Monday, March 17, 2014

Jim Irsay Busted On DUI Charge


Faces Four Felony Charges For Possession of Controlled Substances
Colts owner Jim Irsay was arrested and charged with drunk driving and possession of a controlled substance overnight in Carmel according to various Indianapolis news reports. Bond for Irsay's release was preliminarily set at $22,500. It's unclear why bail was set so high, not that it would be a deterrent to the billionaire's ability to bail out of jail. In the past, Irsay admitted to having an addiction to pain killers and was hospitalized several times for drug overdoses. Despite evidence that Irsay had engaged in prescription drug fraud to procure pain killers, local prosecutors refused to pursue criminal charges against him out of concern that it could have jeopardized his ownership of the Colts.

UPDATE: WTHR provides this additional information about the controlled substances found in Irsay's car after he was pulled over by Carmel police:  "Police say they found 'multiple prescription drugs' in pill bottles. According to police, 'these Schedule IV prescription drugs were not associated with any prescription bottles found in the vehicle.'"

UPDATE II: It looks like Irsay has been initially charged with four felonies concerning his possession of various controlled substances (i.e. prescription drugs like Xanax, Soma, Darvon, Darvocet, Valium, Ativan, Talwin, Ambien):
Irsay faces four preliminary counts of felony possession of controlled substances, Bickel said. The charges are Class D felonies, which each carry a penalty of six months to three years in jail. He also faces a preliminary misdemeanor charge of operating while intoxicated.
Formal charges are not always the same as the preliminary charges cited by police when they make an arrest.
Steve Stoesz, a criminal defense attorney in Hamilton County, said the felony charges could be dropped if Irsay has prescriptions for the drugs found in his vehicle. He added the four charges Irsay faces for possession of a controlled substance likely indicate that he had four different types of drugs in his possession.
Star sports writer Bob Kravitz tells us that we should feel sorry for the billionaire, who he describes as "fighting for his life" and "needs help."

WISH-TV had video of Irsay being released from the Hamilton County jail this afternoon accompanied by his high profile criminal defense attorney, James Voyles.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Do you know why the NFL doesn't have a team in Los Angeles?

Because it's worth more for them not to have a team there. According to a NFL report, having that large empty market allows each team to threaten to move there. Outside of New York and Chicago, Los Angeles is arguably a more preferable market.

With each team having the ability to make a threat, each team can squeeze its city for more taxpayer dollars.

Irsay's entire defense will be paid for with Indianapolis taxpayer dollars.

Some city needs to call the NFL's bluff and let them move to L.A.

Kilroy said...

Bond was be set according to the bond schedule on preliminary charges listed in the probable cause affidavit. Probably listed 4 felonies (each $5000) and a misdemeanor or two (ranges from $1000 to $2500 depending on level).

Flogger said...

This guy should be have enough money in his pocket to afford a driver. He has skimmed off millions of tax dollars. I am sure the customary wrist slap for the Oligarchs will be in order.

I suppose our Elected Officials will trip all over themselves in an effort to portray Isray as a good corporate citizen.

Anonymous said...

I would have to agree with Flogger. I say Irsay didn't have much to say but he is out there tweeting away!

Incredibly pathetic how people look up to drug addicts. Whitney Houston was an addict. The latest actor, whoever that was, who was found with a needle hanging out of his arm.

Maybe the NFL can take away Irsay's smart phone to stop the madness of the ramblings of an addict. It makes Indianapolis look foolish.

Anonymous said...

“It doesn’t matter to me what your politics are or what position you hold in your community,” U.S. Attorney Joe Hogsett told the Indianapolis Star. “If you violate the public trust, our Public Integrity Working Group will find you, will investigate you, and the U.S. attorney’s office will then prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law.”

Gary R. Welsh said...

I had to laugh when I heard so-called legal experts claiming that Irsay would receive no special treatment. If he hadn't received special treatment during his earlier bout with prescription drug addiction, he would have been charged with prescription drug fraud like any other joe on the street.

Flogger said...

I see The Star today has a big splash headline about Isray. I suppose we will see a series of articles by The Star trying to rehab Isray's character, and assure the people this will have no effect on the Stupor Bowl Bid. We will here all about the good Isray does for charities, etc., etc.

This fellow was born with a "Golden Spoon" in his mouth, and made into a Billionaire with Tax Dollars.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...

“It doesn’t matter to me what your politics are or what position you hold in your community,” U.S. Attorney Joe Hogsett told the Indianapolis Star. “If you violate the public trust, our Public Integrity Working Group will find you, will investigate you, and the U.S. attorney’s office will then prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law.”

11:20 PM GMT-5

Anonymous said...

The photo of Jim Irsay walking out of the Hamilton County Jail look like a hippie still trapped in the drug culture of the 60's...

-Certainly not what we expect from a billionaire owner of a sports team that the taxpayers of Indianapolis bought a two multi-million dollar TAX subsidized stadiums for!!!

Hey, Irsay, why don't you take your money and team with you to LA or any other city. You do NOT deserve any TAX money from the people of Indianapolis who don't have enough police protection from criminals....

-Oh, Mr. Irsay, you are charged with a drug crime???

-Then I guess we don't have enough protection from you!

Anonymous said...

Jim Irsay's problem appears to be that he was born with the proverbial "silver spoon in his mouth".

He apparently never learned self-discipline or self-control...always got everything he wanted.

Has he ever held a job that his Daddy didn't get for him????

Yes, it appears he is a modern day Hippie....straight from the 1960's.