Even Cleveland Brown fans are stunned after hearing that wide receiver Donte Stallworth, 28, will only serve a 30-day jail sentence (with one day already served, technically he only has 24 more days to do behind bars) for killing a pedestrian while driving drunk in Florida on March 14, 2009, according to the Associated Press. The wide receiver reached an undisclosed settlement with the family of 59-year-old Mario Reyes and is said to want to just put the matter behind him.
Stallworth was drinking at his hotel bar and then got into his 2005 Bentely when he struck Reyes. He could have faced up to 15 years of jail time for his DUI conviction but instead will receive 10 years probation and perform 1,000 hours of community service in conjunction with his time in prison.
The group Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) issued the following statement:
“MADD is profoundly disappointed in the 30-day jail sentence for Donte Stallworth, who killed a pedestrian while driving drunk. We have heard there may be a contribution to MADD in the settlement and if that is true, we will not accept any monies. This case is a clear test of the NFL’s continued tolerance of drunk driving among its players. We are closely watching what the NFL does.”—WLW
Do you think Dante Stallworth got a fair deal?
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