Matt jones’ agent addresses arrest

BasX · Mar 10, 2009

Dave Butz, the agent for Jaguars receiver Matt Jones, issued a statement on Tuesday regarding the events that resulted in Jones being placed in jail on $150,000 bond.

“Many of the reports surrounding [Monday] are extremely inaccurate,” Butz tells Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com. “First, Matt was not charged with possession of any controlled substance. The judge went on the record [Monday] saying that Matt has been respectful and very compliant throughout his time in the program.

“The only issue [Monday] is that Matt admitted to the court that he drank a couple of beers while playing golf last week with a friend. I had a very positive conversation with the prosecuting attorney this evening in which she was adamant that ‘this is not a new charge.’

“According to the prosecutor, ‘in light of how well Matt has been doing in our program and the fact that he was honest with the court, it is really not a big deal.’ She also stated that she has no doubt that Matt ‘will successfully finish the program.’”

To the extent that Butz claims “[m]any of the reports” are “[e]xtremely inaccurate,” it’s a direct result of the manner in which the incident was reported on the Washington County, Arkansas, Sheriff’s Department web site.

The web site initially said that Jones was jailed for possession of a controlled substance. The link has since been changed to the more accurate charge of “contempt of court.”

And before Butz starts complaining about the characterization of Jones’ unfortunate incarceration, let’s be clear on what Jones did.

He ducked serious felony cocaine possession charges by agreeing to enter into a diversion program that requires him to avoid all controlled substances, and alcohol.

Most if not all probation arrangements require the person avoiding prison to refrain from drinking alcohol. Why? Because once people start boozing, their judgment becomes impaired and they start doing stupid stuff — like taking cocaine.

And while Butz makes it sound as if Jones came clean on his own about the fact that he was drinking and golfing, other reports indicate that he was subject to a random alcohol test as part of the diversion program. So, basically, Jones knew that he was busted.

Frankly, the relative speed with which alcohol exits the system suggests that this might not have been the first time that Jones was drinking in violation of the terms of his diversion program. Instead, it’s only the first time that he was caught.

So Jones is hardly the victim here. His freedom hinged on his ability and willingness to comply with the rules created by the court, and he didn’t. His current predicament is no one’s fault but his own.
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http://www.profootballtalk.com/2009/03/10/matt-jones-agent-addresses-arrest/

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