The Minnesota Vikings recently announced that have suspended offensive coordinator Wes Phillips for three weeks without pay following the resolution of his criminal case where he was originally charged with misdemeanor DWI.
As we discussed on the original blog, Phillips was arrested back in December on suspicion of driving while intoxicated. A breathalyzer test revealed that he was driving with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08, which means he had just broached the legal limit for driving. Phillips eventually pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of careless driving. He was sentenced to eight hours of community service and ordered to pay a fine of $300.
Wes Phillips DWI
According to a report from Tom Pelissero, the Vikings and the NFL had been collaborating to determine any potential discipline after the criminal matter was resolved. They settled on a suspension without pay for three weeks, and his suspension is due to conclude on April 22. While it gives the appearance of taking a stand against behavior that reflects poorly against the organization and the league, we’re in the middle of the offseason, and the suspension conveniently ends two days before the NFL draft, so he’s certainly not missing any important time with the team.
The biggest takeaway from the case is that Phillips followed a strategy pursued by many attorneys when a client has a BAC that is at or just barely above the 0.08 legal threshold. A BAC reading at this amount is hardly concrete evidence that a crime has been committed, and instead of dragging the case out and taking their chances in court, oftentimes the prosecution and defense come together to work out a deal. The prosecution gets a “win” and gets to divert time and resources elsewhere, and the defendant typically earns a much more favorable conviction and sentence. In this instance, instead of being convicted of DWI, Phillips pleaded guilty to the much lesser charge of careless driving, which comes with much more lenient sentencing policies.
Phillips’ case should serve as a reminder that you have options after an arrest, and you can typically avoid a worst case scenario by working with a lawyer and determining the right path forward. If you’re in a similar situation where you have been charged with drunk driving despite having a very low BAC, make sure you contact an attorney. In the greater Twin Cities area, we hope you’ll connect with Avery and the team at Appelman Law Firm today at (952) 224-2277.
