Donte Stallworth only gets 30 Days for Drunk Driving Manslaughter

Donte Stallworth Pleads Guilty, Gets 30 Days for Drunk Driving Manslaughter

Donte Stallworth began serving his sentence for DUI manslaughter yesterday. By this time next month he’ll be out. Unless the NFL sees fit to introduce extra penalties, he may not miss a single game. Stallworth had faced a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison for the conviction. The Cleveland Browns wide receiver was able to avoid a stiffer sentence for a variety of reasons, not the least of which was an out of court settlement he reached with the family of the deceased.

On March 14th Stallworth struck and killed Mario Reyes, a construction worker trying to flag a bus after his shift, at 7:15am. Reyes was not crossing at a crosswalk, and Stallworth claimed that he flashed his lights in an attempt to warn the pedestrian. Donte Stallworth had been drinking all night at the posh Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami Beach. He had a blood alcohol level of 0.126. The legal limit in Florida is 0.08. In Stallworth’s favor, he stayed at the scene of the crime and never tried to deny his involvement or his drinking. He agreed to a roadside sobriety test at the scene. According to authorities he was completely cooperative throughout the entire process. Further, he has no criminal record, and Reyes’ family wanted to the case resolved as quickly as possible.

Stallworth will face a number of penalties in addition to his 30-day jail sentence. He will serve two years of house arrest, during which time he will be able to play football. He will remain on probation for ten years, will have to serve 1000 hours of community service, and has had his license permanently suspended. In Stallworth‘s statement before beginning his sentence, he said “I accept full responsibility for this horrible tragedy. I will bear this burden for the rest of my life.”

Stallworth signed a seven-year, $35 million contract with the Browns before last season, but he played little due to injury. Previously, he spent four years with New Orleans and a year with both the Eagles and Pats.

As expected, the light sentence has provoked a maelstrom of reaction, largely negative, around the world of sports. One of the most interesting angles is the comparison with two other legally troubled NFL stars: Plaxico Burress and Michael Vick. Burress is currently awaiting trial (trying to get a plea bargain) for owning and carrying an illegal handgun. He inadvertently shot himself in the leg at a Manhattan nightclub, which is how the handgun was discovered. Possession of such a weapon carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 3½ years in NYC. Burress’ lawyer is trying to use Stallworth’s example to get a lesser sentence. The obvious contrast between killing a man and shooting yourself in the leg does make for a pretty compelling argument in Burress’ favor. An even greater contrast is the one with Michael Vick, who was sentenced to 23 months for financing and participating in a dog-fighting ring. His career may be over, and he faced an incredible amount of public scrutiny and disgust for his crime. I’m not the first to point out that it seems like people value dogs’ lives a lot more than humans’.