According to Matt Keller of ABC 7, the Santa Clara County district attorney has filed three misdemeanor charges against new Raiders LB Aldon Smith for the incident that occurred this summer.
- Keller mentions that Smith is facing a DUI, hit and run with property damage and vandalism charges.
- The misdemeanor DUI charge against Smith is with prior conviction and refusal to submit to chemical testing, according to Keller.
This is interesting timing, given that he just signed a one-year deal with the Raiders a few hours ago.
Jason Cole of B/R reports that Smith’s decision to sign with the Raiders was impacted by his preference to remain in the Bay Area and close to his support network.
However, Cole expects the NFL to hand down some sort of punishment, but it remains to be seen what kind of discipline he’ll receive.
Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie said of the Smith signing: “We are confident that the Raiders provide an environment where Aldon can thrive through the support, structure and leadership within the building. We are excited to have Aldon here in Raiders family.”
The NFL is still looking into Smith’s most recent arrest in which he was cited for a hit and run, DUI, and vandalism. Considering that Smith’s latest arrest involves both substance-abuse policy and personal conduct policy, it’s possible that he could be in line for a lengthy suspension.
Smith, 25, had his fifth-year option picked up by the 49ers last year, but his decision to rework his contract and include a pay-as-you-go structure ultimately allowed San Francisco to move on without any cap implications.
In 2014, Smith appeared in seven games and recorded 15 tackles and two sacks for the 49ers’ defense. He’ll be an unrestricted free agent next year, so he clearly has a lot to prove in 2015.
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