilty to misdemeanor
The embattled Colts owner reached a plea deal on Tuesday morning.
Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay has pleaded guilty to driving under the influence, according to Mark Alesia of the Indianapolis Star. In doing so, Irsay is convicted of a misdemeanor which comes from his arrest on March 16. Irsay had previously pleaded not guilty to two counts of the charge.
Evidence presented at the Hamilton County Courthouse indicated Irsay had painkillers oxycodone and hydrocodone in his system at the time of his arrest. Police records also showed officers had to continuously hold Irsay up to keep him from falling over. A typical sentence for this crime in Indiana is a 60-day suspended jail sentence and a year of probation.
Irsay was pulled over by Carmel police on that morning for erratic driving and was in possession of bottles of prescription drugs.
Irsay has not yet been disciplined by the NFL and commissioner Roger Goodell under the league’s personal conduct policy. Over at SB Nation’s Colts blog Stampede Blue, Josh Wilson gives his expectations of Irsay’s punishment:
Additionally, with this situation coming to a resolution soon, it likely means that potential discipline from NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell will come soon as well. Many expect it to be a suspension from around 4-8 games and then a hefty fine as well, though it remains to be seen what will actually happen. Some wondered whether the incredibly easy punishment handed out to Ray Rice would mean that Irsay couldn't get too much either, but let's be quick to note that the league has since changed their policy on domestic violence and that the situations are not really comparable.
We don't know what punishment Irsay will get, but comparing it to the Ray Rice suspension isn't the right way to go. What is certain, however, is that the NFLPA is watching how Goodell handles this situation closely, and there's certainly some punishment coming. It looks like that might come sooner rather than later, as Irsay has reached a plea deal and will appear in court next Tuesday.
See More:
