Jim Irsay pleads guilty to OWI, gets one-year probation

Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay pleaded guilty on Tuesday to a misdemeanor charge of operating a vehicle while intoxicated. Irsay was initially charged with two misdemeanors and plead not guilty, but he was able to avoid jail time by accepting a one-year probationary period in court on Tuesday.

According to Mark Alesia of The Indianapolis Star, felony charges were not filed against Irsay because he had a perscription for the drugs he was found in possession of at the time of his arrest in March. We know from the police report that officers found a duffel bag and brief case that contained pills, pill bottles and nearly $30,000 in cash. A drug test showed that Irsay was under the influence of oxycodone and hydrocodone.

Irsay, who recently admitted that he became addicted to painkillers in 2002 after undergoing several surgeries on his hip and back, will be drug tested during his one-year probation. He’ll likely be able to take any dose of medication that doctors deem appropriate. He will also not be permitted to possess or consume alcohol. Irsay, a recovering alcoholic, insists he has been alcohol-free for over a decade.

The Colts owner will be without a driver’s license for a little over a year, which we knew when he refused a blood test following his arrest.

Now that Irsay’s case has been settled in court, it will be interesting to see how Roger Goodell decides to punish him. Previous reports indicated that he could be fined up to $1 million and suspended for 6-8 games.