Broncos linebacker D.J. Williams was found guilty after a one-day trial stemming from a 2010 drunk driving arrest.
A Denver County jury convicted Williams of driving while ability impaired and driving without his headlights on. Driving while ability impaired is considered a lesser offense than driving under the influence, the charge that Williams was initially arrested for. This is Williams’ second driving while ability impaired conviction in Colorado; he also pleaded guilty to the charge in 2005.
Williams’ attorney, Harvey Steinberg, requested a mistrial after a police officer testified that Williams was taken to detox and that sober people aren’t taken to detox. The judge rejected that motion, and after a short deliberation the jury delivered a verdict of guilty.
The NFL has already suspended Williams for the first six games of this season for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing substances. It is not yet known whether he will face an additional NFL suspension after this conviction.
According to the Denver Post, a driving while ability impaired conviction carries a jail sentence of at least 10 days and no more than one year.
