Browns WR Stallworth Cuts Plea Deal; To Serve 30 Days In Jail
Cleveland Browns wide receiver Donte’ Stallworth was sentenced to serve 30 days in jail after pleading guilty in Florida to a DUI manslaughter charge.
The plea deal announced Tuesday calls for the 28-year-old Stallworth to also serve 10 years’ probation and perform 1,000 community service hours for hitting and killing 59-year-old construction worker Mario Reyes with his car. Stallworth had faced up to 15 years in prison.
Stallworth also reached a confidential financial settlement with the Reyes’ family. A person close to the negotiations told The Association Press about the agreement on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk about the deal.
The person said the agreement will avoid a potential wrongful death lawsuit from Reyes’ family.
Miami Beach police said Stallworth was drinking at the swank Fontainebleau hotel bar before the March 14 crash. He left to go to a nearby home — he owns three properties in the Miami area — in his black 2005 Bentley on MacArthur Causeway, which links the beach to downtown Miami.
Prosecutors say Stallworth hit Reyes, a construction crane operator who was rushing to catch a bus after finishing his shift around 7:15 a.m. Stallworth told police he flashed his lights in an attempt to warn Reyes, who was not in a crosswalk when he was struck.
A spokeswoman for the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office said Reyes’ family has been pushing hard to resolve the case.
“We have been in intense negotiations for the past couple of days,” spokeswoman Terry Chavez said. “We always take the victim’s wishes into account.”
Stallworth had a blood-alcohol level of .126 after the crash, well above Florida’s .08 limit. Stallworth has also has cooperated with investigators and issued a statement shortly after the crash expressing sympathy for Reyes’ family.
Stallworth stopped after the crash and immediately told officers he had hit Reyes. Police estimated Stallworth was driving about 50 mph in a 40 mph zone.
Stallworth signed a seven-year, $35 million contract with the Browns before last season but was injured much of the year. He also has played for New England, Philadelphia and New Orleans.
The NFL has said it will review the matter for possible disciplinary action after the legal case is completed.
David Cornwell, a Stallworth attorney handling the NFL situation, said he has kept top league officials apprised of the case.
How does Stallworth only get 30 days but Michael Vick goes to jail for two years?
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13 COMMENTS
I don't know, but I do know that if I ran a man down while I was drunk driving, I'd do 3-5 yrs minimum, maybe a lot more. This is a horrible example of wealth tipping the scales of justice.
Wow, Michael Vick would've been given a death sentence if he had run over someone while on the way to a dogfight, even if the guy had survived. Just another example of someone given more hard time for abusing an animal than for killing a human being!
This is a joke! The family of the dead man should be prosecuted. They should have fought for jail time for this thug! By accepting a financial agreement, and not asking for 10 – 20 years for this selfish crime makes me sick as a human.
This family should be screaming from the roof tops that they want his money and jail time. 30 days, a financial settlement and time served is not enough. The NFL and society should be a lot harder on this trash bag.
Mike Vick killed dogs, Stallworth took a human life and only received 30 days. Are dogs more valuable than a human? According to the court the dogs are worth more jail time than a human life. I get the other components in the Vick case, but come on…the human factor far outweighs all of Vicks problems. Very disappointed in the law here! Mike Vick should have been out in 5 days if all Stallworth got was 30 days and a fine.
I am glad people are starting to take the BS emotions out of Mike Vick's case and see it for what it was TOTAL BS. Dogs are more important than humans? Give me a break as a of fact give Vick a break!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
In Florida a stupid kid killed 19 cats and faces 158 years and a football player kills a person and gets 30 days. Glad I don't live in Florida!
I agree. In order to have an accurate representation of what justice is nowadays, they should replace the statue of Lady Justice: take her blindfold off, put a stack of hundreds on one side of the scale, bend her over, shove a cock in her mouth and the sword up her ass! If anyone feels insulted, take a good look around you and tell me that's not true in a lot of cases. The words used in court of law are the same as the words used by salespeople. Bargains and deals should be kept to flea markets and out of courtrooms. We're better off leaving judgement to computers, it would certainly be more fair as decision-making is a very hard process and we (the human race) simply suck at it.
I just find it appalling that all the parties feel this is a "just" judgement, including the judge (Oh yes! Way to high-five yourself your honor!). I can picture Stallworth telling High School kids: "Look at what drinking and driving has done to me: a whole 30 days in jail and 2 years of house arrest! You know what house arrest is, kids? It means I have to stay home ALL THE TIME, well unless I have to do my job, play football? Imagine, kids: I can only go to work and then I have to go home just like millions of broke americans!
I know he has to live the rest of his life with the blood of a man on his hands, but unless they do a reality show called "Watch Stallworth crying himself to sleep in remorse every night", well, frankly my dear, I don't give a damn.
Good thing he's one of America's sports "gods", otherwise he might have gotten a real sentence.
I agree 100%, Money talks!!!
I believe if Stallworth ran over 3 dogs that night rather than a person, he would have gotten more jail time because people care more about dogs than they do they're species!!!
So am I, but you know Vick is a black QB, face of the franchise and $100 million dollar man, the NFL wasn't going to let him slide. Stallworth is a virtual nobody, there's a difference between he and Vick.
I think that would happen anywhere because animals are #1 and humans are #2.
there is no justice in the system but the judges justify there job by letting off rich and popular people….Heaven forbid he do the maximum amount of time for being stupid and a complete idiot. These people get paid millions to play a sport and abuse their lifestyles daily and are put on a role model status for our children. Nice example to set for our children hey you can get drunk, drive, kill someone, and get off free as a bird "Some Justice"
I don't think justice exists at all. PERIOD!!!