Floyd Mayweather Jr. Cracking Under Pressure in Jail? Lawyer Requests House Arrest
Floyd Mayweather Jr. may be cracking under the pressure of serving 12 days in his solitary confinement cell at a Las Vegas jail, which could be why his lawyer has filed an emergency motion to have the undefeated boxer conclude his sentence under house arrest.
Mayweather, who is serving a three-month sentence for domestic abuse and harassment charges involving the mother of his children, was the topic of a heated exchange between his lawyer, Richard Wright, and prosecutor Lisa Luzaich in a Clark County courtroom on Tuesday.
Wright attempted to convince Las Vegas Justice of Peace Melissa Saragosa that Mayweather was being treated unfairly because of his celebrity status which could ultimately have a long-term affect on his boxing career. The lawyer said it was unfair for the 35-year-old world champion boxer to be held in an isolated cell because of his celebrity status, which has impacted his exercise and eating habits.
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"He is being unfairly, disproportionately punished, and there are remedies for it," Wright said, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. "I'm not asking to change the rules for Floyd Mayweather. The rules are right in the statute and available to act fairly for everyone. And that's all he is asking."
Since solitary confinement is usually a measure taken for inmates who have broken the rules while in federal custody, Wright said he is seeking alternative measures for the boxer's well-being.
Mayweather's personal physician, Dr. Robert Voy, included an affidavit in the 35-page motion presented by the boxer's lawyer which states that staying in the isolated cell could be harmful to his career.
Mayweather is reportedly eating less than 800 calories each day, on a diet of fruit, bread and energy bars. However, his training routine has required him to eat an estimated 3,000 to 4,000 calories, according to the report presented by Wright.
Mayweather's doctor also noted that the boxer had little room to exercise in his isolated holding cell and had no access to common training areas used by inmates because of his celebrity status.
"After examining Mr. Mayweather, Dr. Voy was concerned with Mr. Mayweather's dehydrated appearance, his lack of muscle tone and his dry mucus membranes," the motion said. "Such damage could and, most likely, would lead to Mr. Mayweather being unable to continue his boxing career."
The motion also suggested that Mayweather's mental health could be impacted, since the boxer has grown to resolve his emotional issues through exercise that he is currently lacking.
However, the prosecutor in the case thought Mayweather, who has reportedly refused to drink the tap water in the detention facility, was being spoiled.
"The defendant's problem is that he doesn't get to do what he wants to do when he wants to do it," Luzaich said during the court proceedings. "Well, it's jail. Where did he think he was going? The Four Seasons?"
However, Wright insisted that his client only sought fair treatment and was willing to serve the rest of his sentence on house arrest in a small rented apartment approved by the court.
John Donahue, Metropolitan Police Department Deputy Chief, oversees the Clark County Detention Center where Mayweather is staying, and commented on the boxer's request after attending the hearing.
"We are trying to accommodate (Mayweather) the best we can, but we have to protect him from the population. That's the bottom line," he said in the Las Vegas Review-Journal report. "Right now, nothing has changed."
Judge Saragosa said she will give an official ruling on the motion Thursday.
