Melo Gets Suspended By The Nuggets For DUI Charges.

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

Anthony pleads guilty to reduced DUI charge

By PAT GRAHAM, AP Sports Writer 7 minutes ago

DENVER (AP)—Denver Nuggets All-Star Carmelo Anthony pleaded guilty Tuesday to a reduced charge of driving while ability-impaired and was sentenced to probation and community service.

Prosecutors dropped a more serious DUI charge.

“I’m happy that it’s over so I get a chance to take care of my business,” Anthony said.

Anthony also pleaded guilty to failure to stay in a single lane. He was ordered to serve one year on probation, perform 24 hours of community service and pay $1,000 in fees and court costs.

Defense attorney Dan Recht was happy with the deal but said Anthony would have gotten a better offer if he weren’t a professional basketball player.

“If anything, he was punished more than the average Joe would be punished,” Recht said. “The system is always worried about treating celebrities too nicely.”

In two days this week, the 24-year-old Anthony has been chosen for the U.S. Olympic team, suspended by his team for two games because of the DUI arrest, named to a State Patrol driving-safety program and now sentenced on the reduced charges.

Last month in a separate incident, Anthony was ticketed for driving 60 mph in a 45-mph zone and paid a $130 fine.

Anthony, who signed a five-year, $80 million extension in 2006, has also been the topic of trade rumors, but he said Tuesday he expects to remain with the Nuggets for the foreseeable future.

“I hope so,” he said with a grin. “I plan to be.”

He said he felt better about his future with the team after a conversation Monday with Rex Chapman, Denver’s vice president of player personnel.

“It shows some loyalty to me,” Anthony said.

Anthony’s agent, Calvin Andrews, also doesn’t see his client going anywhere.

“I’ve been saying that until I’m blue in the face—there’s no plans to trade Carmelo Anthony,” Andrews said Tuesday.

“It’s a good relief. No one wants to hear about being traded, unless they’re totally unhappy, and he’s not,” Andrews said. “He likes the fans, he likes the city, likes his teammates. It’s a good environment for him to play basketball.”

In court Tuesday, Anthony wore a dark-gray pinstripe suit, white shirt and silver-blue tie.

He arrived with his fiancee, LaLa Vazquez, holding his arm. Also in the courtroom were Nuggets coach George Karl, a few assistant coaches and Mark Warkentien, the team’s vice president of basketball operations.

“We all got together last night and said we want to come out and support him,” Karl said. “It’s a tough time. It’s time to learn from the past and move on to the future.”

Anthony was pulled over on Interstate 25 on April 14. Denver police said he was weaving and failed to dim his lights, and then failed a series of sobriety tests.

The State Patrol said Tuesday that Anthony will participate in its “Alive at 25” program, aimed at encouraging good driving habits among 15- to 25-year-olds.

“It’s a great organization,” Recht said. “I think his very involvement will save lives.”

Anthony has had numerous missteps since he was drafted by the Nuggets third overall in 2003. He was caught with marijuana in his backpack during the preseason in 2004, but the charge was dropped after a friend said the pot was his. He appeared—but did not speak—in a street video called “Stop Snitching” that warned people to not go to police with information about crimes.

Last season, Anthony drew a 15-game suspension for throwing a punch in a brawl during a game at Madison Square Garden.

With the DUI charge resolved, Andrews said, Anthony can concentrate on the Olympics.

“It’s tough time when a guy is trying to focus on his career—trying to put the negative things behind him,” Andrews said. “Hopefully, this is the last of the negative news. Everything from here is positive on—with the Olympics and hopefully bringing home a gold.”


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