College football fans in Iowa will not be seeing John Kelly, the leading rusher for the Tennessee Volunteers, for a while. The team suspended the running back along with teammate and linebacker Will Ignont following a traffic stop that resulted in criminal charges for marijuana possession. Police officers stopped Kelly’s car because one headlight was not working. Ignont was a passenger.
Officers said that they detected the odor of marijuana and asked to search the vehicle. Kelly reportedly consented to the search that yielded a glass pipe and a small plastic bag that appeared to have some marijuana in it. According to subsequent analysis by law enforcement, the bag contained 4.6 grams of marijuana.
Police said that the men cooperated during the traffic stop. Authorities charged Kelly with possessing marijuana, failing to maintain his headlight and lacking proof of insurance. Ignont faces a charge for possession of drug paraphernalia. They were not jailed but must turn themselves into the local sheriff’s department to deal with their citations.
Convictions on drug charges could result in costly fines and incarceration. The advice of a criminal defense attorney could help a person address this serious situation. A defense strategy might emerge after an attorney looks at the circumstances of a search and seizure and the conduct of law enforcement. Violations of a person’s constitutional rights might empower the attorney to negotiate a reduction of charges or a case dismissal. When a plea bargain appears to be the best option, an attorney could seek lenient terms from a prosecutor.
Source: ESPN, “Vols’ Kelly and Ignont cited for marijuana possession“, Mark Schlabach, Oct. 25, 2017
