Chad Johnson was released from jail on Monday after serving seven days of what was supposed to be a 30-day sentence. Johnson wound up in jail after a playful pat of his lawyer’s butt infuriated the judge, but he was later released after she accepted his apology. The former Miami Dolphins receiver talked about the incident on “Good Morning America” Tuesday morning.
“That’s the way I’ve always interacted throughout life, just in general,” Johnson explained, via Pro Football Talk. “I know there’s a certain thing called courtroom etiquette, which I’ve never really been part of the court system. It was a light tap. It wasn’t in any way to disrespect the courtroom. And really I didn’t think anyone would see it, because it was actually my third time doing so.”
It’s easy to see why Judge Kathleen McHugh was angry that Johnson was goofing around and made the entire courtroom laugh, but most people feel that sentencing him to jail over it was excessive. However, Johnson said he doesn’t blame her for the decision.
“I supported her in her decision to give me the sentence that she did, basically after me not meeting the criteria and the guidelines that I was supposed to meet in a certain amount of time,” Johnson said. “With them not being done within that time, I felt that it was right of her to sentence me to 30 days. She had given me a gift before and there was no reason to treat me any different than anyone else.”
As for the future of his NFL career, Johnson said he feels he deserves another shot.
“I think everyone deserves a second chance,” he said. “Many would say I might not deserve it. I would like to finish my career off the right way. I don’t want the last thing to be remembered, you know, well Chad was cut from the Dolphins for an incident he had with his wife. I would love to grace the football field one more time and to help some team.”
Johnson’s future prospects in the NFL may have more to do with his recent performance and less to do with his off-field issues. Aside from the fact that he could potentially create a distraction, Johnson was a non-factor with the New England Patriots. Some team may take a chance on him for cheap money, but it’s probably not worth the risk.
