Pacman Jones pleads guilty to misdemeanor, apologizes in court
— -- CINCINNATI -- Bengals cornerback Adam Jones pleaded guilty Tuesday to a single misdemeanor charge from an altercation earlier this year after two other charges were dropped as part of a plea agreement.
Jones was arrested at a hotel in downtown Cincinnati in January after he allegedly pushed a security guard, poked him in the eye and refused to comply with law enforcement officers. He faced misdemeanor charges of assault, disorderly conduct and obstructing official business, and a felony count of harassment with a bodily substance.
Municipal Court Judge Dwane Mallory dismissed misdemeanor counts of assault and disorderly conduct at the prosecutor's request. He sentenced Jones to time already served -- two days -- on the obstructing official business count. The Hamilton County prosecutor earlier dismissed the felony count, which had alleged that Jones spit on a jail nurse.
"There was no evidence of what was officially reported -- assault, head-butting, any of that," said Jones' agent, Peter Schaffer, who said that Jones' tone with the officer on the scene largely led to his arrest.
"He realizes he probably just could've handled himself better that night. Even though he was in the right, just be calm and let the system play itself out. That's what it comes down to, he was probably justified, but he probably could've handled himself better."
Jones, 33, apologized in court Tuesday for his behavior and specifically to a Cincinnati police officer to whom he made profane comments after his arrest.?
A video released by the Cincinnati police showed Jones cursing at the officer while in the back of a police car and telling him "I hope you die tomorrow."
"I'd like to apologize for my actions that night, to the police officer; that is not an example of me or how I want my kids to see me," Jones said in court on Tuesday. "I truly apologize for what I did, for my actions. I'm trying to get better every day."
The judge cited Jones' apologies among a "multitude of factors" for his sentence.
"I don't take into account celebrity," the judge told The Associated Press. "I have 99 percent non-celebrities in my court."
Jones, who is currently undergoing anger-management classes, is still subject to potential NFL discipline.
"We have been monitoring developments in this matter, which continues to be reviewed under the personal conduct policy," NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said via email. "We have no timetable on any potential discipline."
Bengals owner Mike Brown came out in public support of Jones, giving a long statement to reporters at the owners meetings about his decision to stand behind him.
"He knows full well what he has done to himself," Brown told Bengals.com and the Cincinnati Enquirer as part of his statement."He regrets it. But it's been made into a public issue, and maybe I am overly tolerant. If so, so be it."
Bengals coach Marvin Lewis said in an interview with "NFL No Huddle" last week that Jones, who also made headlines for yelling at a local reporter in Cincinnati this offseason, has to work on his public image.
"Well, the public persona, unfortunately, you know, his words, he's got to continually work at that," Lewis said. "His words. He's a passionate teammate for these guys. A diligent pro. He's got to just continue to handle himself within the scope of day to day and be a great pro. He's overcome his background, and it's a day-to-day process. Most importantly, he's at the point in his career where these things have to stay pointed towards football."
However, Lewis also implied several months ago that he thought some parts of the arrest had been blown out of proportion.
"Other than his language, what did he do?" Lewis said at the coaches' breakfast during the owners meetings.
Jones is widely known by his nickname "Pacman," although since 2008, he has tried to separate himself from the moniker, as it began to be associated with his off-the-field troubles.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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