Former UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones has two necessary court docket dates upcoming associated to the identical case after he was accused of leaving the scene of an accident again in February.
Courtroom information present Jones is scheduled for a bench trial on Aug. 14 based mostly on the cost of leaving the scene of an accident, which is a misdemeanor. The second bench trial is scheduled for Sept. 2, and that’s additionally based mostly on a cost for leaving the scene of an accident together with a secondary cost for Use of Phone to Terrify, Intimidate, Threaten, Harass, Annoy or Offend — one other misdemeanor.
Whereas each instances are associated to the identical incident, the second case was filed later, with the extra cost being introduced in opposition to Jones. His lawyer, Christopher Dodd, filed a movement to dismiss the second case as a result of duplicate prices in opposition to the UFC heavyweight, however the decide has not but dominated on it.
Till then, a bench trial is about for Sept. 2 with Jones anticipated to seem just about alongside his lawyer.
All the state of affairs stems from a automobile accident that occurred again in February after police responded to a crash the place a girl was discovered within the passenger seat, “exhibiting indicators of great intoxication and missing clothes from the waist down.”
The lady claimed that Jones was driving her automobile on the time of the accident and “subsequently fled the scene on foot.” Calls had been positioned to Jones with a police service aide stating he “gave the impression to be closely intoxicated and made statements implying his capability to make use of deadly power via third events.”
The unique police report said that the individual on the telephone refused to acknowledge it was Jones however when authorities received in touch with him at a later date, he claimed the individual talking to him on the decision “instantly opened the dialog with unprofessional language” and that compelled him to query the legitimacy of the caller’s declare to be concerned with legislation enforcement.
That interplay is what finally led to the second cost being filed in opposition to Jones.
Simply after that second case was filed with the extra cost, Jones’ lawyer filed a movement to dismiss.
“The incidents at challenge in each instances are one and the identical. Mr. Jones now’s compelled to defend himself in opposition to two separate instances includes the very same factual allegations,” Dodd wrote in his argument. “It’s unknown why an [Albuquerque Police Department] detective and an [Albuquerque Police Department] officer who had been each concerned within the investigation of this case wouldn’t talk and coordinate who would file prices however that appears to be what occurred, except the reality is that these legislation enforcement officers deliberately violated the identical necessary joinder rule for some improper strategic goal.,
“Both manner, the outcome is identical; this case must be dismissed as Mr. Jones has been impermissibly charged twice for a similar underlying incident.”
As a result of the decide has not dominated on the movement, Jones is scheduled to seem just about on the second bench trial scheduled on Sept. 2.
Considered arguably the best fighter of all time, Jones’ profession has been marred by authorized points, together with a number of arrests through the years. Again in June, Jones introduced his retirement from the game whereas additionally relinquishing the UFC heavyweight title, however his hiatus was short-lived after stating that he was getting again into the UFC’s anti-doping program with hopes of competing on the deliberate card on the White Home in 2026.
