Jarret Stoll was arrested this weekend on suspicion of cocaine possession, but the Los Angeles Kings forward and boyfriend of Erin Andrews will likely escape the incident without much discipline from the law.
Stoll was picked in Las Vegas and accused of possessing controlled substances , including Ecstasy and cocaine. Jaret Stoll, who has been dating Erin Andrews since 2012, was arrested at the MGM Grand Hotel’s Wet Republic pool complex after his team was eliminated from NHL playoff contention.
But he may not face much discipline from the law. A former state prosecutor said this week that Stoll will likely get only a “slap on the wrist” for the possession charges. Michael Pariente, a criminal defense attorney in Las Vegas for the last decade, said he has represented a number of people accused of drug charges, many of then Canadian like Stoll, and seen plea deals offered in every case.
Pariente said that prosecutors would likely offer Erin Andrews’ boyfriend the chance to plead out to misdemeanor possession charges, which would mean a fine of up to $1,000 and completion of a drug awareness course. Pariente said the course can be completed online and takes about four hours.
Jarret Stoll may also be sentenced to some community service, but likely not more, Pariente said.
“It’s pretty much a slap on the wrist,” Pariente said in an interview. “Even if he was going to represent himself they’d make him an offer like this.”
Others think Jarret Stoll could get off with even less. Ben Nadig, a former prosecutor in Las Vegas who now works as a defense attorney, said the charges could be dismissed completely.
“The first thing they’re going to do is analyze the drugs, and that takes the longest, anywhere from a week to a couple of months,” Nadig told TSN . “After it’s analyzed they’ll have a plea deal negotiated in a couple of minutes.”
It also remains to be seen what discipline Stoll could face from the NHL for the arrest, which will likely depend on whether the charges stick or are dropped.
Though Jarret Stoll may escape discipline for the incident, his future with the Los Angeles Kings is in doubt. Though he has never been known as a top scorer, Stoll had a career-low 17 points in 73 games this season and has been on a steady decline for the past few years.
Many Los Angeles Kings fans already seemed to make up their minds after Jarret Stoll was arrested, saying that Erin Andrews’ boyfriend appeared more concerned with partying and soaking up the limelight than improving his game.
[Image via Getty Images/ Angela Weiss ]