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Ben Baby
CINCINNATI — Bengals cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt was sentenced to five days of jail time for a driving incident, an Ohio judge ruled Tuesday.
Taylor-Britt reached a plea deal regarding charges from an incident stemming on Sept. 14. Taylor was facing misdemeanor charges of driving without a license and reckless driving. The ruling was delivered after Hamilton County judge Bernie Bouchard declined to grant Taylor-Britt community service following a court hearing in Cincinnati.
The reckless driving charge is a misdemeanor charge punishable up to 30 days in jail, a $250 fine or a combination of both. After the verdict was delivered, Joseph Tekulve, Taylor-Britt’s attorney, attempted to set a fixed date for the Bengals cornerback to serve his jail time.
Bouchard insisted that it be done immediately.
«That’s a gift,» Bouchard told Taylor-Britt on Tuesday. «Five days instead of 30. He’s got to do them now. It’ll be over soon enough.»
City officials alleged that Taylor-Britt did a burnout on the wrong side of the road on Sept. 14, less than a half mile from Paycor Stadium following Cincinnati’s Week 2 game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
While court records indicate the incident occurred on Sept. 14, county attorneys testified in court that the incident in question occurred in June. A request for comment left for the Hamilton County Prosecuting Attorney’s office was not immediately returned.
The hearing Tuesday morning started initially without Taylor-Britt. Tekulve told Bouchard that the Bengals cornerback was available on standby and while a plea deal was on the verge of being reached, Taylor-Britt had not officially received a valid license.
«This is getting old,» said Bouchard, who then instructed to Tekulve to have Taylor-Britt arrive at the courthouse before noon Tuesday under the likelihood of serving jail time.
Two hours later, Taylor-Britt entered the courthouse on crutches. He is recovering from a Lisfranc injury on his left foot that required surgery.
During the second half of Tuesday’s hearing, Taylor-Britt made his guilty plea official.
«I just want to apologize, first and foremost for my actions that I’ve put everybody else through,» Taylor-Britt said. «Not intentional in [any] way.»
Tekulve said that Taylor-Britt was at a Kentucky transportation office Tuesday to receive his new license. The attorney also told the judge that Taylor-Britt has not driven since October and is selling the vehicle involved in the incident.
«I planned already to knock out those things that got me into this place,» Taylor-Britt told Bouchard. «Because it’s not me.»
Bouchard was not moved. He took exception to why Taylor-Britt was driving without a license when the incident occurred.
«You’re putting yourself and everybody else in danger on the street,» Bouchard said. «Why?»
«No reason at all,» Taylor-Britt said.
Despite the plea and the cornerback’s contrition, Bouchard sentenced Taylor-Britt to jail time immediately.
The trial date was initially set for Nov. 20 but then moved to Tuesday, two days after the end of Cincinnati’s season. Taylor-Britt has not played since he was placed on injured reserve on Nov. 21 following the injury he suffered in a Week 11 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Taylor-Britt, 26, began the season as one of the team’s starting outside cornerbacks. However, he was benched, a healthy scratch for the team’s Week 7 game against Pittsburgh before returning to the starting role before the injury.
The 2022 second-round pick is set to be a free agent after the expiration of his rookie deal. Cincinnati currently has Dax Hill and DJ Turner II slotted as its top outside cornerbacks.
Taylor-Britt spoke to reporters Monday, before his criminal case was publicized by media reports. Given his playing situation in Cincinnati, Taylor-Britt said he would be open to playing for a new team next season.
«I’m not opposed to it,» Taylor-Britt said. «At the end of the day, I don’t think anybody would be mad at a new change of scenery.»
