There is no denying that life changed for Donte Stallworth on March 14. It was on the morning of March 14 that Donte Stallworth, the suspended wide receiver of the Cleveland Browns, got behind the wheel of his car while he was drunk and it was on that morning that Mr. Stallworth’s drunk driving killed a construction worker on the MacArthur Causeway in Miami, Florida.
DUI manslaughter carries significant penalties in Florida as it does in Illinois. However, with the help of his skilled criminal defense attorneys, Stallworth was able to serve just 24 days of a 30 day jail sentence. He will also be under house arrest for two years, be on probation for 8 years, make a donation to Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) and have his driver’s license permanently revoked. Mr. Stallworth agreed to the terms of this sentence in a plea bargain that his criminal defense attorneys negotiated on his behalf. While these penalties may seem significant, it is important to remember that Stallworth could have served a 15 year prison sentence for his crime.
Stallworth’s future with the NFL is currently unknown. The commissioner of the NFL has indicated that he is taking this matter seriously and will be scheduling a meeting with Stallworth’s attorney.
If you have been charged with a DUI in Illinois, it is important to contact an Illinois criminal defense attorney as soon as possible after your arrest so that you can have legal representation at every stage of your case.
