Babineaux suspended for one game by the NFL
Atlanta Falcons defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux will miss the season opener against Pittsburgh. (Curtis Compton,ccompton@ajc.com)
FLOWERY BRANCH – Falcons defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux was suspended for one game by the league office on Tuesday for violating the NFL’s policy and program for substance abuse.
Babineaux was also fined an additional game check. He will miss the season opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers and will be eligible to return to the team on Sept. 13.
He will be allowed to practice with the team and play in all of the exhibition games before his suspension takes affect on Sept. 4.
Babineaux reached plea deal and avoided jail time in a drug related case on July 14.
Babineaux’s felony charge of marijuana possession was reduced in Gwinnett County Court to three misdemeanor counts of marijuana possession, according to his agent Jack Bechta and his attorney Patrick McDonough.
Bechta, in an e-mail to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, said Babineaux pled no contest and was sentenced to 12 months of probation and a $1,500 fine on one count. The other two counts were suspended and will not be prosecuted if Babineaux completes the probation.
“He pleaded no contest, was direct, forthcoming and cooperative with the DA’s office,” Bechta said. “Jon, told me that he ‘was embarrassed’ by the incident, it was a bad decision and that he will become a better person for it. He said he will accept the consequences, move on and that he’s ready to focus on the season.”
Babineaux is believed to be a first time offender under the league’s substance abuse policy.
Babineaux was arrested in December on charges of possession of marijuana during a routine traffic stop.
Babineaux, 28, was with another man, 25-year-old Aaron Robinson of Minneapolis, who also was arrested. Robinson was charged with possession of marijuana, a felony.
Gwinnett Police originally stated both men would be charged with intent to distribute, but later released a statement clarifying the charges. Babineaux and Robinson were charged with possessing more than an ounce of marijuana, but not with intent to distribute. The charges are still felonies.
Babineaux and Robinson were stopped as they drove north on I-85 in Babineaux’s 2005 Cadillac Escalade EXT.
“It’s cut and dry,” Gwinnett police spokesman Cpl. David Schiralli told the AJC. “He was stopped for a traffic violation.”
Schiralli said the officer searched the SUV because he smelled marijuana. The officer found three bags containing a total of 40 grams of marijuana, Schiralli said.
In addition to the possession charges, Babineaux is charged with having no tag light and driving without a license and with an expired tag. He also was charged with tinting his car windows too much.
The Falcons drafted Babineaux in the second round out of Iowa in 2005.
He signed a five-year, $25 million contract extension with the team in November 2008. One game check for his $2.2 million base salary is $275,000.
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146 comments Add your comment
DawgNDallas
August 3rd, 2010
5:17 pm
I’ve never been clear on this. The officer said he smelled marijuana, but does that necessarily mean they were smoking it or high when they were pulled over? To me that makes a difference. What a man does on his own time is his own business as far as I’m concerned. But if he was under the influence and driving, well that puts others at risk and now you’ve crossed a line.
Dr. Sigmund Football
August 3rd, 2010
5:18 pm
I can’t stand Jerry Glanville. Isn’t Babineaux also the guy who killed his girlfriend’s dog? Sounds like a knucklehead.
RockyMtn Falcon
August 3rd, 2010
5:19 pm
@Jennifer please elaborate on why weed is illegal. Medical marijuana shops are all over CO and CA. The reason it is still illegal in most states is because the government hasn’t figured out how to tax the H*** of it. Babs is getting what he deserves hopefully he’ll figure it out. As for single moms the problem is most of them don’t learn from their first fatherless child and end up having more than one kid. Obama has this whole country thinking they’ll get handouts. I’m ready for Matty Ice to lead the Dirty Birds back to the playoffs.
ThePriceisWrongBitch!
August 3rd, 2010
5:19 pm
“Price is wrong- he didn’t get preferential treatment- probation is what all first time offenders get, he actually got treated exactly like everyone else”
-Falconidae
Hmmm. I have no criminal record, but I’d be willing to wager that if I were caught with 1.5 onces of pot, no license and expired tag, the charges wouldn’t be reduced to a misdemeaner (sp?)…
Come on now, how many regular joes get felony pot charges knocked down to misdemeaners (sp?)???
Jennifer
August 3rd, 2010
5:20 pm
Dawg, if the person in front of you is doing exactly the speed limit, they’re high. lol Seriously, though. I’m much more concerned about people being on their cells phones and texting (still, even though it’s illegal) than I am about someone being stoned. Actually, it never crosses my mind that someone may have smoked before driving. Again, I’m more concerned about cell phones. Oh, and drunks. I see those every Friday and Saturday night and they parade through Midtown and Buckhead from whatever ‘burbs they’re coming from.
Jennifer
August 3rd, 2010
5:23 pm
Rocky, it is far too much to go into on here. If you take the time and Google it you will be surprised at what you find out. Many documentaries have also been released and are on Comcast, as well. Or at least they were at one point.
Go Dirty Birds!
Aaron
August 3rd, 2010
5:23 pm
Awww poor Jennifer. Plenty of white people are poor yet I don’t hear about them murdering daily. Don’t get mad because I speak the truth. Watch the news little piece of trash. I am far from a “redneck.” Masters degree, big house, good family who does not kill, etc. Most NFL players are black??? This is not the NBA (more thugs) but the NFL. If I had to guess, I would say at least 35% are white players. That is far from just a few white players. Funny how you don’t see these problems in baseball as far as breaking the law. Same with Hockey.
dean
August 3rd, 2010
5:25 pm
“What a man does on his own time is his own business…” Based on that logic, one can assume you have no problem with people downloading child porn. (Even though I don’t think that is the case!)
33TheBurner33
August 3rd, 2010
5:28 pm
Rather have a pothead than perv like Rothlesberger
dean
August 3rd, 2010
5:29 pm
my previous post was for Dawgindallas
33TheBurner33
August 3rd, 2010
5:31 pm
oh yeah the dog incident, he was protecting his 5 year old daughter from a pitbull
Falconidae
August 3rd, 2010
5:33 pm
price is wrong- First time offenders get their cases plead down to misdemeanors and put on probation- happens all the time. Counties and states don’t have room for violent prisoners, much lees a first timer with a little pot.
Go sit in a courthouse for a day or talk to an attorney.
Just Sayin
August 3rd, 2010
5:38 pm
That’s because serial killers are smart & well educated!
Aaron
August 3rd, 2010
5:40 pm
Real American, see above your comment. Good try though.
alanfalcon
August 3rd, 2010
5:40 pm
Good fine and suspension maybe he will now wake up if not he may find himself looking for a new team. I believe he was charged earlier in his Falcons career for killing his wifes dog, if so what a big man?
Reggie Ball
August 3rd, 2010
5:42 pm
I think some people on here may be as financially astute as me…..Let’s me thinks about dis……Falcons pay Babs to perform on per game basis….Babs no show (kind of like my favorite Dog Knowshon) so Falcons get no benefit from his @$$…..Falcons spose to still pay the money to Babs so he can give to some “unfortunate” person? Me thinks not….where dis money come from? thin air guvinmit?
Atlanta’s Babineaux suspended on game | Feed Me Fantasy
August 3rd, 2010
5:45 pm
[...] Atlanta’s Babineaux suspended on game Tuesday, August 3rd, 2010 The News The NFL has suspended Jonathan Babineaux for one game for violating the league’s policy and program for substance abuse, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. [...]
FALCONS SORRY
August 3rd, 2010
5:46 pm
WOOW Y U FALCANS FANS ALLWAYS TALKIN BOUT RACE MAYBE U SHED WARY MORE ABOUT YA WEEK AZZ QB WIT DA NOODLE ARM!!! YALL JES TO TO SAD!!! AT LEASE WITES AND BLAKS CAN AGREE DAT DA FALCANS WIL NEVR WIN DA SUPPER BOWL!!! HAW HAW HAW HALE NAW!!!!!!
E-Roll
August 3rd, 2010
5:47 pm
Now that I have that off of my chest I am glad that Babs will only be gone for one game and I am loving what I am hearing daily about the ‘Spoon man.
Einsteindawg
August 3rd, 2010
5:48 pm
LOL, sorry you just don’t get it. It’s not about race, it’s about stupidity in Babby’s case. Your sister Jennifer strerotyped the Confederate flag and Cartersville, with red-neck ignorance. Money does not always equate to intelligence.
Open Mike Tuesday
August 3rd, 2010
5:50 pm
Looks like an exchange of ideas occurring…………
J-Man
August 3rd, 2010
5:50 pm
Wow the Falcons got lucky on that one
Einsteindawg
August 3rd, 2010
5:52 pm
Now, let’s talk some football. How many games do you think the Falcons will win this year?
Alabama Communist
August 3rd, 2010
6:02 pm
All Pot smokers are equal, but some Pot smokers are more equal than other Pot Smokers…* George Orwellian former bench warmer for the Asheville Smokeys
rekingball
August 3rd, 2010
6:03 pm
RockyMtn@519pm……..The government hasn’t figured out a way to tax it?
Sure they have, they can tax it just the way they tax cigarets.
And, they can put one heck of a tax on it, and people will still buy it.
Light it up
August 3rd, 2010
6:04 pm
40 grams of weed? Jonathan be burnin’ some big time stuff baby!!! I want to go his next party at his mansion to get in on that!!!!
FEAR THE TALON
August 3rd, 2010
6:05 pm
@FALCON STUPID 5:46!!! NOODLE BRAIN MV7 IS A PHILLY PLAYER ,FOOL!! GO TO THAT SITE WITH YO STICK… BEE-OTT-CHA!!
SeenThisB4
August 3rd, 2010
6:07 pm
Who cares who owns this country? The reality is, that the NEW ORLEANS SAINTS OWN THE NFC SOUTH.
deemark
August 3rd, 2010
6:09 pm
Sorry Mr. Ledbetter, but I had to get that off my chest.
Open Mike Tuesday
August 3rd, 2010
6:12 pm
And in this corner we have deemark and in this corner we have Willie B….looks like an even match
SeenThisB4
August 3rd, 2010
6:21 pm
Aaron: That’s nothing to be proud of.
rekingball
August 3rd, 2010
6:26 pm
The clock is ticking.
SeenThisB4
August 3rd, 2010
6:30 pm
Sept 26, 2010, 3:00 PM, Central Standard Time. Bring your aspirin Rekingball, you’re gonna need it.
rekingball
August 3rd, 2010
6:36 pm
9/26/10 3pm CDT, in N.O. there will be a lot of heads hanging down low.
For the N.O. saints will be 0-3, they sure won’t be 3 and 0.
Random Saints Fan
August 3rd, 2010
6:39 pm
WE FINALLY WON SOMETHING!!!!!! Well, back to the reality that is New Orleans.
Oh wait…
ThePriceisWrongBitch!
August 3rd, 2010
6:43 pm
price is wrong- First time offenders get their cases plead down to misdemeanors and put on probation- happens all the time. Counties and states don’t have room for violent prisoners, much lees a first timer with a little pot.
Go sit in a courthouse for a day or talk to an attorney.
-Falconidae
We are talking about 1.5 onces of pot. 1 oz or more is a felony. I seriously doubt that they would knock the charges down for me if I got caught with it.
Not unless I lived in a state that was lenient on pot laws which Georgia is not…
rekingball
August 3rd, 2010
6:44 pm
I don’t care much for the magic weed, but it sure seems stupid, and counter productive to society, to keep it illegal.
There is no way that the government is going to be able to keep people from using maryjuwanna.
Filling up the jailhouses, and wasting law enforcements valuable time and resources on trying to enforce the ignorant laws, and stagnating the courtrooms with reefer cases, is just not working.
gatorman770
August 3rd, 2010
6:55 pm
How come the State of Georgia’s ZERO tolerence law and agreements with other companies that do business in Georgia, doesn’t force the Falcons to terminate defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux like they do employees of hardworking lowpaid Georgians with otherwise excellent work records, when they fail a drug test for pot?
SeenThisB4
August 3rd, 2010
6:55 pm
Reckingball: Some people have posted some outrageous comments on this column today, but your previous was by far, absolutely, totally reflective of a twisted imagination.
All of the Saints weapons will be 1SQ for the falcants, the only people hanging their heads that afternoon will be wearing red and black uniforms. Maybe you should bring a bag of the magic, you’ll be able to claim it was for medicinal purposes, and everyone will understand.
rekingball
August 3rd, 2010
7:02 pm
We will see
But the number of wins
The Falcons have, on that date
Will be THREE
I.MUS WRITE
August 3rd, 2010
7:03 pm
Who cares what the man does in his spare time,he made a bad decision, riding with that loud and no tags is a recipe for disaster. No big deal he got his punishment which is what the court gives all first time offenders. That game check might sting a little though. 1 game lets move on…..
SeenThisB4
August 3rd, 2010
7:04 pm
Rekingball: Only if you count the preseason games.
rekingball
August 3rd, 2010
7:11 pm
Haven’t you heard?
They don’t count the preseason games.
rekingball
August 3rd, 2010
7:12 pm
Maybe you haven’t gotten the news in La., yet. It’s official.
4 jacks
August 3rd, 2010
7:14 pm
Hey what about the single fathers like me. My son has been with me since he was 2 years old. His mother who ran off with a co-worker who made more money has not seen him in 6 years and has not sent him a gift on his birthday for the last 5. He just turned 17 in July. Help a single father, women are at least as bad as the men have been over the past 15 or 20 years. Hey, they wanted equality, well hell give it to them…they certainly deserve it.
SeenThisB4
August 3rd, 2010
7:14 pm
Well, then it’s official, the falcants won’t have 3 wins on Sep 26, 3:00PM, Central Standard Time.
rekingball
August 3rd, 2010
7:20 pm
You sound like someone on 714s, @ 714pm.
That entry does not make any sense at all.
Are you sure you typed, what you meant to say?
hiramsaint
August 3rd, 2010
7:24 pm
how ya gonna win any games with 4 people hurt already? i know . it’s gonna be 7-9 with the we had injuruies and no depth excuse AGAIN!
rekingball
August 3rd, 2010
7:24 pm
Actually, I look for the Mighty Falcons to have 3 NFL official regular season wins at 3pmEDT 9/26/10, because they will have beat the saints down into submission, by the 3rd quarter of the game.
Thankyou, very much.
Chea
August 3rd, 2010
7:26 pm
@ DebDoes I totally agree with your statement, with proces of homes these days he may be able to buy 2 homes for that.
@ Paddy, you are correct about Habitat for Humanity! Years ago I contatced them about a house and I was told that since I only had one child that I would less likely be a candidate for their housing….WTH…When I was informed of this I asked them to remove me from their marketing because I do not care to receive any of their material, you mean to tell me because I don’t want to mass populate, I am punished for that….THAT IS BUlLL…..