FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Former NFL star Chad Johnson is being released immediately from jail after apologizing to a judge for lack of respect when he slapped his attorney on the backside in court last week.
Broward County Circuit Judge Kathleen McHugh accepted Johnson’s apology Monday and reduced his jail term from 30 days to seven days. Attorney Adam Swickle said the rear-end slap was just a football player’s way of saying thanks.
The 35-year-old formerly known as Chad Ochocinco was in court because of a probation violation stemming from a domestic altercation he had with his then-wife, TV reality star Evelyn Lozada.
Johnson was cut by the Miami Dolphins after that. He played most of his 11 NFL seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals and a year with the New England Patriots.
