On January 29, Rey Maualuga was arrested and charged with a DUI after his car -- the pimpin' 2003 Pontiac Sunfire -- crashed into two parked vehicles. On Tuesday morning, Maualuga pled guilty to the DUI charge and was "sentenced to seven days in jail, fined $350 and his driver's license was suspended for 90-days. He was also put on two years probation."
But that's not even close to the strangeness of the whole situation. Maualuga had two teenage girls with him -- one was 17, the other being 18 -- at the time of the accident and Covington police said that they're going to look into it, said Kenton County Attorney Garry Edmondson.
"That's still being looked at by Covington Police," he said. "We'll be taking a look at that as well."
Maualuga wrote an unspecified apology on his twitter page, which we Babblefish translated from Tweet-talk to the English language: "I know it's going to be hard to believe me but I will do everything in my power to gain your trust back! I will definitely learn from this!"
Maualuga continued (translated): "To Bengals nation and my fans, sorry for letting you guys down and for doing what I did. I hope that you guys continue to support me in all I do. Sorry for bringing humiliation and embarrassment to this organization and to this great city of Cincinnati."
Hey, we're all victims to our own weaknesses. Life isn't about avoiding mistakes. It's about learning and growing from them. Since no one was hurt, we'll give Maualuga a chance to redeem himself now and support him.
UPDATE: Maualuga's seven-days in jail is suspended, writes Geoff Hobson.
Maualuga later released a written statement:
"I sincerely apologize for letting everyone down and making a terrible decision to drive under the influence. I wanted to acknowledge fault quickly and accept the consequences for my actions, which are the same that anyone else facing these charges would receive. I’m thankful to have the legal implications resolved this morning so I can begin to move on and make positive changes in my life.
"I know it’s going to be hard to believe in me, but I will do everything in my power to gain your trust back and I promise to learn from this. I’m truly sorry for the humiliation and embarrassment I’ve caused myself, my family, the Bengals organization and this great city of Cincinnati. I’d like to thank the entire Bengals organization, my teammates, family, friends and all the fans for the outpouring of support I’ve received since this incident took place."
The Bengals responded with a statement of their own:
"The Bengals are disappointed in the actions by Rey that led to the charges against him. We expect a higher standard from our players, as is stressed to them continually. Rey must work to repair the damage this has done to his reputation, and he has begun that process with an apology, an expression of strong remorse and a prompt resolution in the Kentucky court. We expect that Rey will keep taking further steps, and the Club will actively follow up with Rey in working with him from a personal standpoint. Rey’s on-field play and community involvement were excellent during his rookie season, and the Club continues to anticipate an outstanding Bengals career for him."