Though neither Le'Veon Bell or LeGarrete were officially charged on Wednesday for their incident with the police in Ross Township, it can be expected that there will be charges brought against them in Pennsylvania.
There has been much discussion as to what the two players are facing in terms of criminal penalties. This article is to serve as an overview of what the two athletes are looking at on paper.
The controlled substance in question, marijuana, was found at a quantity of 20 grams, which is ten grams short of what wit would have taken for Blount and Bell to face even more serious charges. Had they had 30 grams or more, both could be punished with up to a year of imprisonment. However, it would still be considered a misdemeanor and the maximum sentence most likely would not apply to them if they plead it out or their attorneys work to lessen the penalties.
All indications point to that LeGarrete Blount will only be charged with possession of marijuana once the investigation comes to fruition. On a first offense of possession of less than 30 grams of a controlled substance, the violator is punishable up to 30 days in prison or a fine. It is not mandatory for Blount to face jail time, and it is most likely he will pay a fine or serve some other form of punishment.
Le'Veon Bell on the other hand is in more serious trouble; he not only will get charged with possession, but a DUI charge with a controlled substance in Pennsylvania is something the Commonwealth is very strict against. It was confirmed that Bell had his blood drawn after the police stopped him and Blount, which means that if he has a nanogram per milliliter of marijuana in his system, he can be convicted for a drugged DUI. For driving while under the influence of a controlled substance, it is required upon conviction that the violator serve at least 72 hours in jail. This, on top of the possession charge, does not bode well for the second year running back.
These will be charges brought against the two athletes by the Commonwealth in state court, and their attorneys will most likely want to plead out the charges to get lower sentences if they cannot mount an actual defense to the case. Whether or not such a defense is possible at this time can only be determined by those working with the full investigation once the charges are mailed to the athlete.