Professor

Browns' Droughns heads to trial in DUI case

L Barr
Created: 5/9/2006 11:51:00 AM
Updated:5/9/2006 1:51:24 PM

MEDINA -- The drunken driving trial of Cleveland Browns running back Reuben Droughns is underway in Medina.

A jury has been seated and opening arguments are scheduled to begin.

Droughns' defense won two key rulings when a judge threw out as evidence a pair of field sobriety tests conducted improperly.

Dash cam video of the traffic stop and field tests were released to the media last fall.

Droughns has pleaded not guilty to charges of driving under the influence, failing a
Breathalyzer test and traveling 50 miles per hour in a 35-m.p.h. zone.

J-Unit

hes been acquited of all the charges.

PoppaPoe33

Good, now he can get on with his life because the Browns are depending on him to produce some yards.

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Professor

http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/sto...05-10-00-15-27

Browns' Droughns Acquitted of DUI

MEDINA, Ohio (AP) -- Cleveland Browns running back Reuben Droughns has been acquitted of drunken driving.

The 10-person jury in Medina Municipal Court deliberated for 35 minutes Tuesday before deciding Droughns was not impaired when State Highway Patrol Trooper Sam Crist pulled him over Nov. 1. A breath test showed Droughns had an alcohol level of .08, the state's legal limit.

Droughns, 27, was charged with failing the Breathalyzer test, driving under the influence and traveling 50 mph in a 35-mph zone. Prosecutor Matthew Lanier dropped the latter charges before the trial began.

Crist testified that he spotted Droughns speeding and weaving in traffic while driving in suburban Cleveland.



Droughns and his wife, Kellie, disputed the trooper's testimony that Droughns was weaving, and Droughns said he was unfamiliar with the speed limit in the area. Droughns said he drank three cocktails at a Halloween party that night.

Droughns, who signed a three-year contract extension with the Browns earlier this year, said after the verdict he was happy to get the charge behind him so he could concentrate on football. He rushed for 1,232 yards last season on 309 carries, scoring two touchdowns.

Kellie Droughns said the acquittal was a relief.

"It's been hard on us, hard on Reuben," she said. "We're taking a limo everywhere, even to the grocery store."

J-Unit

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slu...v=ap&type=lgns

CENTENNIAL, Colo. (AP) -- Cleveland Browns running back Reuben Droughns was released on $2,500 bail Thursday after he was arrested in a domestic violence case.

The 27-year-old, who played for the Denver Broncos until a 2005 trade, faces charges of third-degree assault and harassment. His attorney, Harvey Steinberg, did not immediately return a call.

Droughns surrendered on Wednesday and spent the night in jail before appearing in Arapahoe County Court Thursday, district attorney's spokeswoman Kathleen Walsh said.

Walsh said the judge will allow him to leave the state if he has permission from whoever posts his bond.

Conviction on the assault charge would carry a penalty of six to 18 months in jail and conviction on the harassment charge would carry a penalty of up to six months in jail, Walsh said. Both charges are misdemeanors.

Sheriff's Capt. Mark Fisher said the charges stemmed from a May 12 incident in this south Denver suburb. No details of the incident were released.

Browns officials issued a statement saying they were aware of the case and were taking it seriously but had no other comment.

Droughns' agent, Drew Rosenhaus, did not immediately return a message.

Droughns, who signed a three-year contract extension with the Browns this year, rushed for 1,232 yards last season on 309 carries, scoring two touchdowns.

Earlier this month, an Ohio jury decided Droughns was not impaired by alcohol when an Ohio State Patrol trooper pulled him over Nov. 1. A breath test showed Droughns had an alcohol level of 0.08, the state's legal limit.

Droughns was charged with failing the Breathalyzer test, driving under the influence and traveling 50 mph in a 35-mph zone.

Droughns and his wife, Kellie, disputed the trooper's testimony that Droughns was weaving, and Droughns said he was unfamiliar with the speed limit in the area. Droughns said he drank three cocktails at a Halloween party that night.

J-Unit

Another bail for a proffesional athlete. What is this world coming to.

Professor

droughns is really making a name for himself lately. LOL

Professor

http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/sto...05-26-14-05-21

Sheriff Says Droughns Threw Wife Out Door

LITTLETON, Colo. (AP) -- Cleveland Browns running back Reuben Droughns threw his wife out the door of their home after she said she wanted a divorce, according to a sheriff's report.

Droughns was released on $2,500 bail Thursday on one count of assault and two counts of harassment. He surrendered to police the day before and spent the night in jail.

The arrest report said Kellie Droughns' right arm was hurt in the May 12 incident at their suburban Denver home. The report said she called her mother in Texas, who then called the sheriff's department.

Droughns' attorney, Harvey Steinberg, did not immediately return a call Friday.

Kellie Droughns had no listed phone number. Her name is redacted in the report but she has been publicly identified as Droughns' wife.

Droughns faces six to 18 months in jail if convicted of assault and up to six months in jail if convicted of harassment. Bail conditions allow him to leave the state before his next court appearance on July 6, district attorney's spokeswoman Kathleen Walsh said.

Droughns, who played for the Denver Broncos until a 2005 trade, signed a three-year extension with the Browns this year. He rushed for 1,232 yards and two touchdowns on 309 carries last season.

Earlier this month, a jury acquitted Droughns of drunken driving charges, finding he was not impaired by alcohol when a State Highway Patrol trooper stopped him Nov. 1 in Medina in northeast Ohio.

Professor

http://www.cleveland.com/browns/plai...040.xml&coll=2

Lawyer: RB's wife wants case dropped
Friday, May 26, 2006
Mary Kay Cabot
Plain Dealer Reporter

The lawyer for Reuben Droughns said Thursday that he believes the Browns' running back will be cleared of domestic violence charges.

Lawyer Harvey Steinberg also said Droughns' wife, Kellie, has made repeated demands to get the charges dropped.

"We believe Mr. Droughns will be exonerated," Steinberg said. "We don't believe police conducted a thorough investigation. There was a key third-party witness at the premises and they've failed to contact the witness."

Droughns, 27, was released on $2,500 bail Thursday after his arrest for a May 12 incident in his home in Centennial, Colo., a suburb of Denver. He played for the Broncos for three seasons before being traded to the Browns last off-season.

Droughns surrendered on Wednesday and spent the night in jail before appearing in Arapahoe County Court Thursday, district attorney's spokeswoman Kathleen Walsh said.

He faces one misdemeanor charge of assault and two misdemeanor charges of harassment. The assault charge carries a penalty of six to 18 months in jail and the harassment charges carry a penalty of up to six months in jail for each count. Droughns also could face a suspension from the NFL if convicted.

"It's reflected in the police report that [Kellie] didn't want the charges to be filed and she's been insistent about that," Steinberg said.

Arapahoe County Sheriff's Capt. Mark Fisher said Thursday night that Kellie reported the incident and that when police arrived at the home, Droughns was not there. He said deputies interviewed Kellie and established probable cause for domestic violence based on the interview and injuries she suffered.

"Our investigative bureau also felt there was sufficient probable cause to make an arrest," Fisher said.

Steinberg said Droughns and his wife are together and doing fine. "I don't think there's any evidence that he hit or struck her," Steinberg said.

Droughns is permitted contact with his wife, but may not possess a weapon or drink alcohol. He can leave Colorado, but must return for his arraignment July 6.

In a statement, Browns General Manager Phil Savage said, "The Cleveland Browns take these matters seriously, but since it's a pending legal matter, the club will have no further comment at this time."

The incident occurred just ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^three days after Droughns was acquitted of drunken driving charges in Medina. A breath test on Nov. 1 showed he had an alcohol level of 0.08, the state's legal limit.

According to the NFL's Personal Conduct Policy, Droughns could receive a fine, suspension without pay and/or banishment from the league if convicted of the assault and harassment charges. Because of his arrest, he'll be required to undergo a clinical evaluation and possibly counseling.

J-Unit

Good gracious, this guy is one character.

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