Michael Phelps had his day in court Friday morning to receive formal punishment for the DUI charges that followed a day of boozing at Horseshoe Casino. The Olympic swimming legend from North Baltimore pleaded guilty, but avoided jail time.
According to the AP, Phelps was sentenced to a year in prison, but has his sentence suspended by a judge. That means his punishment is a year-and-a-half probation.
Phelps was pulled over Sept. 30 near the Fort McHenry Tunnel after a cop clocked him doing 84 mph in a 45 mph zone. When an officer asked him to take a field sobriety test, Phelps answered, “That’s not happening.”
After the incident, he apologized on Twitter and said he would take a break from swimming to enter a six-week rehab program. USA Swimming suspended Phelps, and removed him from its 2015 World Championship squad.
The incident was Phelps’ second DUI, with his first coming in 2004 on the Eastern Shore.
A phalanx of reporters gathered at the court for the trial to watch Phelps’ every move.
According to WBAL-TV, Phelps made a statement after the trial, stating, “I now have the tools to move forward and move past this. … I made a very, very bad mistake.”
CBS Baltimore’s Mike Hellgren reports Ray Lewis was at court, along with Phelps’ mother and sisters. WNEW reports Lewis was holding a Bible.
Phelps is currently in a Towson treatment program. By all accounts, he’s still aiming to compete in the 2016 Olympics in Rio.
I gues driving drunk (twice) and speeding is less serious than selling loose cigarettes