JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) – A judge ruled Tuesday that Jaguars offensive tackle Khalif Barnes didn’t violate his drunken driving probation by crashing his car on his way to medical treatment.
Duval County Judge James Ruth determined that the 25-year-old offensive lineman did not have any criminal violations or technical violations of his probation, which ends in January.
Barnes crashed his 2007 Mercedes-Benz into a tree in his gated neighborhood Sept. 29, then left and called police. He said he fell asleep at the wheel while en route to the stadium for physical therapy required by the team for an injured ankle.
Later, Barnes called to report the car stolen, but retracted that statement after talking to police. Prosecutors decided not to file criminal charges of leaving the scene of an accident in that case.
At the time of the accident, Barnes was on probation for drunken driving stemming from a November 2006 arrest. In that case, his videotaped tirade about racist police and playing in a hick town made headlines.
On probation, Barnes has performed 31 of a required 50 hours of community service by making school appearances for Mothers Against Drunk Driving. His attorney, Hank Coxe, told the judge that Barnes has promised to continue with the school visits after completing his sentence.
“You are on probation and you must be a law-abiding citizen,” Ruth told the 325-pound football player. But he commended Barnes for his work with MADD.
After the court appearance, Barnes said he planned to “stay home and stay out of trouble.”
Barnes, in his third season with the Jaguars, said he had made three school visits for MADD.
“I try to talk to them like they are my little brother or sister,” he said.
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