Babineaux’s innocence just took a hit (off the blunt)
Jonathan Babineaux's eyes weren't pinkish for the game Sunday.
When he retires as a defensive tackle, Jonathan Babineaux should come back as a quarterback. He’s already well-versed on how to audible.
According to the Gwinnett County police report on Babineaux’s arrest last week for multiple traffic violations and felony possession of marijuana, the Falcons’ lineman lied to police multiple times about whether: 1) There was marijuana in the car; 2) Whether anybody had smoked marijuana in the car; 3) Whether he had smoked marijuana in the car; 4) Pretty much everything that didn’t involve his name and profession (which police already knew).
You can read the entire police report here.
The release of the report comes after Babineaux released a statement last Thursday night saying he and his family “have faith that you will see I’m not guilty.” It also comes on the heels of Babineaux’s attorney, Patrick McDonough, releasing a statement, saying: “I believe Jonathan Babineaux is innocent of these charges.”
When McDonough retires as a defense attorney, he can be Babineaux’s offensive coordinator. Defense doesn’t seem to be his strength.
I’m sure that some day soon, Babineaux, probably at the urging of those sitting in the Falcons’ executive suite, will convince the player to hold a news conference and pronounce, “I screwed up.” Then we can all move on (except for owner Arthur Blank and general manager Thomas Dimitroff, who will wonder about the $25 million contract extension they gave him).
But the story just got new legs. A few highlights from the report, which was released Tuesday:
– When the officer told Babineaux that he smelled marijuana in his Escalade, the player responded that he had loaned the car to friends as few days earlier and that they had smoked pot.
– When asked if there was marijuana in the car, Babineaux said no. When the officer asked if he could search the car, Babineaux said no. When the police officer said he had probable cause to search the car, according to the report: “Babineaux looked scared and nervous. He rubbed his face and kept looking back at the vehicle. He told me that [his friend and passenger Aaron] Robinson had a medical marijuana license.”
– When police called for backup from the the K9 (drug-sniffing dogs) unit: “Ofc. Bailey deployed K9 Cody on the Escalade. K9 Cody alerted to the odor of narcotics by scratching at the passenger door.” Busted. (Scooby snack for Cody.)
– After marijuana was found in a backpack in the car, Babineaux was asked if he had smoked some. He said no. Problem was that his friend, Robinson told police that Babineaux had smoked “at least two or three times.” Busted. Babineaux then admitted what, again, police already knew.
By the way, Robinson told police that he has a California medical marijuana license to ease pain in his legs (strange because the two purchased the drugs in Atlanta).
Look, this is not a referendum on marijuana use. But the fact this took place during the season on a Thursday night of game week before the Falcons’ biggest game of the season — and while he was driving — speaks volumes about Babineaux’s maturity and intellect.
A little advice, Jonathan: Come clean before this gets any sillier.
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135 comments Add your comment
uga_b
December 15th, 2009
4:06 pm
He is lucky they didn’t also charge him with DUI. It will probably get plead down to misdemeanor possession, but it is stupid to smoke with that much in your car–let alone smoking in your car period.
Ima Doper
December 15th, 2009
4:08 pm
First, coons fan is a moron!
Second, the dope headed moron should be throw off the team but will play. These jerks can commit murder and the teams will keep them on the payroll because they can play ball.
Third, his nice lawyer says he is inncoent. Could we expect the truth from a lyin lawyer???
uga_b
December 15th, 2009
4:11 pm
EW, I have never killed a dog with a piece of firewood or beat its head into the ground. Granddaddy never killed a dog while operating an interstate illegal gambling enterprise either. But what’s murder right? It was OJ’s wife; he should be able to do whatever he wants with her. Skeletons and felonies are not the same thing.
uga_b
December 15th, 2009
4:12 pm
Jeff, do we know if he is already in the drug program, therefore, facing a 4 game suspension next year?
Realist
December 15th, 2009
4:17 pm
This would be a bigger deal if Babineaux were a great DT. As it stands, I don’t think the Falcons will mind cutting him after the season, aside from the salary cap hit they’ll take.
Vick Supporter
December 15th, 2009
4:17 pm
They should just legalize the shi… already. I bet 90% of people on this blog smokes on them trees
The Dogfighter Returns
December 15th, 2009
4:18 pm
the problem with saying someone is lying, especially when you were not present is that you assume the person being accused heard and understood everything that was asked of him/her. That’s a lot to expect from an “immature and dumb football player.”
Maybe the cops made it all up. At one point they claimed that they were trafficking. wouldn’t be the first time in history.
“it’s not what you know. it’s what you can prove.”
When were they read their miranda rights, etc. etc. etc. Were they ever read their miranda rights?
Is marijuanna in the car? No. It is not his responsibility to read the officer’s mind and determine which car the officer is referring to.
Is there marijuanna in the truck that you are driving? This is a specific question that requires an answer that can be proven.
did you smoke marijuanna in the car? when today? yesterday, last week? which frigging car? I am driving a truck.
rule number 1. When the powpow pull you over except for your driver’s license and registration, you should not say anything else, you do not even have to cooperate with them beyond that unless you are under arrest. Even when you are under arrest cooperation just means not resisting.
ATLshirt
December 15th, 2009
4:20 pm
ITS 4:20
PMC
December 15th, 2009
4:22 pm
can we just get rid of the word Thug on the blogs seriously? It’s vastly overused and mostly incorrectly.
Babs is not a thug for smoking dope….. he’s a dope for smoking in his freaking car miles from his house.
The players union would have filed an injunction if they benched him and eventually he’ll get his four games. He screwed himself. He screwed the falcons…. more so because they signed him to a freaking extention last year so if they cut him we’re in cap mess with this guy.
gdawginkalamazoo
December 15th, 2009
4:23 pm
Really, couldn’t he have hidden it in his water bottle? Okay, bottles.
He should get Vicks old dope lawyer on the phone.
PMC
December 15th, 2009
4:23 pm
Also, when you get pulled over people. Don’t say ANYTHING. Just go to court and fight it.
tim
December 15th, 2009
4:27 pm
I just saw Arthur Blank pushing J Babineaux in a wheelchair down Peachtree. Artie said Jonathan was stoned and didn’t have a valid license so he thought he’d help him do his Christmas shopping.
lanier
December 15th, 2009
4:35 pm
actually pot slows you down. he probably thought he was going 95
Cap'n Nugs
December 15th, 2009
4:40 pm
The NFL, like most employers nowadays, provide treatment for players who are found guilty of violating the leagues drug policies. They don’t label them dope heads and kick them to the curb. Bab’s needs to attend whatever “treatment” option the league requires and prepare to serve whatever suspension he might get. He also needs to sit down with his lawyer and his “friend”, and come up with a plan. And Schultz, the haters here, and Falcons management, need to just calm down…maybe do a few bong hits or something.
Angie
December 15th, 2009
4:40 pm
Why don’t people know that when a cop asks you questions YOU DO NOT (AND SHOULD NOT) SPEAK TO THEM. Give them your credentials. Be polite. SAY NOTHING. If asked, step out of the car and LOCK THE DOORS. NEVER ALLOW LAW ENFORCEMENT TO SEARCH YOUR CAR, YOUR BODY, YOUR STUFF, OR YOUR HOUSE WITHOUT A WARRANT.
If they say they have reasonable cause, DEMAND AN ATTORNEY BE PRESENT BEFORE THEY VIOLATE YOU.
And for goodness sake, cannabis needs to be legalized. This law enforcement rampage on minorities under the guise of “protecting people from drugs” is asinine bull$h!t and needs to end.
WAKE UP AMERICA!!!!
Barnacle Bill Bavasi
December 15th, 2009
4:40 pm
I didn’t know Babineaux was a Hokie.
hammerhead
December 15th, 2009
4:42 pm
Not to worry, we just picked up Bergeron again.
Angie
December 15th, 2009
4:44 pm
PMC – Good point. It’s pretty stupid to be smoking in a vehicle, no matter where it’s parked. The only reason “pot use is going up” is not because more people are using, it’s because people are relaxing too much about impending legalization. The stuff’s still illegal and as long as it is, folks need to be careful and stay smart. But even when it’s legal, toking and driving is not only a bad idea, even worse, it’s a waste of a good high!
Ted Striker
December 15th, 2009
4:50 pm
Babineaux was unwise to place himself in that situation. That said, he only compounded the matter by answering questions from the officer.
Nobody should ever answer any questions from the police about anything without having an attorney present.
Yes, you read what I wrote correctly. Anyone, even those 100% innocent of any crime can unwittingly see it work against them in ways that were never anticipated. [ONLY exception to preceeding: Answering a question about your identity or address when legally required to do so.] This isn’t just my advice, it’s widely held by legal experts including one well-respected gentleman who famously said individuals being questioned should “make no statement to police under any circumstances.”
Who was he? U.S. Solicitor, U.S. Attorney General, head of the Tax Division, U.S. Supreme Court Justice. And if you want to accuse him of being a bleeding heart liberal, bear in mind he was Chief Prosecutor at the Nuremberg Trials.
Justice Robert H. Jackson spells out why you should never do it pretty well in Watts v. Indiana, 338 U.S. 49 (1949)
Dawgbyte
December 15th, 2009
4:51 pm
An article on a felony(the possession and use of over an ounce of marijuana) causes half the readers to defend the use of the weed. Jeez!!
fes
December 15th, 2009
4:52 pm
It’s a good thing he wasn’t stopped in Cobb, or he’d likely be looking at a DUI-D too.
Bill Clinton
December 15th, 2009
4:54 pm
I didn’t inhale.
Dawgbyte
December 15th, 2009
4:56 pm
Give them only name, rank and service number. Still works.
Bab's Passenger
December 15th, 2009
4:57 pm
But officer, it’s for medical use. Walgreen’s and CVS were all out, so I had to fill my prescription at Pookie’s.
Doyle Hargraves
December 15th, 2009
5:04 pm
If I was Babineaux, I’d be on the lookout next time I was driving to the Branch. Arthur’s attack deers will go after players like him and Ron Coldman. He trains them to do that.
DamYankee
December 15th, 2009
5:05 pm
Thanks, Ricky. And “what he said” to Cap’n Nugs.
Law Professor
December 15th, 2009
5:10 pm
Justice Robert H. Jackson spells out why you should never do it pretty well in Watts v. Indiana, 338 U.S. 49 (1949) C minus.
Justice Robert H. Jackson outlines very well in Watts v. Indiana, 338 U.S. 49 (1949) why you should have no conversation with an arresting officer.
Stan
December 15th, 2009
5:12 pm
Just another moron thug athlete. 95% of the times this happens they are a thug. Does not matter if it’s a shooting, murder, drugs, etc. I guess they will never learn. Think we will ever see Manning or Brady do something like this? Nope.
DamYankee
December 15th, 2009
5:13 pm
And WTF “probable cause”? Expired tags, excessive tint, no tag light are NOT probable cause for a search. The man will lie when the truth would help and this just goes to prove it.
robertussen
December 15th, 2009
5:17 pm
i dont think when mike smith said “now you go out there and get that SACK” that this is what he was trying to say
Dean
December 15th, 2009
5:24 pm
Bill
December 15th, 2009
2:32 pm
“Tell them you didn’t inhale.” Why did that make me laugh out loud? Ha ha. The Old is Good.
DamYankee, no the things you cite aren’t cause for a search. A stop, yes. But when the officer got a whiff of the lettuce, THAT was the probable cause.
Jonathon, Jonathon, Jonathon…if you should have learned ANYTHING lately, it is that the old homeboys will get your azz sucked down the toilet.
JackLackey
December 15th, 2009
5:27 pm
Gone are the days of nickel-bags and 8-tracks.
Sad really…
JackLackey
December 15th, 2009
5:28 pm
Not the 8-track part.
Law Professor
December 15th, 2009
5:37 pm
“Jonathon, Jonathon, Jonathon…if you should have learned ANYTHING lately, it is that the old homeboys will get your azz sucked down the toilet.”
Didn’t take long to play the race-card, did it?
Fair and Balanced
December 15th, 2009
5:41 pm
gdg73
December 15th, 2009
3:12 pm
“Who Cares” is absolutely right. He is probably our best defensive lineman. Let Goodell levy out the suspension for next year and move on. By next year Jeff Schultz and Company (the media and certain fans) will have found a N.N.T.H. by then anyway.
********************
This.
Fair and Balanced
December 15th, 2009
5:44 pm
Stan
December 15th, 2009
5:12 pm
Just another moron thug athlete. 95% of the times this happens they are a thug. Does not matter if it’s a shooting, murder, drugs, etc. I guess they will never learn. Think we will ever see Manning or Brady do something like this? Nope.
********
Peyton was sued for sexual harrassment..if you’re talking about Eli, the pics of him hammered are in deadspin.com’s archives. Tom “shoot’em up” Brady of course would never be the one HOLDING the gun…he’s got peeps for that.
Law Professor
December 15th, 2009
5:45 pm
“By next year Jeff Schultz and Company (the media and certain fans) will have found a N.N.T.H. by then anyway.”
Keep on playing them (race-cards) and you’ll soon have a straight.
robertussen
December 15th, 2009
5:54 pm
Babs did not play for VT. He played for Iowa.
Falcon Freddie
December 15th, 2009
7:00 pm
You know you’re having a bad year when “Crime Blotter” is the headline for your team. Is it just me or does anyone else wonder why we aren’t going to the Superbowl now that we have a pure drop back, stay in the pocket, traditional, “I’m Going to Disney World” Quarterback? Mark Bradley, Jeff Schultz, and the Bird Babe sold me on our former QB was holding us back. What gives? Did they all have “Faulty Intelligence”?
Matlanta Mauler
December 15th, 2009
7:01 pm
You’d think he would be as big as Grady Jackson?
Bab-a-moron
December 15th, 2009
7:10 pm
Another headache for Arthur, it’s a lot easier to build a great company then to build a great football team. Vick, Babs, the players at Vick’s “parties”………………..who’s next?????????
Rod
December 15th, 2009
7:52 pm
Isn’t it ironic that Mike Vick’s future is looking better everyday while Auther Blank and the falcons future is looking worse.
Mora + Petrino = 0
December 15th, 2009
8:04 pm
I thought Ron Mexico was up North somewhere! Self defeating behavior is for the birds. Next thing you know a player will pull a gun on a pizza guy. Oh wait, been there done that!
Mora + Petrino = 0
December 15th, 2009
8:14 pm
Escalade, athlete, news…, I’m having deja vu! Was there a 9 iron in the SUV?
Jeff Schultz
December 15th, 2009
8:16 pm
Rod — I don’t agree that the Falcons’ future is looking worse. When healthy, this team still has a lot of pieces in place. There’s a bit to much panic going on right now because of the losses, in my opinion.
Jeff Schultz
December 15th, 2009
8:26 pm
FalconFreddie — Michael Vick went to prison and there were other incidents we’re all aware of. Is it not safe to say he had character flaws? That may not be the case now, but it certainly was then. So far, so good, since he’s returned. Hopefully he’ll succeed.
Mora + Petrino = 0
December 15th, 2009
8:33 pm
There was a “driver” and a caddy, (as in “bag carrier”),(in a Caddy), that was pulled over into the “weeds” near the “woods.” Did Babs play for LSU or Auburn? He is a big cat! This athlete and Escalade thing is simply too familiar.
Ted Striker
December 15th, 2009
9:35 pm
Law Professor @ 5:10 p.m. — I don’t want to get into a draining the anaconda match with you, especially since we probably agree in principal.
However since you were compelled to try and critique/correct my 4:50 p.m. post regarding Watts v. Indiana, it might be good if you gathered your facts before popping off. Contrary to your 5:10 post, Justice Jackson’s position in Watts v. Indiana doesn’t pertain exclusively to a citizen’s conversation with an arresting officer. It pertains to ANY citizen being questioned by ANY law enforcement officer at ANY time without legal counsel present. And tha’ts wether an arrest has occurred or not, or seems imminent or not, or whether the party being questioned is innocent or guilty.
I’d think a real law professor would know that. But I don’t know too many law professors who assign grades on a sports blog.
klide
December 15th, 2009
9:50 pm
What a complete idiot that guy is.
Then again, he plays NFL football. What should we expect!
Matt "Choke" Ryan
December 15th, 2009
10:27 pm
- With Virginia Tech…..Winner
- With Falcons…..Winner
- With Eagles…..Winner
Some things never change.