Slapping the ass of another dude might be considered a sign of respect on the football field, but within a courtroom, it’s apparently disrespectful and grounds for the removal of a plea deal. That’s what longtime NFL star Chad Johnson found out earlier this week after he was told to thank his lawyer and responded with a tap of his backside. The action didn’t go over so well with the judge, and she quickly had him handcuffed and thrown in jail.
The incident went down in Broward County, Florida yesterday. Johnson was in court to deal with missing probation appointments stemming from his domestic violence plea. His attorney had worked out an agreement with prosecutors to keep the famed wide receiver out of jail, but when Johnson reared back and slapped his attorney’s backside, all that hard work went out the window. The terms were torn up, and the retired star was sent to jail for thirty days.
According to TMZ attorney Adam Swickle, the man who received the love tap for his diligent litigating, filed a motion today to argue Johnson wasn’t trying to be disrespectful and should be released from jail under the terms of the original plea agreement. The court was apparently somewhat receptive because a hearing was set up, but unfortunately for Johnson, it won’t happen until Monday, which means he’ll have to spend almost a week more in jail.
Johnson has always considered himself a bit of a prankster. He’s given fans more than his share of touchdown dances and wacky antics, but something tells me he’ll be a little more careful the next time he’s inside a courtroom.
