Manziel Indicted
Johnny Manziel was formally indicted by a Dallas County grand jury on Tuesday.
The misdemeanor domestic violence charge carries a maximum of one year incarceration and a $4,000 fine.
The alleged incident took place in January, when Manziel is accused of striking his longtime girlfriend Colleen Crowley several times. One of the blows to Crowley’s left ear caused a ruptured ear drum, she said in an affidavit.
The charge was expected by Manziel’s attorneys after a new grand jury was seated for the case Thursday. Formal notice of the charges appears on the Dallas County District Court records website.
“Johnny will certainly plead ‘not guilty’ and we believe the evidence will support that plea,” Jim Darnell, the lead attorney for Manziel said in a statement. “Out of respect for Ms. (Colleen) Crowley, we will not try the case in the press. We do, however, believe that Johnny will be acquitted at the conclusion of the case.”
Manziel allegedly threatened to kill Crowley and himself after the two left a Dallas bar on Jan. 30, Crowley told Dallas police in her protection order application. A protective order was granted in Tarrant County on Feb. 3. Manziel agreed to the no-contact order which prevents him from coming within 500 feet of her residence. Crowley said the
two had a separate fight in the Cleveland area late last year.
Dallas police investigated the incident but did not bring charges, rather turned the case over to a grand jury. When that group could not reach a decision, a new grand jury was presented the case.
Currently a free agent, Manziel is unlikely to get another job in the NFL until this legal matter is settled. He said earlier this month he was confronting “issues” and plans to play in the NFL this season.
However, he was dropped by a second agent, prominent player rep Drew Rosenhaus, because he refused to re-enter a treatment program. Manziel’s family said two separate attempts to engage Manziel and help him get treatment failed since he was released by the Cleveland Browns in March. He spent 73 days in a treatment facility in Pennsylvania to being the 2015 calendar year.
When the Browns opened the door for Manziel to audition as their starter in November, he botched the chance. Video of Manziel partying during the bye week surfaced, he misled the team about his whereabouts and the authenticity of the video and thereby flushed the golden ticket to start at Baltimore on “Monday Night Football.” Manziel was demoted to the third quarterback role and inactive the next week.
The 2014 first-round pick is a magnet for media attention and many of his documented off-field antics carry negatives for potential employers in or out of the NFL. The Denver Broncos were linked to Manziel but said there is no immediate interest in signing him.
He did not report to the Browns for the final regular-season game of the 2015 season on the same week he was spotted in Las Vegas. A West Hollywood rental house he was reportedly sharing with suspended Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon was allegedly damaged and drugs and booze were left on the scene
