Ex-Bengals defensive back, Adam Jones was arrested early Monday morning at CVG (Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky) International Airport.1 Airport police responded to a call around 6 am to help the flight crew with an unruly passenger.2 Jones was arrested before the flight even took off and taken to Boone County Detention Center in Northern Kentucky.3 Ultimately Jones was charged with alcohol intoxication, disorderly conduct, and making a terroristic threat.4
Jones went through a whirlwind of legal events during his time in the NFL (National Football League).5 Jones was first drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the 2005 draft and excelled during his first seasons with them, breaking many records.6 During his rookie season, Jones had 10 pass deflection and 44 tackles on defense, while on special teams he totaled 1,399 yards and one touchdown.7 During his sophomore season, he broke his previous record for number of tackles as well as tied the NFL record for the most punt return touchdowns.8 Although Jones had a remarkable first 2 years, the Tennessee Titans seriously considered dropping him due to his struggles off the field.9 On April 10, 2007, Roger Goodell announced that Jones would be serving a one-year suspension for violation of the NFL player conduct policy.10 This was the first time in 44 years that a player would be suspended for an offense other than substance abuse.11 In April 2008, Jones was traded to the Dallas Cowboys and that following September Jones was suspended for at least four games due to an altercation at a Dallas hotel.12 Jones was released by the Cowboys in February 2009 due to being a suspect in a shooting in Atlanta two years prior.13
Looking into Jones’s legal issues a bit more, during the 2005 draft Jones was on probation for a fight that occurred in West Virginia. This probation was extended an additional 90 days as Jones failed to contact his probation officer. In the summer of 2005, he was arrested on charges of assault and felony vandalism due to a nightclub altercation in Nashville. In February 2006, Jones was arrested in Fayetteville, Georgia for possession of marijuana. In August 2006, Jones was arrested during training camp for disorderly conduct and public intoxication after he spat on a woman accused of stealing his wallet.
The personal conduct policy was implemented to have the athletes regulated on the field and as much as possible off the field. The chain of action when a possible violation of the personal conduct policy starts with either an NFL investigation or a law enforcement investigation. For NFL investigations, the special counsel will do the investigation and come up with the initial discipline for the violations. For law enforcement investigations, the NFL will let the legal investigations commence before they complete the NFL investigation to avoid any interference. For NFL investigations, the player may be put on paid leave, which will last until the NFL investigation has commenced. Once the NFL and law enforcement investigations conclude, NFL discipline may be imposed if the athlete was found guilty of a crime or found to have violated the NFL personal conduct policy. Depending on the nature, the discipline can be a fine, suspension, community service, or a combination of all three. There are certain crimes such as assault, or more aggravated offenses that will carry a no-pay suspension as well. In terms of second offenses, this can lead to a banishment from the NFL. The athlete is then given the discipline that was chosen, and they can either choose to accept it or appeal it. If the athlete was on paid leave, it will continue through the appeal process. The appeal is heard by an NFL expert panel that is made up of three outside experts who make recommendations to the commissioner on what the ruling should be. The final decision is then made on the disciplinary measures and reported back to the athlete. 
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