Former Minnesota Vikings defensive end Everson Griffen struck a plea deal last week that allowed him to avoid a drunken-driving conviction stemming from an incident last July in Chanhassen.
Griffen, who is fifth all-time in career sacks for the Vikings, ended up agreeing to a deal where he pleaded guilty to misdemeanor careless driving. As part of the deal, Griffen was given a year of supervised probation and ordered to pay $1,060 in fines and fees. He was also directed to complete a chemical assessment, attend a victim impact panel, and to not drive while his license is revoked. In exchange for the plea deal, the drunken driving and speeding charges were dismissed.
“I operated my motor vehicle carelessly. Specifically, I drove at a high rate of speed while weaving in and out of traffic, after consuming alcohol. I believe my driving conduct thus endangered myself and others,” Griffen wrote in the plea document filed in Carver County District Court.
Just Above The Legal Limit
Back in July of 2023, Griffen was arrested in a 1968 Pontiac LeMans near Utica Lane in Chanhassen. He was also accused of driving 60 miles per hour in a 40 mile per hour zone. The arresting deputy wrote that Griffen had “bloodshot, watery and glassy eyes,” and that he “performed poorly” on field sobriety tests. A preliminary breath test found that he was operating with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.09, just above the 0.08 legal limit. He was detained for about an hour before he was released.
The plea deal is likely welcomed relief for Griffen, who ran into more trouble between his original arrest and now. He was cited for petty misdemeanor failure to drive with due care in October after crashing his car into a fence and gazebo, and he was cited for traveling 55 mph in a 30 mph in December in Shakopee. Later that month, Griffen announced on social media that he had been living with bipolar disorder.
Hopefully the plea deal allows Griffen to get the mental health treatment that he needs in order to move forward in a positive manner. It’s clear that he’s dealing with some additional issues, and it’s good to see the court focusing on a treatment-based approach with this sentence instead of a more severe sentence that doesn’t address the root issue.
If you or someone you know has run into some trouble with the law and needs help fighting a DUI or similar traffic issue, make sure you have a professional in your corner. Reach out to Avery and the team at Appelman Law Firm today. For more information, or to schedule a free case review, give our team a call today at (952) 224-2277.
