| Chris Perez. |
Cleveland Indians pitcher Chris Perez was arrested in June after police say a package with about ten ounces of pot was delivered to his house via a packaged addressed to his dog, Brody.
Despite the insistence at the time of Perez’s wife Melanie, police didn’t buy that Brody the dog wasn’t capable of interstate drug trafficking and the husband and wife were arrested and charged with marijuana possession.
According to NORML, between 200 grams and 1,000 grams are misdemeanor charges in Ohio that carry up to 30 days in jail and a $250 fine.
At the time, both Chris and Melanie pleaded not guilty to fourth-degree possession and looked like they would fight the case to some degree, despite owning up to having the marijuana for personal use to police at the time of the raid.
But earlier this week, Chris Perez changed his plea to “no contest” – basically he’s not admitting guilt but taking the hit anyway.
Perez won’t see any jail time, but he will pay the $250 fine and be on probation with the state for a year. The judge also ordered him to give a talk to a local high school in Ohio.
”You’re highly regarded; kids look up to you,” Judge Brian Hagan told Perez in court. ”But you made a big mistake. I hope that through your efforts you can deter someone else from making that same mistake.”
As for his job, Major League Baseball requires players to undergo treatment for marijuana offenses in lieu of suspensions.
Melanie Perez is still facing criminal charges, but according to the Associated Press she just needs to pass a drug test and pay a $50 fine to be done with the matter
Perez has been battling tendinitis in his shoulder for some time. He never copped to it (and it wouldn’t have mattered anyway in Ohio) but maybe this was intended for medical use.
For Perez, that is. Not his dog.