New Orleans Saints cornerback P.J. Williams reached a resolution in his DUI case in New Orleans traffic court, pleading guilty to a lesser charge of reckless operation of a motor vehicle. He entered the plea through his attorney and was ordered to pay out a $340 fine, which effectively closed the case. Ramon Antonio Vargas of The Advocate first reported the news.
Williams was arrested back in January, days after the NFC championship game, and accused of driving drunk on the Crescent City Connection. While he refused to take a Breathalyzer test, Williams failed a field sobriety test after being pulled over for driving over the speed limit and changing lanes without using his turn signals. He spent several hours in jail before being released on his own recognizance.
It’s good that Williams has put this behind him before starting the regular season, but it’s troubling that this is his second known incident with potentially driving under the influence of alcohol. He was also arrested on suspicion of it by Florida police in 2015, weeks before that year’s NFL draft, though prosecutors ultimately dropped the case. Hopefully these are isolated incidents and not a pattern of dangerous behavior.
