As to the NFL, Vikings receiver Jerome Simpson faces no suspension after his recent DUI arrest based on his prior marijuana conviction. As to the legal system, that’s a different issue.
According to Brian Murphy of the St. Paul Pioneer Press, Simpson faces up to three years in prison in the wake of his latest arrest.
Simpson remains on probation in Kentucky for his 2012 drug sentencing, and the probation agreement prevents him from using alcohol for three years.
Judge Gregory Bartlett opted not to order jail time last year for Simpson, but reportedly provided this warning to the former Bengals receiver who is in his second year with Minnesota: “One stupid lapse of judgment and I can wipe it all away. That’s the lesson he needs to tell people. Think before you do something stupid.”
Simpson was supposed to avoid doing something stupid. The fact that he allegedly did something stupid could have consequences far more serious than an NFL suspension.
Under the league’s substance-abuse policy, a first-offense DUI ordinarily triggers a fine in the amount of two game checks.