Corey Williams; DUI

There is no way Arkansas can make this charge stick. If the trial judge doesn't dismiss with prejudice, it'll be overturned on appeal. He was very wise to get a very good attorney, no sense for a high paid athlete not to be well represented in court. [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

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Detroit Free Press Sports Writer

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Lions defensive tackle Corey Williams in Monticello District Court. / Courtesy of MonticelloLive.com


























The Lions’ battered image took another hit Friday when details
surfaced about defensive tackle Corey Williams’ arrest last year on a
drunken-driving charge in Arkansas.

The team has had a troubling off-season with four young players
charged with alcohol or substance violations. But Williams’ case is
unique for several reasons.

The incident happened more than year ago, June 18, 2011. The Lions say they knew nothing about it for 13 months.

Unlike the cases involving Aaron Berry, Johnny Culbreath, Nick
Fairley and Mikel Leshoure — who have started a combined four games —
Williams, 31, is an eight-year veteran and a key starter the Lions
acquired in 2010. Also, Williams’ attorney is asking for all evidence to
be suppressed because he said his client was the victim of racial
profiling.

“Corey did not report this incident to us when it happened due to
the prohibition of contact during last year’s work stoppage,” the Lions
said in a statement Friday. “We are aware of today’s reports. We are in
the process of gathering more information and will have further comment
when appropriate.”

Williams’ attorney, Rickey Hicks, said Friday he had not had
contact with the Lions and did not know whether his client had reported
the incident to the team.

Although NFL teams were not allowed to have contact with players
during last year’s lockout, Williams should have reported the incident
to the Lions or to NFL security once the lockout ended July 25, 2011,
under terms of the league’s policy and the collective bargaining
agreement.

Williams, who is African American, was pulled over at 11:30 p.m.
June 18, 2011, in the small town of Monticello after a state trooper
noticed Williams’ black Ford F-650 truck crossing the center line. A
Breathalyzer test determined Williams’ blood-alcohol content to be .10;
Arkansas’ legal limit is .08. He was arrested, charged with driving
while intoxicated and released.

Williams — a native of Camden, Ark., who played for Arkansas
State — had a bench trial Wednesday before Monticello District Court
Judge Kenneth A. Harper, who has taken evidence under advisement and is
expected to rule within 30 days. Nina Pamplin, the deputy prosecuting
attorney, could not be reached for comment.

“So it’s very disturbing to him,” Hicks said of Williams. “It’s
very upsetting. Corey has been a very impressive young man, to me, in
that he has not been a professional athlete who’s just been very
reckless and high-flying and that kind of thing. That has not been
Corey’s personality at all.”

Hicks said if Williams were found guilty, he likely would pay
$970 in fines and court costs for a first offense. But Hicks said he
would appeal a guilty verdict. Attempts by the Free Press to speak with
Williams were unsuccessful.

According to the arrest report, the trooper pulled over Williams’
truck because he saw it drive left of the center line.But Hicks,
chairman of Gov. Mike Beebe’s task force on racial profiling, said
Williams was pulled over by a white trooper because he was an African
American driving a flashy vehicle.

Hicks said 24 minutes of footage taken by the trooper’s in-car
video camera proves Williams’ Fourth Amendment right to be protected
from unreasonable searches was violated. The Free Press’ attempts to
obtain a copy of the video were unsuccessful.

“Now even though the officer says in his report that Corey
crossed the yellow line many times, as you can see on the video that was
not done,” Hicks said. “We played the video at trial. …

“Corey did admit to the officer that he had had a couple of beers
during the day. But certainly as you can watch him take the
field-sobriety test on the camera: He did the heel-to-toe, he held his
leg up, he did all of the field-sobriety tests and didn’t fail any of
them, even though the police officer testified that in his opinion he
did.”

Hicks also said the Breathalyzer test was flawed because it was
administered four times without the device being cleaned after each
time. Court documents indicate the test was done four times.

“My contention was it wasn’t done properly,” Hicks said.

Contact Carlos Monarrez: 313-222-6697 or [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.].