Ex-NFL Player Marshawn Lynch Avoids Jail After Deal Reached on DUI

Posted on: February 22, 2024, 06:45h. 

Last updated on: February 23, 2024, 11:16h.

Ed Silverstein @casinoorgedsilv Read More
Expertise: Legal, Tribal Gaming.

Former pro running back Marshawn Lynch will avoid a DUI conviction and possible jail sentence if he completes the terms of a deal worked out between attorneys in a Las Vegas court.

Marshawn Lynch
Marshawn Lynch, pictured above. The former NFL player agreed to a plea deal this week in a Las Vegas court. (Image: The Columbian)

On Wednesday, without him entering a plea, a judge approved the deal. That has Lynch, 37, taking part in a traffic class, paying an $1,140 fine, completing 200 hours of community service, attending a victim impact panel, having an alcohol evaluation, and avoiding criminal trouble for 12 months, according to the Associated Press.

If he meets these conditions, his original DUI charge will be lowered to reckless driving, according to news reports. Under the deal, prosecutors also dropped failure to drive in a travel lane and driving an unregistered vehicle charges.

The deal was reached just before a criminal trial was set to begin in the case. Lynch must return to a Las Vegas courtroom in May, according to TMZ Sports.

Elevated Blood Alcohol Level

The charges stem from an Aug. 9, 2022 incident, when Lynch’s car was damaged near the Las Vegas Strip.

After the crash, Lynch had a blood alcohol level of .18, more than twice the state’s legal limit of .08%, ProFootballTalk’s Michael David Smith reported. The lab test was taken after Lynch told officers he wouldn’t undergo a breathalyzer test.

Lynch’s legal team rejected claims that he was driving while intoxicated. He was asleep in the driver’s seat of an “undriveable” 2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500, which was parked in downtown Las Vegas when officers arrived.

Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) officers forced Lynch to the ground and ordered him to roll over upon his apprehension, TMZ Sports reported.

“Mr. Lynch has not been convicted of any offense at his time,” the Las Vegas-based criminal defense attorneys, Richard Schonfeld and David Chesnoff, who represented him in court, said in a statement to Las Vegas TV station KLAS. “He has agreed to complete certain requirements which will result in this case being closed as a reckless driving traffic offense.”

Prior Arrests

The 2022 arrest wasn’t Lynch’s first brush with the law, according to Deadspin. He pled guilty to a hit-and-run after driving into a woman in 2008. In 2012, a DUI charge was reduced to reckless driving. He pled guilty to the reduced charge.

Lynch played for three NFL teams over 12 seasons until he retired in 2019. These included the Seattle Seahawks, Buffalo Bills, and Oakland Raiders. He played college football at the University of California, where he was named an All-American.

After his football career, he reportedly was named a BetMGM brand ambassador.