YOUR GUIDE TO THE TWIN CITIES
Jerry Zgoda missed the entire Kevin Garnett era, but he's back covering the Timberwolves after working the beat for their first four seasons two decades ago. In between, he covered a bit of everything: Gopher men's and women's basketball and NCAA athletics, golf, outdoor recreation, sports media and a little Vikings and Twins.
State patrol: Jefferson's blood alcohol content was .12
Posted by: Jerry Zgoda under Wolves players, Wolves pre-game, Wolves news Updated: March 16, 2010 - 2:00 PM
Al Jefferson blood alcohol content tested at .12 -- the state legal limit is 0.08 -- on the night he was arrested on a misdemeanor charge of driving while impaired, State Patrol Lt. Eric Roeske said today.
Jefferson was pulled over for speeding on I-394 west of downtown Minneapolis a little after 1 a.m. on Feb. 28, less than four hours after the Wolves lost to Portland at Target Center that night.
He failed a field sobriety test and a breath test registered above the .08 legal limit and he agreed to a blood test, the results of which determined the 0.12 level. He was taken to jail and booked on the fourth-degree driving while impaired charge. An April 23 court date was set.
The team quickly suspended him for two games without pay -- a punishment that cost him about $293,000 -- and he apologized the next day to his family, his teammates, his fans for what called a "major mistake," a "stupid choice" and the "embarrassment I caused."
Jefferson vows he will never drink and drive again.
"It will never happen again," he said then. "I don't care if I have to walk home. I would never get behind the wheel when I had something to drink again in my life."
After practice in Phoenix on Monday, Jefferson again said he dreads having to face his grandmother for the first time after his arrest.
When told he's 6-9 and 260 pounds and asked what she'd do, he said, "You've never met my grandmother, have you? My grandmother is looking for me, man. My grandmother don't play."
A fourth-degree DWI, punishable by up to 90 days in jail and a $1,000 fine, is charged if a driver has no prior drunken-driving convictions, does not register above .20 blood-alcohol content and there are no aggravating circumstances.
ADVERTISEMENT
recent posts
- Love to play in All-Star game
- Postgame: Wolves go deep into bench
- Wolves, pre-game
- Postgame: All out of Love and above .500
- Williams expected to start for Love
- Love reacts: Two-game suspension 'warranted'
- Love suspended two games
- NBA suspends Love for 2 games
- Postgame: Finally back to .500
- Darko out, Pekovic to start at center for Wolves
- Postgame: What the Pek? Another road win
- Darko's a go, will start tonight at New Jersey
- Working full time on the half-court offense
- Postgame: Rubio says, 'They played hard and we didn't'
- Darko! will start, Randolph is season's first healthy scratch
- Zgoda: Barea and Darko back; Rubio rookie of the month
- Postgame: Record-setting night for the Wolves
- Wolves, pre-game
- Postgame: Sign of progress in loss to Lakers?
Post By Category
ADVERTISEMENT
inside the StarTribune
-
425 Portland Av. S.
Minneapolis, MN 55488
(612) 673-4000
- Company
- Subscriber Services
- Website
- Buy Ads
- Store
- Connect with Us
© 2012 StarTribune. All rights reserved.
StarTribune.com is powered by Limelight Networks
Newspaper Subscriptions
eEdition
RSS
Newsletters