New England Patriots’ cornerback Alfonzo Dennard received a 30-day jail sentence on charges of assaulting a police officer and resisting arrest stemming from an April 2012 incident.
Dennard also received 24 months of probation for each charge to be served concurrently and 100 hours of community service. He will serve his time beginning on March 1, 2014.
It could turn out that Dennard will not spend any time in jail. The judge in the Lincoln, Neb., court said she would consider motions to change the terms of the probation, including possibly suspending jail time, the Lincoln Journal Star reported.
The 23-year-old faced a maximum of six years in prison stemming from the charges. He will not miss any time during the NFL’s season.
Dennard was arrested just after 2 a.m. on April 21, 2012, outside a bar in Lincoln, where he was a star on the Cornhuskers’ football team. According to the police report, Dennard struck an officer after the cop ordered him to leave the area following an altercation with another man.
Dennard’s NFL stock dropped significantly. He was drafted by the Patriots in the seventh round, but eventually became a starter for the team.
In February, a jury found Dennard guilty of the felony charge and a misdemeanor count of resisting arrest. He was acquitted of third-degree assault against another man.
Dennard was apologetic during his court appearance. Both Patriots coach Bill Belichick and Nebraska coach Bo Pelini wrote letters on Dennard’s behalf for the judge to consider.
