Pot Charge Dropped Against Patriots' Blount Near Pittsburgh
JOE MANDAK, Associated Press
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Prosecutors have dropped a marijuana charge against New England Patriots running back LeGarrette Blount that stemmed from an August arrest with former Pittsburgh Steelers teammate Le'Veon Bell.
West View District Judge Richard Opiela told Blount at a court appearance last month that the misdemeanor marijuana possession charge would go away if the player completed 50 hours of community service by Feb. 4.
Blount's Pittsburgh-based attorney, Casey White, notified the court Friday that Blount had satisfied the requirement by working with a group called Urban Achievers in Boston. The group's website says it works to improve "the academic and social outcomes of children living in under-served and under-resourced communities."
That means Blount won't have to appear in court near Pittsburgh next week and can concentrate on Sunday's Super Bowl against the Seattle Seahawks.
"He was happy to get this done in a timely fashion so he wouldn't have any distractions with the game at hand," White said.
Blount, 28, was playing for Pittsburgh when he and Bell were arrested Aug. 20 after police said they found about three-fourths of an ounce of marijuana in Bell's car during a traffic stop in Ross Township, a Pittsburgh suburb.
District attorney's spokesman Mike Manko declined comment Friday, but he said previously that plea agreements like Blount's "are common in cases involving small amounts of marijuana."
White said Blount could still face NFL discipline for his arrest now that the Pennsylvania case is resolved.
The Steelers cut Blount after he left the field early during a loss at Tennessee in Week 11.
His career has rebounded since joining the Patriots after complaining about a lack of playing time in Pittsburgh.
Blount ran for 148 yards and three touchdowns on 30 carries in the AFC Championship game, a 45-7 rout of the Indianapolis Colts.
Three days after signing with the Patriots in mid-season he ran for 78 yards and two touchdowns in a 34-9 win over Detroit. He ran for 266 yards in 11 games with Pittsburgh and 281 in five games with New England.
Blount didn't comment at his December court appearance and wasn't present when White appeared on his behalf Friday near Pittsburgh.
He said last week that he's happy to be back in New England.
"I've had good times and bad and I've embraced them all," Blount said. "So I'm enjoying every second of this."
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