Ochocinco sentenced to jail for not being serious enough
From seconds away from walking out of the Broward courthouse with a deal that would keep him out of jail time, Chad Johnson acted like an NFL player congratulating a teammate on doing something well — he gave his lawyer a pat on the butt. But a judge was not amused by the former NFL star, also known as Ochocinco and sentenced him to 30 days in jail for a probation violation in another domestic violence case.
According to the Palm Beach Post, Broward County Circuit Judge Kathleen McHugh angrily rejected a no-jail plea deal for Johnson after he jokingly patted his attorney’s behind in court.
“I don’t know that you’re taking this whole thing seriously. I just saw you slap your attorney on the backside. Is there something funny about this?” the judge asked Johnson, slapping the plea deal document on her desk. “The whole courtroom was laughing. I’m not going to accept these plea negotiations. This isn’t a joke.”
After McHugh’s strong reprimands, Johnson, who was on probation after pleading no contest to head-butting ex-wife Evelyn Lozada, tried apologizing for his disrespectful behavior.
“This is your courtroom, I have no intent to make this a joke. It’s not funny,” Johnson said to McCugh. “My life is in shambles right now and I try my best to laugh and keep a smile on my face.”
But McCugh seemed to have no sympathy for the ex-NFL star and ordered him to be handcuffed and taken into custody immediately.
Johnson’s life has been a mess since his time with the New England Patriots came to an end in 2011. In August 2012, Johnson was arrested on a charge of domestic battery following an altercation with Lozada. Three days later, Lozada filed for divorce. Last month, a warrant was issued for Johnson’s arrest for allegedly violating probation terms.
Johnson will serve his jail time and then will be on probation until Dec. 21, 2013. He also must complete an additional 25 hours of community service along with extra therapy sessions.
