MEDINA, Ohio (May 10, 2006) -- Cleveland Browns running back Reuben Droughns has been acquitted of drunken driving.
The 10-person jury in Medina Municipal Court deliberated for 35 minutes before deciding Droughns was not impaired when State Highway Patrol Trooper Sam Crist pulled him over Nov. 1. A breath test showed Droughns had an alcohol level of .08, the state's legal limit.
Droughns, 27, was charged with failing the Breathalyzer test, driving under the influence and traveling 50 mph in a 35-mph zone. Prosecutor Matthew Lanier dropped the latter charges before the trial began.
Crist testified that he spotted Droughns speeding and weaving in traffic while driving in suburban Cleveland.
Droughns and his wife, Kellie, disputed the trooper's testimony that Droughns was weaving, and Droughns said he was unfamiliar with the speed limit in the area. Droughns said he drank three cocktails at a Halloween party that night.
Droughns, who signed a three-year contract extension with the Browns earlier this year, said after the verdict he was happy to get the charge behind him so he could concentrate on football. He rushed for 1,232 yards last season on 309 carries, scoring two touchdowns.
Kellie Droughns said the acquittal was a relief.
"It's been hard on us, hard on Reuben," she said. "We're taking a limo everywhere, even to the grocery store."
