In a Tuesday court hearing, Jon Jones pled guilty to a misdemeanor charge of driving while intoxicated, stemming from an incident in the early hours of May 19 in which he crashed his 2012 Bentley into a telephone pole in Binghamton, New York.

According to The Press & Sun-Bulletin, after Jones made the plea in Binghamton City Court, judge Daniel Seidin suspended his driving privileges and ordered him to undergo an alcohol abuse and dependency evaluation.

Related misdemeanor charges for an improper turn and deviating from a direct course were dismissed, according to WBNG, which noted that under a plea deal, Jones' attorney expects him to receive a fine and a conditional discharge.

According to the reports, Jones' next hearing on the matter will be on June 19. He faces up to one year in jail and a $1,000 fine.

Jones' arrest came less than one month after his last match, a UFC 145 unanimous decision victory over Rashad Evans, a victory that marked his fourth consecutive against a onetime UFC champion.

The incident has not changed the UFC's plan to have Jones defend his light-heavyweight championship against Dan Henderson on September 1 in Las Vegas.

Last week, Jones flew to Las Vegas to meet with UFC president Dana White and Zuffa CEO Lorenzo Fertitta. Over the weekend, White reasserted his support of Jones through the legal issues.

"He's a young kid. He's a young kid and he's going to need a lot of guidance," he said. "The kid is incredibly talented, he's starting to make tons of money and he's getting really famous. Those are all the recipes for disaster."




Source: Jon Jones Pleads Guilty to DWI Charge, Will Likely Avoid Jail Time

See video news clip in the full link provided.

To be honest, the exact thing happend to me once years ago, not long after I got my license. I was lucky to get it back after 8 months and I will never do such a dumb thing again. Cost me $2000 to fix a tiny scratch on a BMW I bumped into and another $2000 for the fine.

I guess some of us just have to learn the hard way... I dont drink at all these days

Yeah DUI is no joke. As a college/university student you always feel uneasy when you or your driver had a little bit to drink and get in the car. Unfortunate for Jones is that his image took a blow and chances for a major sponsorship deal like Nike isn't all that likely now. We should all hope that he really recovers from this because the guy is a serious serious talent.

UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones had two female passengers riding with him when he struck a utility pole in the early hours of May 19 in upstate New York, according to the accident report released by the Binghamton Police Department on Wednesday.
Jones, 24, pled guilty on Tuesday to driving while intoxicated and will be sentenced on June 19. His license has been suspended indefinitely.
Michelle L. Vojtisek and Cara Johnson, both 25, sustained cuts, bruises and swelling from the collision and were transported to Wilson Hospital for treatment, according to the report. Both air bags had been deployed during the crash.
Johnson, who was in the front passenger seat, attended Union-Endicott High with Jones, according to online records.
An uninjured Jones had "slurred speech and glassy bloodshot eyes," smelled of alcohol and was unsteady on his feet when asked to step out of his vehicle, wrote the arresting officer.
The fighter "politely refused" multiple requests to take sobriety and breathalyzer tests at the scene and after he was arrested and taken into custody, said Binghamton Police Dept. Captain John Chapman. Toxicology tests were not conducted, as there were no serious injuries, said Chapman.
The front of Jones' 2012 black Bentley sustained heavy damage, said the report.
Jones, who lives in Ithaca with his fiancée, Jessie Moses, and their two young daughters, Leah and Carmen, was also arrested seven months earlier in Albuquerque, N.M., -- where he trains for fights -- for driving with a suspended license. That charge was dismissed in March for failure to prosecute. Jones's New York license was active at the time of his May arrest.
Jones was also involved in documented multi-vehicle accidents in January 2011 in New Mexico. and in New York in December 2008 and January 2009. Jones was not found at fault for any of the accidents, but was cited for "unsafe passing" in the January 2009 collision. None of the accidents involved alcohol consumption, according to the reports.
Jones, the youngest champion in UFC history and one of its highest-paid athletes, is scheduled to defend his title for the fourth time against former UFC and Pride champion Dan Henderson at UFC 15 on Sept. 1 in Las Vegas.


Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/w ... z1wOvmbpVC