By PFW staff
July 9, 2008
Duval County Judge Brent Shore ruled yesterday that a profanity-laced tirade made by Jaguars DB Brian Williams following a drunken driving arrest will not be admitted as evidence in his trial, the Florida Times-Union reported.
Williams was arrested in September 2006 for driving under the influence, and allegedly made racial and sexually derisive remarks to the arresting officer. Williams initially pleaded no contest to the charge, but he was later allowed to withdraw the plea and stand trial.
The judge ordered that because the remarks were made post-arrest, the tirade was irrelevant for the purposes of the trial.
Williams was a starting cornerback for the Jaguars last season, but was recently moved to safety. He’s considered the front-runner to earn the starting strong safety job.
(Editorial note: Added 7-09-2008 at 3:33 PM) -Collin
Jaguar CB/SS Brian Williams is going to give his testimony stemming from a 2006 drunken driving arrest today.
As many of you know, the case against Brian is suspect to say the least. The officer who pulled him over had no video recorder in his car (odd for a DUI cop...), and performed an impairment test prior to back-up arriving. Brian started the test, but stopped shortly after he began the exercises. The other officer who arrived on the scene testified that Williams was not behaving in a belligerent manner and he saw none of the behaviors the other officer reported.
There is too much contrary evidence stacked against the state on this one. Multiple witnesses are giving contradictory testimony which has hurt the State's case immensely. That by itself might be enough to sink the whole case, but add to that the fact that Brian's got one heck of a lawyer (Tom Coughlin's son!), and you can see why the prosecution is worried. Brian Coughlin (Tom's son) is apparently one of the better criminal defense attorneys in the area and he is personally handling Williams' case.
I can't see an outcome that doesn't involve Brian's complete exoneration... The evidence just isn't there for a conviction, and there is nothing to corroborate the arresting officer's story.
It's an open and shut case in my opinion, but we'll see soon enough!
-Collin