Chad Johnson Sentenced to 30 Days in Jail for Smacking Lawyer's Backside
Former NFL wide receiver Chad Johnson was sentenced to 30 days in jail on Monday after Johnson gave his lawyer a pat on the backside.
Johnson, 35, was only a few moments away from being released from the Broward courthouse after agreeing to a plea deal stemming from a 2012 domestic violence case.
To show his appreciation for his lawyer's hard work he gave him a pat on the behind. The action elicited laughs from the audience, but not from Judge Kathleen McHugh.
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"Mr. Johnson, I don't know that you're taking this whole thing seriously," The Orlando Sentinel quoted McHugh as saying. "I'm not going to accept these plea negotiations. This isn't a joke."
Johnson tried to make light of the situation and apologized.
"I had no intent to make this a joke. It's not funny," Johnson said. "My life is in a shambles right now, and I try my best to laugh and to keep a smile on my face."
Defense lawyer Adam Swickle urged the judge to reconsider accepting the plea, but McHugh did not reconsider. Johnson pleaded guilty to violating his probation without a deal.
McHugh sentenced Johnson to 30 days in the Broward County Jail and extended his probation from Sept. 21 to Dec. 21.
The judge also ordered Johnson to perform 25 hours of community service and to undergo two counseling sessions per week.
Johnson was in court for reportedly violating his probation stemming from assaulting Evelyn Lozada following their short-lived marriage last summer. Johnson was reportedly arrested in Florida after failing to show proof that he enrolled in a domestic violence class and met with his probation officer, according to TMZ.
Lozada spoke with a TMZ reporter about her reaction to the news. When a reporter asked if she was in contact with Johnson, she revealed that she had not heard about his recent arrest.
"We don't talk at all.I don't know I'm really not going to comment ... to each his own honestly," Lozada told the TMZ reporter recently. "I ... wish people the best that's all. I don't wish people bad and that's all."
