Like everyone else, a basketball player is not immune to state and federal laws. Especially when it comes to driving under the influence.
Fans and players alike are anxiously waiting for the 2016 season to start up in October. While they wait, they typical basketball player is relaxing with their families or getting into shape. Unfortunately, other players find themselves on the wrong side of law enforcement .
Basketball Player Caught Drinking and Driving
Ty Lawson, of the Denver Nuggets, was with his girlfriend Ashley King at the Jardin nightclub in Hollywood this week. TMZ, the celebrity news website that first reported the arrest, encountered Lawson outside the club. When they saw him, it was shortly before he got into his Mercedes-Benz and hit the road. For Lawson, he was unaware he was about to run into some complications on his ride home.
At about 1:30 in the morning, a California Highway Patrol (CHP) officer noticed a white Mercedes driving on the 101 freeway at a high rate of speed. The officer pulled the car over, and the driver identified himself as a professional basketball player for the Denver Nuggets. However, Lawson was not just speeding. CHP officer Kevin Tao told the Denver Post that Lawson also “displayed several signs of symptoms of alcohol intoxication.”
Lawson reportedly failed field sobriety tests administered by the CHP officers, and based on that and displayed symptoms of alcohol intoxication, he was arrested and booked into a Los Angeles Police Department jail.
Repercussions of a DUI
At last report, Lawson was still in jail in lieu of $5,000 bail. However, the bail amount shouldn’t be much of an issue for the point guard. He is currently under a 4 year, $48 million contract with the Denver Nuggets. He was even carrying $6,000 in cash at the time of his arrest.
California hasn’t been too welcoming to Lawson. Before his Los Angeles DUI, the Golden State Warriors eliminated the Denver Nuggets in the first round of playoffs, despite Lawson leading Denver in both scoring and assists.
This is not Ty Lawson’s first run-in with the law. Only six months ago, Lawson was arrested for driving under the influence in Denver. The police pulled him over for driving 61 mph in a 35 mph zone. The arresting officer reported slurred speech, bloodshot eyes, swaying, and stumbling. Additionally, he notes an odor of alcohol on his breath. Lawson refused a chemical breath test, and the police took him into custody.
Charges to Settle
The Denver DUI charges are not yet resolved, as he is due in court on that charge later this week. The conditions of his bond on that arrest include no consumption of alcohol and monitored sobriety. This latest DUI arrest will probably not do much to help his case before the Colorado judge and prosecutors.
During Lawson’s college basketball days at the University of North Carolina in 2008, he plead guilty to underage driving after consuming alcohol. His blood alcohol concentration (BAC) estimation was only 0.03%, but that level was still a violation because he was under the legal age to drink.
The David Kavinoky Law Firm staffs the best attorneys in Los Angeles. Should you find yourself on in need of legal defense, give us a call right away. I you need the best DUI lawyer you can find, then 1.800.NO.CUFFS is the number you want to know and hope you never need. Call us anytime, 24/7, 365 days a week
