FAYETTEVILLE - NFL player and former Razorback football star Matt Jones is heading to jail, for violating drug court rules.
Before his trial started, Jones and his mother, Paula, stopped to chat with 5News. They both said they were doing just fine, but at the end of a long day in court, the situation was not looking quite as "fine" for Jones' immediate future.
Jones spoke with Judge Mary Ann Gunn, in court. "I've been 100% in the NFL program, and this program. This is the first thing that I've done wrong."
But Judge Gunn reminded Jones, he DID do something wrong, and said because he admitted to recently drinking alcohol with a buddy in public on Thursday, he must make a tough decision, for breaking rehab rules. She said, "why in the world would you drink beer on the golf course when your future's at stake? And let me tell you why your future's at stake. Everybody's is, but your playing field time is smaller than my career. I could practice law for 50 years, hopefully, but you can't play football for 50 years. You have more to lose and you have to respect that. I have not seen you be anything but respectful in this program, and man! It's you, it's not us! You either work it or you don't. You didn't. You've got a choice. Stick around and find out what Matt's going to say. But you're going to go to jail for a week, Matt, or you're going to go to residential treatment for 6 weeks, and you know what? You may need both! You've been 100% on everything the NFL's asked, and everything that we've asked. Except this; court's in recess!"
Jones' lawyer was not present during this trial, so Jones spent the court's recess, talking things over with his mother.
When court resumed, Judge Gunn was ready for his answer. "What's your decision?" Jones replied: "I think that I need to go to…I talked to my mom, she said I need to go to treatment." Judge Gunn seemed surprised by this. "Go to treatment?!" Jones answered back, "that's what she said. I'm just nervous about like, my lawyer's not here, and the whole jail thing...I don't want to go to jail. I made my own mistake, and you don't have to worry about me ever again, and that's my promise, and if I do, you can send me to jail for 90 days or whatever you want me to do, but you don't have to worry about a mistake like what I made. It was my ignorance, it was dumb, and you don't have to worry about that ever again."
Then, Jones' mother spoke up as Judge Gunn was speaking. Gunn spoke anyway. "I want [Jones] to go. -Ma'am, you know what?! We're on the record! State your name! Okay, now, Miss Jones, I have to tell you. Now just a minute, we both can't talk, and what you say's important, but I have to tell you, this is between the State of Arkansas and your son."
Jones' mother said she was afraid for her son to go to jail, and that her fear may have influenced his decision."
In reply, Judge Gunn said, "okay, well, I appreciate your fears, but I think that we have a tremendous facility here, and he needs, he has to understand the repercussion of his actions. I believe it's in your best interest that you be remitted to the Washington County Jail, and, stay away from anybody. Just don't play golf, it that's what it's going to take." Judge Gunn is also moving Jones a step backwards in the rehab program, but she did make one exception to her decision to send Jones to the Washington County Detention center for one week...she set his bail at $150,000.
This course of action might not be much better; if he bails out of jail, Judge Gunn says she is rolling him into the 6 week residential program, which would keep him from starting his NFL team's spring training, on Monday.
Jones is being held in the Washington County Detention Center until Sunday morning at 8 a.m., or until he posts bail.
Before his trial started, Jones and his mother, Paula, stopped to chat with 5News. They both said they were doing just fine, but at the end of a long day in court, the situation was not looking quite as "fine" for Jones' immediate future.
Jones spoke with Judge Mary Ann Gunn, in court. "I've been 100% in the NFL program, and this program. This is the first thing that I've done wrong."
But Judge Gunn reminded Jones, he DID do something wrong, and said because he admitted to recently drinking alcohol with a buddy in public on Thursday, he must make a tough decision, for breaking rehab rules. She said, "why in the world would you drink beer on the golf course when your future's at stake? And let me tell you why your future's at stake. Everybody's is, but your playing field time is smaller than my career. I could practice law for 50 years, hopefully, but you can't play football for 50 years. You have more to lose and you have to respect that. I have not seen you be anything but respectful in this program, and man! It's you, it's not us! You either work it or you don't. You didn't. You've got a choice. Stick around and find out what Matt's going to say. But you're going to go to jail for a week, Matt, or you're going to go to residential treatment for 6 weeks, and you know what? You may need both! You've been 100% on everything the NFL's asked, and everything that we've asked. Except this; court's in recess!"
Jones' lawyer was not present during this trial, so Jones spent the court's recess, talking things over with his mother.
When court resumed, Judge Gunn was ready for his answer. "What's your decision?" Jones replied: "I think that I need to go to…I talked to my mom, she said I need to go to treatment." Judge Gunn seemed surprised by this. "Go to treatment?!" Jones answered back, "that's what she said. I'm just nervous about like, my lawyer's not here, and the whole jail thing...I don't want to go to jail. I made my own mistake, and you don't have to worry about me ever again, and that's my promise, and if I do, you can send me to jail for 90 days or whatever you want me to do, but you don't have to worry about a mistake like what I made. It was my ignorance, it was dumb, and you don't have to worry about that ever again."
Then, Jones' mother spoke up as Judge Gunn was speaking. Gunn spoke anyway. "I want [Jones] to go. -Ma'am, you know what?! We're on the record! State your name! Okay, now, Miss Jones, I have to tell you. Now just a minute, we both can't talk, and what you say's important, but I have to tell you, this is between the State of Arkansas and your son."
Jones' mother said she was afraid for her son to go to jail, and that her fear may have influenced his decision."
In reply, Judge Gunn said, "okay, well, I appreciate your fears, but I think that we have a tremendous facility here, and he needs, he has to understand the repercussion of his actions. I believe it's in your best interest that you be remitted to the Washington County Jail, and, stay away from anybody. Just don't play golf, it that's what it's going to take." Judge Gunn is also moving Jones a step backwards in the rehab program, but she did make one exception to her decision to send Jones to the Washington County Detention center for one week...she set his bail at $150,000.
This course of action might not be much better; if he bails out of jail, Judge Gunn says she is rolling him into the 6 week residential program, which would keep him from starting his NFL team's spring training, on Monday.
Jones is being held in the Washington County Detention Center until Sunday morning at 8 a.m., or until he posts bail.
