Topps 2010 C87 

This was the first card in the collection that I picked up having bought this from a CGC board member at auction on eBay.  After picking this card up, I wondered how many NFL players that found themselves in legal trouble also had chase autograph cards issued.  The results, as you will see are astounding.  This journal will showcase each card in my collection along with the wikipedia entry for the trouble they found themselves in. 

Legal issues

Hernandez had a number of run-ins with the law throughout his life, beginning just a few months after he arrived in Florida as a pre-freshman. By his own admission, Hernandez became jumpy in nightclubs, and had a history of taking offense at minor slights.^[69] He also said that he believed people were trying to physically challenge him and were looking to fight him.^[69]

Acquaintances described Hernandez as a follower who put himself in jeopardy by hanging out with a dangerous crowd.^[19] As a Patriot, Hernandez hired two of his friends from Bristol, both of whom had criminal records, as assistants.^[19] One of them, Alexander S. Bradley, was his drug dealer.^[19] As Hernandez's assistant, Bradley's other duties including calming Hernandez down during fits of rage and paranoia, and obtaining weapons for him.^[19] After his death, his high school teammate and lover said that being drafted by the Patriots "was the worst thing the NFL could have done" because it put him back into close proximity to the criminal friends he had in Connecticut.^[19]

Hernandez kept a second apartment a secret from his fiancée Shayanna Jenkins and used it to store drugs and weapons.^[19][69] He would often go there to chain smoke marijuana.^[15] In 2012, Hernandez told his agent that he got his respect through weapons.^[9] Boston Police detectives once questioned Hernandez outside of a local bar, but the circumstances around the interview are unclear.^[19]

2007 Gainesville bar fight

On April 28, 2007, according to a police report in Gainesville, Florida, a 17-year-old Hernandez consumed two alcoholic drinks in a restaurant with Tim Tebow, refused to pay the bill, and was escorted out by a restaurant employee.^[14] As the manager walked away, Hernandez "sucker punched" him on the side of the head, rupturing his eardrum.^[14]

The police responded at 1:17 a.m.^[14] Hernandez called Coach Urban Meyer, and Meyer called Huntley Johnson, the team's unofficial defense lawyer.^[14] The victim later told police that he had been contacted by lawyers and the team and that a settlement was being worked out, something the team denied.^[14] The police department recommended charging Hernandez with felony battery, but the incident was settled out of court with a deferred prosecution agreement.^[72][73]

2007 Gainesville double shooting

On September 30, 2007, someone approached a car containing Randall Carson, Justin Glass, and Corey Smith on foot and fired five shots while they were waiting at a Gainesville traffic light after having left a nightclub. Smith was shot in the back of the head, and Glass was shot in the arm. Both men survived. Carson, a back-seat passenger, was unharmed, and told police that the shooter was a "Hawaiian" or "Hispanic" male with a large build weighing about 230 lb (100 kg) and having many tattoos.^[74] He picked a photo of Hernandez out of a police lineup.^[14]

The police told Meyer's personal assistant that they wanted to see Hernandez and two teammates immediately.^[14] Detectives "kept pushing coaches" to bring the players to the station, but they did not arrive for four hours.^[14] In the interim, the players spoke with Johnson, the attorney who often represented players.^[14] The other players cooperated with police, but Hernandez invoked his right to counsel and refused to talk to police.^[14][74] When police walked into the room to speak to Hernandez, the last of the players to be interviewed, they found him with his head down on the table and sleeping, a posture they said was unusual for someone in the middle of a homicide investigation.^[14]

No charges were filed at the time but, due to his 2013 arrest and subsequent conviction for the murder of Odin Lloyd, Massachusetts authorities contacted police in Florida to try to determine whether Hernandez was suspected to have a role in the 2007 shooting.^[74] Detective Tom Mullins, who was assigned to reinvestigate the shooting, concluded that Hernandez was not the triggerman. Although Carson initially identified Hernandez as such, other witnesses that night described the shooter as looking like a black male, possibly with cornrows. When Mullins re-interviewed Carson, Carson rescinded his statement of the shooter matching Hernandez and said he never saw Hernandez at the scene, but assumed he was the shooter because "they had words earlier at the club." ^[75]

2011 Plainville fight

At 3:45 a.m. on April 30, 2011, police responded to a fight in front of Hernandez's rented townhouse in Plainville, Massachusetts.^[19] A high school friend had been pulled over earlier in the evening after driving Hernandez home from a Boston bar.^[19] The driver was weaving in and out of lanes and traveling at 120 miles per hour in a work zone and on a highway with a speed limit of 55 miles per hour.^[19] The Massachusetts State Trooper who pulled the car over did not arrest the driver because he recognized Hernandez in the passenger seat.^[19] The Plainville police also recognized Hernandez, and told the two to go indoors.^[19]

2012 Boston double homicide

Hernandez was investigated in connection with a double homicide that took place on July 16, 2012, near the Cure Lounge in Boston's South End.^[69][76] Daniel Jorge Correia de Abreu, 29, and Safiro Teixeira Furtado, 28, both immigrants from Cape Verde and living in Dorchester, were killed by gunshots fired into their vehicle.^[77] Witnesses testified that Hernandez's silver SUV pulled up next to the victims and someone from his car yelled racial epithets towards the victims."^[77] Someone from the car then fired five shots, killing the two immigrants.^[77] Police immediately identified Hernandez, who was then playing for the Patriots, in the club's security camera footage, but thought it was a coincidence that Hernandez happened to be at the club that evening.^[77]

On May 15, 2014, Hernandez was indicted on murder charges for the killings of de Abreu and Furtado,^[78] with additional charges of armed assault and attempted murder associated with shots fired at the surviving occupants in the vehicle.^[79] The trial began March 1, 2017.^[80] The prosecution case was strongly based on testimony by Bradley, a known drug dealer who had been feuding with Hernandez since he allegedly shot him in the face and left him to die.^[81] Hernandez and Bradley each claimed that the other person pulled the trigger.^[77]

Jose Baez, Hernandez's attorney, argued that the proposed motive was implausible, and Hernandez was a suspect of convenience too close to two unsolved murders.^[82] Bradley alleged that Hernandez was infuriated after the victims spilled a drink on him at a nightclub several hours before the shooting and killed them in retaliation.^[69] Security camera footage confirmed that Hernandez was in the club for less than ten minutes.^[69] Around that time, he calmly posed for a photo with a fan, and left by himself — contradicting Bradley's testimony that he departed with Hernandez.^[82] Furthermore, Baez characterized the police investigation as extraordinarily sloppy (e.g., the victims' bodies were kept in their bullet-riddled vehicle as it was towed away from the shooting scene, a major protocol violation) with no physical evidence tying Hernandez to the murders.^[82]

According to The Boston Globe, there was "powerful evidence that [Hernandez] was at the scene and played a role in their deaths."^[8] On April 14, 2017, Hernandez was acquitted of the murders and most of the other charges but found guilty of illegal possession of a handgun.^[83]

2013 traffic stop

In January 2013, Hernandez and Bradley partied at Cure again.^[77] At 2:20 a.m., Bradley was pulled over on the Southeast Expressway after his vehicle speeded at 105 miles per hour.^[77] According to the State Police he was "wobbly drunk."^[77] Hernandez tried to get his friend out of trouble by saying, "Trooper, I am Aaron Hernandez. It's okay."^[77] However, Bradley was still arrested for drunk driving.^[77]

2013 Miami shooting of Alexander Bradley

In February 2013, Hernandez, Bradley, and several others visited a Florida strip club where they rang up a $10,000 bill.^[69] Hernandez began to worry about two men sitting across from them, thinking they were plainclothes Boston police officers.^[69] Bradley later recalled telling Hernandez that they were probably tracking the pair as part of their investigation into the double murder outside the Cure.^[69]

Hernandez and Bradley had a troubled relationship at this point.^[69] Bradley claimed that on February 13, 2013, during the same trip, he woke up in a car with Hernandez pointing a gun at his face.^[69] The next morning, police found Bradley lying in a parking lot and bleeding from a bullet hole between his eyes.^[69] Bradley survived, but lost his right eye.^[69] He did not cooperate with police, but instead sought revenge.^[69]

The pair would trade more than 500 text messages in the next three months, which included death threats and attempts at extortion.^[69] Bradley told Hernandez that he had "semiautomatic weapons, bulletproof vests, and a crew that ran six deep."^[69] Hernandez's agent tried, unsuccessfully, to settle the matter quietly.^[69] Bradley demanded $5 million to keep his silence, and Hernandez countered with $1.5 million.^[69] Bradley then asked for $2.5 million.^[69] Hernandez did not respond, but instead went to see his lawyer.^[69]

On June 13, 2013, Bradley filed a civil lawsuit for damages against Hernandez in a Florida federal court.^[84] He withdrew the suit four days later, giving the two a chance to work out a settlement without the media knowing about it.^[69][85][86] On September 3, 2013, Hernandez's lawyers filed a postponement request in federal court until his murder charges were resolved. In February 2016, Hernandez reached a settlement with Bradley over the lawsuit. The terms of the settlement were not disclosed.^[87]

On May 11, 2015, Hernandez was indicted for witness intimidation in relation to the Bradley shooting, since Bradley was reportedly a witness to the 2012 Boston double homicide. The intimidation charge for Hernandez carried a maximum penalty of ten years in prison.^[88][89][90] This charge was included in Hernandez's trial for the double homicide, which began on March 1, 2017.^[91] During the trial, it was revealed Bradley texted his lawyer this about the shooting in a deleted text message: "Now u sure once I withdraw this lawsuit I wont be held on perjury after I tell the truth about me not recalling anything about who shot me."^[92]

Hernandez was later acquitted of the charge of witness intimidation by a jury on April 14, 2017. They also acquitted Hernandez of all other charges in the murders of de Abreu and Furtado, except for finding him guilty on one count of illegal possession of firearms.^[93]

2013 California incidents

Hernandez traveled to California with Jenkins and their young daughter in 2013 to have shoulder surgery.^[69] While there, Jenkins called the police twice in less than a week, claiming that Hernandez was drunk and violent.^[69] In the first incident, Hernandez put his hand through a window.^[69] Hernandez's brother and friends later said that there were drugs and guns in the rented apartment, but police determined that Jenkins and the child were not in danger and never searched the premises.^[69] D.J. found Hernandez alone on the roof of the building one night, looking defeated and rubbing the barrel of a gun against his face.^[69]

Murder of Odin Lloyd

On June 18, 2013, police searched Hernandez's home in connection with an investigation into the shooting death of a friend, Odin Lloyd, whose body was found, with multiple gunshot wounds to the back and chest, in an industrial park about a mile from Hernandez's house.^[94][95]

The following day, Hernandez assured Patriots head coach Bill Belichick and owner Robert Kraft that he had nothing to do with the shooting.^[69] Despite this, Hernandez was "barred" from Gillette Stadium^[96] lest it become "the site of a media stakeout."^[97] The team also decided, a week before his eventual arrest, to sever the ties with Hernandez if he was arrested on any charge related to the case.^[98]

On June 26, 2013, Hernandez was charged with first-degree murder,^[74][77] in addition to five gun-related charges.^[99] The Patriots released Hernandez from the team about ninety minutes later, before officially learning the charges against him.^[98] Two other men were also arrested in connection with Lloyd's death.^[100][101]

On August 22, 2013, Hernandez was indicted by a grand jury for the murder of Lloyd;^[102] he pled not guilty on September 6, 2013.^[103] On April 15, 2015, he was found guilty of murder in the first degree, a charge that in Massachusetts automatically carries a sentence of life in prison without any possibility of parole; he also was found guilty of five firearm charges.^[104][105] A motive for the murder was never definitively established. Police investigated the possibility that Lloyd may have learned of Hernandez's bisexuality and that Hernandez was worried that Lloyd might out him to others.^[106][107]

Release from team and aftermath

Hernandez's arrest and subsequent termination by the Patriots resulted in financial and other consequences. He automatically forfeited his 2015–18 salaries, totaling $19.3 million, which were not guaranteed.^[108] The Patriots voided all remaining guarantees, including his 2013 and 2014 salaries, on the terms that those guarantees were for skill, injury, or salary cap room, and did not include being cut for "conduct detrimental to the best interests of professional football."^[108] The team planned to withhold $3.25 million of Hernandez's 2012 signing bonus that was due to be paid in 2014, and to recoup the signing bonus already paid.^[108]

Within hours of Hernandez's arrest, the team's official pro shop at Patriot Place removed all his memorabilia and merchandise, and removed these items from its website as well.^[109] The Patriots ProShop exchanged about 2,500 previously sold Hernandez jerseys for other jerseys, destroying and recycling the Hernandez jerseys for a loss of about $250,000.^[8][110] The NFL salary cap allows teams to pro-rate signing bonuses over the life of a contract or a five-year period, whichever is shorter. By releasing Hernandez, the Patriots accelerated all of Hernandez's remaining guaranteed money into the 2013 and 2014 salary caps: the team took a $2.55 million hit in 2013, and another $7.5 million in 2014.^[108]

Since Hernandez had not completed his fourth season in the league, the Patriots were required to place him on waivers after releasing him. He went unclaimed. After Hernandez cleared waivers on June 28, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell announced that, while charges against Hernandez were pending, the NFL would not approve any contract signed by Hernandez until Goodell held a hearing to determine whether or not Hernandez should face suspension or other action under the league's Personal Conduct Policy.^[111] In prison phone calls, Hernandez expressed distress at his treatment by Belichick and the Patriots.^[112]

CytoSport and Puma terminated their endorsement deals with Hernandez.^[8] EA Sports announced that Hernandez's likeness would be dropped from its NCAA Football 14 and Madden NFL 25 video games.^[113] After visitor complaints, a prize-winning photo of Hernandez from his rookie season, depicting him triumphantly high-stepping into the end zone in front of Green Bay Packers cornerback Sam Shields, was removed from the Pro Football Hall of Fame.^[114] Panini America, a sports memorabilia and trading-card company, removed stickers of Hernandez from approximately 500,000 sticker books that had not yet been sent to collectors. The company replaced the stickers, as well as trading cards, with cards depicting Tim Tebow.^[115]

The University of Florida removed Hernandez's name and likeness from various locations at its football facilities, including a stone that had his name and "All American" inscribed upon it.^[8][116] Bristol Central High School also removed all his awards and gave them to his family.^[81] Pop Warner removed his name from a list of award recipients.^[8]

Hernandez gave power of attorney to his agent, and instructed him to provide his fiancée with $3,000 a month and to help her find more affordable housing.^[112] He also set aside $500,000 for his fiancée and their daughter, and $120,000 for a close friend.^[112] After his arrest, his vacant house fell into "extreme disrepair", including suffering burst pipes and mold.^[8]

Appeal and conviction

After Hernandez' death, on April 25, 2017, his lawyers filed a motion at Massachusetts Superior Court in Fall River to vacate his murder conviction.^[117][118] The request was granted May 9, 2017; therefore Hernandez technically died an innocent man, due to the legal principle of abatement ab initio.^[119] Under Massachusetts law, this principle asserts that when a criminal defendant dies but has not exhausted all legal appeals, the case reverts to its status "at the beginning"—the conviction is vacated and the defendant is rendered "innocent."^[119] At the time of his death, Hernandez was in the process of filing an appeal for his 2015 conviction in the murder of Odin Lloyd.^[119]

As of May 9, 2017, the date of the judge's ruling to vacate, the Bristol County district attorneys stated they planned to appeal the ruling, to the Massachusetts Supreme Court if necessary.^[120][121] The Lloyd family was disappointed with the ruling, but their attorney did not believe it would affect the wrongful death civil suit which the family had filed.^{[117][122][123]}

The appeal was heard by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court in November 2018, a year after Hernandez' death, by six justices. The attorney representing the Lloyd family, Thomas M. Quinn, III, argued that Hernandez was rightfully convicted of Lloyd's murder and that the conviction was unfairly wiped out. Quinn also argued that Hernandez killed himself knowing of the technicality that would get his conviction thrown out, and that, "He should not be able to accomplish in death, what he never would have been able to do in life." (159)

On March 13, 2019, the Supreme Judicial Court reinstated Hernandez's conviction, but stated that the trial record would note that his conviction was "neither affirmed nor reversed"; the appeal was rendered moot because Hernandez died while the case was on appeal.^[124] The Court, in their ruling, also officially ended the practice of abatement ab initio, ruling that it was outdated, never made sense, and that it was "no longer consonant with the circumstances of contemporary life, if, in fact, it ever was." After the ruling, Hernandez' estate vowed to appeal the ruling further.

The next card I picked up was OJ Simpson.    If you are going to try and build a NFL Legal Troubles Collection then you have to go with OJ.  Now, there is no chase autograph for OJ as such a concept came into existence after the murder of Nicole Brown Simpson and no card company would want to touch him. However OJ DID sign these 1994 OJ Simpsons cards marked with the date of his acquittal.  The card is ungraded but PSA / DNA certified.  It's the best one can do in this case.  From here on out though all cards are chase autographs and will eventually be submitted to CSG with the hopes that they get a notation for being a part of this collection. 

Legal history

Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman murders and trials

Criminal trial for murder

 

Simpson's mugshot, June 17, 1994

On June 12, 1994, Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman were found stabbed to death outside Nicole's condo in the Brentwood area of Los Angeles. Simpson was a person of interest in their murders. Simpson did not turn himself in, and on June 17 he became the object of a low-speed pursuit by police while riding as a passenger in the white 1993 Ford Bronco SUV owned and driven by his longtime friend Al Cowlings.^[75] TV stations interrupted coverage of the 1994 NBA Finals to broadcast the incident live. With an estimated audience of 95 million people, the event was described as "the most famous ride on American shores since Paul Revere's".^[76]

The pursuit, arrest, and trial of Simpson were among the most widely publicized events in American history. The trial, often characterized as the Trial of the Century because of its international publicity, likened to that of Sacco and Vanzetti and the Lindbergh kidnapping, culminated after eleven months on October 3, 1995, when the jury rendered a verdict of "not guilty" for the two murders. An estimated 100 million people nationwide tuned in to watch or listen to the verdict announcement.^[77] Following Simpson's acquittal, no additional arrests or convictions related to the murders were made.

Immediate reaction to the verdict was known for its division along racial lines: a poll of Los Angeles County residents showed that most African Americans there felt justice had been served by the "not guilty" verdict, while the majority of whites and Latinos opined that it had not.^[78] The black community was influenced by having suffered in Los Angeles from oppression by the majority-white, discriminatory police department. O. J. Simpson's integrated defense counsel team included Johnnie Cochran, Robert Kardashian, Robert Shapiro, and F. Lee Bailey. Marcia Clark was the lead prosecutor for the State of California.^[79][80]

According to a 2016 poll, 83% of white Americans and 57% of black Americans believe Simpson committed the murders.^[81]

Wrongful death civil trial

Following Simpson's acquittal of criminal charges, Ron Goldman's family filed a civil lawsuit against Simpson. Daniel Petrocelli represented plaintiff Fred Goldman (Ronald Goldman's father), while Robert Baker represented Simpson.^[82] Superior Court Judge Hiroshi Fujisaki presided,^[82] and he barred television and still cameras, radio equipment, and courtroom sketch artists from the courtroom.^[83] On October 23, 1996, opening statements were made, and on January 16, 1997, both sides rested their cases.^[84]

On February 5, 1997, a civil jury in Santa Monica, California unanimously found Simpson liable for the wrongful death of and battery against Goldman, and battery against Brown. Simpson was ordered to pay $33,500,000 in damages. In February 1999, an auction of Simpson's Heisman Trophy and other belongings netted almost $500,000, which went to the Goldman family.^[85]

The Goldman family also tried to collect Simpson's NFL $28,000 yearly pension^[86] but failed to collect any money.^[87]

In 1997, Simpson defaulted on his mortgage at the home in which he had lived for 20 years, at 360 North Rockingham Avenue, and the lender foreclosed in the property. In July 1998, the house was demolished by its next owner, Kenneth Abdalla, an investment banker and president of the Jerry's Famous Deli chain.^[88]

On September 5, 2006, Goldman's father took Simpson back to court to obtain control over Simpson's "right to publicity", for purposes of satisfying the judgment in the civil court case.^[89] On January 4, 2007, a federal judge issued a restraining order prohibiting Simpson from spending any advance he may have received on a canceled book deal and TV interview about the 1994 murders. The matter was dismissed before trial for lack of jurisdiction.^[89] On January 19, 2007, a California state judge issued an additional restraining order, ordering Simpson to restrict his spending to "ordinary and necessary living expenses".^[89]

On March 13, 2007, a judge prevented Simpson from receiving any further compensation from the defunct book deal and TV interview, and the judge ordered the bundled book rights to be auctioned.^{[citation needed]} In August 2007, a Florida bankruptcy court awarded the rights to the book to the Goldman family, to partially satisfy an unpaid civil judgment. Originally titled If I Did It, the book was renamed If I Did It: Confessions of the Killer, with the word "If" reduced in size to make the title appear to read I Did It: Confessions of the Killer. Additional material was added by members of the Goldman family, investigative journalist Dominick Dunne, and author Pablo Fenjves.^[90]

Other legal troubles

The State of California claims Simpson owes $1.44 million in back taxes.^[91] A tax lien was filed in his case on September 1, 1999.^[92]

In the late 1990s, Simpson attempted to register "O. J. Simpson", "O. J.", and "The Juice" as trademarks for "a broad range of goods, including figurines, trading cards, sportswear, medallions, coins, and prepaid telephone cards".^[93] A "concerned citizen", William B. Ritchie, sued to oppose the granting of federal registration on the grounds that doing so would be immoral and scandalous. Simpson gave up the effort in 2000 and left California that year for Florida, settling in Miami. Florida is one of few states where pensions and/or residences cannot generally be seized to collect debts.

In February 2001, Simpson was arrested in Miami-Dade County, Florida, for simple battery and burglary of an occupied conveyance, for yanking the glasses off another motorist during a traffic dispute three months earlier. If convicted, Simpson could have faced up to 16 years in prison, but he was tried and quickly acquitted of both charges in October 2001.^[94]

On December 4, 2001, Simpson's Miami home was searched by the FBI on suspicion of ecstasy possession and money laundering. The FBI had received a tip that Simpson was involved in a major drug trafficking ring after 10 other suspects were arrested in the case. Simpson's home was thoroughly searched for two hours, but no illegal drugs were discovered, and no arrest or formal charges were filed following the search. However, investigators uncovered equipment capable of stealing satellite television programming, which eventually led to Simpson's being sued in federal court.^[95]

On July 4, 2002, Simpson was arrested in Miami-Dade County, Florida, for water speeding through a manatee protection zone and failing to comply with proper boating regulations.^[96] The misdemeanor boating regulation charge was dropped, and Simpson was fined for the speeding infraction.^[97]

In March 2004, satellite television network DirecTV, Inc. accused Simpson in a Miami federal court of using illegal electronic devices to pirate its broadcast signals. The company later won a $25,000 judgment, and Simpson was ordered to pay an additional $33,678 in attorney's fees and costs.^[98]

Las Vegas robbery

On the night of September 13, 2007, a group of men led by Simpson entered a room at the Palace Station hotel-casino and took sports memorabilia at gunpoint, which resulted in Simpson's being questioned by police.^[99][100] Simpson admitted to taking the items, which he said had been stolen from him, but denied breaking into the hotel room; he also denied that he or anyone else carried a gun.^[101][102] He was released after questioning.

Two days later, Simpson was arrested^[1] and initially held without bail.^[103] Along with three other men, Simpson was charged with multiple felony counts, including criminal conspiracy, kidnapping, assault, robbery, and using a deadly weapon.^[104][105] Bail was set at $125,000, with stipulations that Simpson have no contact with the co-defendants and that he surrender his passport. Simpson did not enter a plea.^[106][107]

By the end of October 2007, all three of Simpson's co-defendants had plea-bargained with the prosecution in the Clark County, Nevada, court case. Walter Alexander and Charles H. Cashmore accepted plea agreements in exchange for reduced charges and their testimony against Simpson and three other co-defendants, including testimony that guns were used in the robbery.^[108] Co-defendant Michael McClinton told a Las Vegas judge that he too would plead guilty to reduced charges and testify against Simpson that guns were used in the robbery. After the hearings, the judge ordered that Simpson be tried for the robbery.

On November 8, 2007, Simpson had a preliminary hearing to decide whether he would be tried for the charges. He was held over for trial on all 12 counts. Simpson pleaded not guilty on November 29, and the trial was reset from April to September 8, 2008.^{[citation needed]}

In January 2008, Simpson was taken into custody in Florida and was extradited to Las Vegas, where he was incarcerated at the Clark County jail for violating the terms of his bail by attempting to contact Clarence "C. J." Stewart, a co-defendant in the trial. District Attorney David Roger of Clark County provided District Court Judge Jackie Glass with evidence that Simpson had violated his bail terms. A hearing took place on January 16, 2008. Glass raised Simpson's bail to US$250,000 and ordered that he remain in county jail until 15 percent was paid in cash.^[109] Simpson posted bond that evening and returned to Miami the next day.^[110]

Simpson and his co-defendant were found guilty of all charges on October 3, 2008.^[111] On October 10, 2008, Simpson's counsel moved for a new trial (trial de novo) on grounds of judicial errors and insufficient evidence.^[112] Simpson's attorney announced he would appeal to the Nevada Supreme Court if Judge Glass denied the motion.^[112] The attorney for Simpson's co-defendant, C. J. Stewart, petitioned for a new trial, alleging Stewart should have been tried separately and cited possible misconduct by the jury foreman.^{[112][113][114]}

Simpson faced a possible life sentence with parole on the kidnapping charge, and mandatory prison time for armed robbery.^[115] On December 5, 2008, Simpson was sentenced to a total of 33 years in prison,^[116] with the possibility of parole after nine years, in 2017.^[2] On September 4, 2009, the Nevada Supreme Court denied a request for bail during Simpson's appeal. In October 2010, the Nevada Supreme Court affirmed his convictions.^[117] He served his sentence at the Lovelock Correctional Center where his inmate ID number was #1027820.^[118]

A Nevada judge agreed on October 19, 2012, to "reopen the armed robbery and kidnapping case against O. J. Simpson to determine if the former football star was so badly represented by his lawyers that he should be freed from prison and get another trial".^[119] A hearing was held beginning May 13, 2013, to determine if Simpson was entitled to a new trial.^[120] On November 27, 2013, Judge Linda Bell denied Simpson's bid for a new trial on the robbery conviction. In her ruling, Bell wrote that all Simpson's contentions lacked merit.^[121]

Release from prison

On July 31, 2013, the Nevada Parole Board granted Simpson parole on some convictions, but his imprisonment continued based on the weapons and assault convictions. The board considered Simpson's prior record of criminal convictions and good behavior in prison in coming to the decision.^[122] At his parole hearing on July 20, 2017, the board decided to grant Simpson parole. He was released on October 1, 2017, having served almost nine years.^[123][124]

Coming up later this week... 

Rae Caruth 

Wow.. this is a different type collection.  I truthfully tossed away so many Hernandez cards, and Lawrence Phillip cards too. Along with John Wetland and the Pirates pitcher. 

On 4/5/2021 at 7:14 PM, KBost33 said:

Wow.. this is a different type collection.  I truthfully tossed away so many Hernandez cards, and Lawrence Phillip cards too. Along with John Wetland and the Pirates pitcher. 

Going to focus on NFL... I saw the news today on Phillip Adams and apparently he does not have any autograph chase cards.  As soon as the alerts came in I immediately went to eBay. 

Next up in this collection is a 1997 Score Board Chase Authentic Autograph Card of Rae Caruth.  Rae was the obvious next choice in this collection of those in the NFL that have encountered Legal Troubles.   At this point most everyone knows Rae's story.  If you are unfamiliar do a google search or read the text below the card. 

Crimes[edit]

On November 16, 1999, near Carruth's home in Charlotte, North Carolina, Cherica Adams, a real estate agent he had been casually dating, was shot four times from a .357 caliber Charter Arms revolver by Van Brett Watkins Sr., a nightclub manager and an associate of Carruth. Adams managed to call 911, and said that Carruth had stopped his vehicle in front of hers, and that another vehicle drove alongside and its passenger had shot her. Carruth then drove away from the scene.^[8]

Adams was eight months pregnant with Carruth's child at the time. Soon after her admission to the hospital, she fell into a coma. Doctors delivered the baby via emergency caesarean section. Carruth went to the police and posted $3 million bail, on condition that if either Adams or the infant died, he would turn himself in.^[8] Adams died on December 14, 1999. The baby, named Chancellor Lee Adams, survived, but suffered permanent brain damage and cerebral palsy as a result of being without oxygen for 70 minutes before he was born.^[7][9]

Carruth quickly fled after Adams' death, but was captured on December 15 in West Tennessee, found hiding in the trunk of a car outside a motel in Parkers Crossroads.^[10] The trunk also contained $3,900 cash, bottles of his urine, extra clothes, candy bars, and a cell phone. The Panthers waived him on December 16,^[11] citing a morals clause in his contract, and the NFL suspended him indefinitely on December 17.^[12]

At trial, prosecutors contended that Carruth hired Watkins and others to murder Adams because of her refusal to abort their unborn child.^[13] Carruth's lawyer David Rudolf claimed that Carruth had been caught up in a drug deal gone bad. They claimed that on the night of the shooting, after Carruth had refused to fund the drug deal, Watkins shot Adams in a sudden rage when she "flipped him off" after he had attempted to ask her about Carruth's whereabouts.^[14]

Carruth was found guilty of conspiracy to commit murder, shooting into an occupied vehicle, and using an instrument to destroy an unborn child. He was found not guilty of first-degree murder, and was spared the death penalty. He was sentenced to 18 to 24 years in prison.^[15][16]

Van Brett Watkins Sr was sentenced to prison for a minimum of 40 years, 8 months and a maximum 50 years, 8 months for the murder of Cherica Adams.

Carruth sent a letter in 2018 apologizing to Saundra Adams, the mother of Cherica Adams, via WBTV in Charlotte, North Carolina, for accusing her of lying about him in interviews for years.^[1][17]

Donte Stallworth is now making his debut on the NFL Legal Troubles Autographed Card Collection

DUI manslaughter charges[edit]

On the morning of March 14, 2009, Stallworth struck and killed a pedestrian while driving his car at the eastern end of the MacArthur Causeway in Miami Beach, Florida.

Around 7:15 a.m., Stallworth was headed toward the beach, driving a black 2005 Bentley Continental GT about 50 mph in a 40 mph zone, according to a Miami Beach Police report.^[24] Mario Reyes, 59, was on the busy causeway, trying to catch a bus home after finishing his shift.^[25] Stallworth claims that he flashed his car's headlights to warn Reyes.^[26] Stallworth struck Reyes with his car, killing him.

In a police investigation, Stallworth admitted to drinking the night before the accident. News sources reported that his blood alcohol content was 0.12, over the legal limit of 0.08.^[27][28]

On April 1, 2009, Stallworth was charged with DUI manslaughter; he surrendered to police on April 2, 2009, and was released on $200,000 bail.^[29] Under a plea deal, he received a sentence of 30 days in the county jail, plus 1,000 hours of community service, two years of community control, and eight years' probation.^[30] His Florida state driver's license was permanently suspended.^[31] On July 10, 2009, Stallworth was released from county jail after serving 24 days of a 30-day sentence.

The Associated Press reported on June 16, 2009, that Stallworth and the Reyes family reached a financial agreement, avoiding a civil lawsuit. The amount of the settlement was not disclosed.^[32]

On August 13, 2009, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said Stallworth would be suspended for the 2009 season without pay. Stallworth was reinstated after Super Bowl XLIV.^[33]

A Yahoo! Sports story published August 12, 2010, reported that Stallworth's lawyers indicated he could have fought all charges with "an excellent chance of being found innocent", but that Stallworth chose to be convicted of a felony to do what he felt was morally right. The article says that David Cornwell, one of Stallworth's attorneys, felt there was irony in the public and media reaction to Stallworth's decision because they criticized the plea deal without knowing the full story.^[34]

Plaxico Burress 

Legal troubles[edit]

In August and September 2008, Totowa police responded to two domestic disturbance calls at the Burress residence. At both times temporary restraining orders were issued that were later dismissed by the New Jersey state court.^[26]

Accidental shooting[edit]

On November 28, 2008, Burress suffered an accidental, self-inflicted gunshot wound to his right thigh at the nightclub LQ on Lexington Avenue in New York City when his Glock pistol in the pocket of his black-colored jeans began sliding down his leg; apparently in reaching for his gun, he inadvertently pressed the trigger, causing the gun to fire.^[27] The Manhattan District Attorney stated Burress was wearing jeans.^[28] The injury was not life-threatening and Burress was released from an area hospital the next afternoon.^[29] Two days later, Burress turned himself in to police to face charges of criminal possession of a handgun.^[30] It was later discovered that New York City police learned about the incident only after seeing it on television and were not called by NewYork–Presbyterian Hospital as required by law. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg called the hospital actions an "outrage" and stated that they are a "chargeable offense". Bloomberg also urged that Burress be prosecuted to the fullest extent, saying that any punishment short of the minimum 3½ years for unlawful carrying of a handgun would be "a mockery of the law."^[31][32] Burress had an expired concealed carry license from Florida, but no New York license.

On December 2, 2008, Burress posted bail of $100,000.^[33] Later in the day, Burress reported to Giants Stadium as per team policy for injured but active players and was told he would be suspended without pay^[34] for the remaining four games of the 2008 regular season for conduct detrimental to the team. In addition, the Giants placed Burress on their reserve/non-football injury list,^[35] meaning he was ineligible to return for the playoffs. Burress was also scheduled to receive $1 million from his signing bonus on December 10, 2008, initially withheld by the team.^[36] The NFL Players Association filed a grievance, saying the team violated the collective bargaining agreement and challenging the suspension and fine received by Burress.^[37] A Special Master in arbitration subsequently ruled that the Giants must deliver the entire $1 million to Burress, as per the collective bargaining agreement. "To think that a player could carry a loaded gun into a nightclub, shoot himself and miss the rest of the season but get to keep his entire signing bonus illustrates one of the serious flaws in the current system," said Giants co-owner John Mara in a statement afterward.^[38]

On December 23, 2008, a search of Burress's New Jersey home by the Totowa, New Jersey police, the New York Police Department, and investigators from the Manhattan District Attorney turned up a 9 mm handgun, a rifle, ammunition and the clothing believed to have been worn by Burress on the night of his accidental shooting.^[39] On June 12, 2009 Burress's attorney Benjamin Brafman announced that he had been unable to reach a sentencing agreement.^[40]

Burress asked a Manhattan grand jury for sympathy during two hours of testimony on July 29, 2009.^[41] On Monday, August 3, 2009, prosecutors announced that Burress had been indicted^[42] by the grand jury on two felony counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree, and a single count of reckless endangerment in the second degree, a misdemeanor.^[43][44]

On August 20, 2009, Burress accepted a plea deal that would put him in prison for two years with an additional two years of supervised release.^[42] His sentencing was held on September 22, 2009. Burress hired a prison consultant to advise him on what to expect while in prison.^[45] In January 2010, Burress applied for and was denied a work release from prison.^[46] On June 6, 2011, Burress was released from a protective custody unit of the Oneida Correctional Facility in Rome, New York, having served 20 months.^[47][48]

Civil lawsuits[edit]

Burress had a civil lawsuit, filed on December 8, 2008, in Broward County, Florida, in which Alise Smith claimed that Burress's $140,000 Mercedes-Benz collided with the back of her car. The suit claimed that Burress was liable for causing permanent injuries to Smith. Burress's car insurance policy had been cancelled three days before the accident due to nonpayment of the premium.^[49] In 2012, he was ordered to pay Smith $159,000, which he eventually did by May 2013 after a judge had ordered the sale of his mansion in Virginia Beach.^[50][51][52]

In January 2010, Burress was the defendant in a civil lawsuit brought against him by a Lebanon County, Pennsylvania car dealer, who claimed that Burress was given a leased Chevrolet Avalanche in return for promises to appear at publicity events for the dealership. The dealer claimed that Burress never returned the car and never attended any publicity events; the damaged car was eventually returned after being impounded by the New York Police Department. Burress acknowledged that he was responsible for some of the damage to the car, but asked a jury to determine the amount.^[53] On January 15, 2009, the jury returned a verdict awarding only $1,700 to the dealer, who had asked for damages of up to $19,000.^[54] According to the Associated Press, Burress has been sued at least nine times since he joined the NFL in 2000.^[55]

Tax indictment[edit]

On April 30, 2015, Burress was indicted by the State of New Jersey on charges that he failed to pay nearly $48,000 in income taxes. Burress filed his 2013 state income tax return on October 20, 2014, for which he submitted an electronic transfer. According to the State Division of Taxation, the transfer failed to go through. Burress was notified multiple times in an attempt to collect the tax debt, including via certified mail, but never responded. The indictment made him the first person in New Jersey to be charged under a new state law which treats bad electronic money transfers as a criminal offense, equivalent to writing bad checks.^[56]

On December 7, 2015, Burress entered into a plea agreement in a hearing at Mercer County Superior Court, admitting guilt in failure to pay $46,000 in taxes on his 2013 tax return (a year in which he earned $1,000,000 in income.)^[57] Burress faced up to 5 years' probation at his February 5, 2016 sentencing hearing. He received a conditional 364-day jail sentence, was placed on probation for five years, and ordered to repay $56,000 in penalties and restitution to the state by Judge Pedro Jimenez in Mercer County Superior Court. He will not go to jail if he follows his conditions of probation. Although he avoided prison time by pleading guilty, failure to pay the amount in full by the conclusion of his probation could result in Burress's incarceration.^[58]

Greg Robinson 

This is hilarious... when in doubt... blame the uber driver. 

Legal troubles[edit]

On February 18, 2020, Robinson was jailed in El Paso County, Texas for possession of 156.9 pounds of marijuana. Robinson – who was also with 26-year-old ex-NFL player Quan Bray – was stopped around 7:15 PM on Monday evening after a Border Patrol drug-sniffing dog alerted to the rear cargo door of their 2020 Chevrolet Tahoe. According to the docs, Robinson and Bray were not reentering the country from Mexico – rather they were trying to get from Los Angeles to Louisiana and hit the checkpoint on the way. There was a third person in the SUV, an Uber driver who was not charged. During the stop, Robinson and Bray allegedly tried to get that person to take the fall for the weed. Robinson and Bray are facing up to 20 years in prison, if convicted.^[24]

On 9/17/2022 at 9:08 PM, zaincc said:

dsfds

On 4/2/2021 at 8:22 AM, Buzzetta said:

Coming up later this week... 

Rae Caruth 

sdf sdf fds dsf

Going to be a significant update to this journal thread.