Fort Lauderdale, FL – Former NFL wide receiver Chad Johnson was sentenced to 30 days in jail Monday after reportedly angering the judge presiding over his court hearing.
According to the South Florida Sun Sentinel, Broward County judge Kathleen McHugh was about to accept a plea arrangement brought forth by Johnson's attorneys for violating his probation conditions that would have kept the colorful wideout from receiving jail time. However, McHugh reversed course after becoming miffed when Johnson playfully patted his lawyer on the behind as the judge was commending his defense representative for his work, which drew a number of chuckles from those in the courtroom.
"Mr. Johnson, I don't know that you're taking this whole thing seriously," McHugh stated. "I'm not going to accept these plea negotiations. This isn't a joke."
In addition to the jail sentence, Johnson will be required to perform 25 hours of community service and undergo two counseling sessions a week.
Johnson, who did not play in the NFL in 2012 after being released by the Miami Dolphins during the preseason, had a warrant issued for his arrest back in May for failure to appear before his probation officer. The 35-year-old was on probation after entering a plea of no contest to a misdemeanor domestic battery charge against his former wife, which prompted his release from the Dolphins.
A six-time Pro Bowl selection, Johnson recorded six consecutive 1,000-yard seasons as a member of the Cincinnati Bengals from 2002-07 and caught 766 passes over 11 NFL seasons. He last played in the league in 2011 with the New England Patriots.
Johnson was also well known for giving outlandish interviews and coming up with creative touchdown celebrations during his playing career, and even legally changed his last name to Ochocinco -- a humorous reference to his No. 85 jersey -- for a period of time.
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