Michael Phelps Pleads Guilty To DUI, Avoids Jail Time
Michael Phelps plead guilty on Friday to a charge of drunken driving. Michael was placed on probation rather than sentenced to jail. This is the second time in two years that Phelps has been charged with a DUI.
According to ESPN, the probation will allow Phelps to train for the 2016 Olympic Games, which will take place in Rio De Janeiro. The plea should not have any affect on training or the games. Michael has pursued sobriety since the arrest was made, and spent 45 days in treatment in Arizona.
This is Michael’s last chance to clean up his act, according to what Baltimore District Judge Nathan Braverman told Phelps in court.
“You don’t need a lecture from the court. If you haven’t gotten the message by now, or forget the message, the only option is jail.”
The sentence will last 18 months. During that time, Phelps will not be allowed to drink alcohol. His license was also suspended. Phelps was surrounded by his mother and sisters, as well as his friend Ray Lewis, a former Baltimore Ravens linebacker.
Michael appeared contrite in court regarding his decision to drink and drive.
“I now have the tools to move past this. What I did was wrong, and I made a bad mistake. I’m looking forward to having a much brighter future than I had in the past.”
CBS offered more details about the arrest. In the officer’s report on the arrest, Michael was pulled over for going 84 mph in a 45 mph zone. His car and breath smelled like alcohol, while his eyes were bloodshot. Phelps apparently replied, “that’s not happening,” when he was asked to stand on one leg during a sobriety test.
Phelps was originally arrested in September after leaving a Baltimore casino, as covered by the Inquisitr. He entered a treatment facility shortly after the arrest while waiting for the charges to be brought before a judge. Michael released statements regarding his treatment on Twitter but has recently kept quiet as he has pursued sobriety.
I’m going to take some time away to attend a program that will provide the help I need to better understand myself.
— Michael Phelps (@MichaelPhelps) October 5, 2014
Swimming is a major part of my life, but right now I need to focus my attention on me as an individual,
— Michael Phelps (@MichaelPhelps) October 5, 2014
and do the necessary work to learn from this experience and make better decisions in the future.
— Michael Phelps (@MichaelPhelps) October 5, 2014
[Photo Source: WREG Memphis News]
