Michael Floyd Sentenced for His DUI Conviction

Florida NFL fans likely remember when Michael Floyd, the former wide receiver for the Arizona Cardinals, was charged with a DUI last fall after the Cardinals lost to the Miami Dolphins. Floyd entered a guilty plea to the DUI charge and was sentenced to 120 days, with 24 days to be spent in jail and 96 days to be served on home arrest.

Floyd’s sentence is not his only concern, however. His DUI conviction is likely to result in sanctions from the NFL as well. According to its standards on substance abuse, a DUI conviction results in at least a two-game suspension. If the commissioner finds that the circumstances of the DUI were aggravated, increased penalties may be ordered.

One aggravating circumstance that the NFL considers is when anyone has a conviction for a DUI with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.15 percent or higher. In Floyd’s case, his BAC was reportedly measured at 0.217 percent. This may result in his missing even more games, and teams may be less likely to pick him up with his missing a majority of the off-season workout and practice regimen.

Floyd’s case demonstrates how drunk driving charges may lead to collateral consequences in addition to the criminal penalties that people may face if they are convicted. Experienced criminal defense attorneys may try to negotiate pleas to lesser charges in order to minimize the penalties that their clients might otherwise face. They may also review the evidence in the case to make determinations about whether or not the stop and tests were conducted properly. If they weren’t, the lawyers may file motions to try to get the evidence suppressed and the charges against their clients dismissed.

Source: Pro Football Talk, “Michael Floyd’s DUI guilty plea could lead to enhanced suspension“, Mike Florio, Feb. 17, 2017