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Monday, January 12, 1998
Bam Morris plea bargains, begins jail sentence
By CHRIS NEWTON Associated Press Writer
ROCKWALL, Texas (AP) - With tears in his eyes, Bam Morris was
taken from a courtroom in handcuffs Monday to begin a 120-day
jail sentence for violating his probation on a 1996 marijuana
possession conviction.
Morris admitted to missing seven meetings with his probation
officer since going on deferred adjudication in June 1996. However,
he denied two other allegations and, as part of a plea bargain,
was punished for four months instead of a possible 10 years.
State District Judge Sue Pirtle told Morris, a free agent running
back who played for the Baltimore Ravens this season, that if
he makes another mistake he'll have to serve the remainder of
the sentence in prison with no chance for appeal.
"It may look like you're getting off, but if you don't
report to all meetings (or) if you are involved with drugs or
even alcohol, you have a sentence for 10 years already in place,"
Pirtle said. "If you stay straight for nine years and 364
days and come back here on day 365, you'll still go to prison."
Morris admitted to Pirtle that he skipped four 1996 meetings
with his probation officer and three in 1997. He denied that he
also violated his probation by consuming alcohol and assaulting
Dallas resident April Dawn Brittain at a Nov. 16 birthday party
in Woodlawn, Md.
Morris' denial of those allegations were not contested by prosecutors
as part of the plea bargain.
Morris appeared solemn and was tight-lipped throughout the
20-minute proceedings. He declined to speak to the media and responded
to all the judge's questions with a soft, "Yes, ma'am."
Morris, 25, also arranged a plea bargain two years ago, when
he pleaded guilty to charges of marijuana possession in exchange
for prosecutors dropping cocaine possession charges. Although
he could have been given the 10-year sentence at that time, Morris
instead received six years' probation and no time behind bars.
Before Pirtle approved the plea bargain Monday, she warned
Morris that this was his last chance.
"I know that you have many agents and other people who
try to protect you, but if you come back here, there will be no
one who can protect you from this," Pirtle said. "If
you don't think you can stay straight for 10 years, you're making
a big mistake."
After the sentencing, Morris hugged his mother and another
woman in the courtroom. His eyes teared as a bailiff struggled
for a moment to fit handcuffs around his huge wrists, then led
him away.
"Bam Morris wants to put this behind him," attorney
Keith Wheeler said.
Wheeler said Morris missed some meetings because he was confused
about whether he could attend them in Baltimore or in Rockwall,
an east Dallas suburb.
Pirtle said all of Morris' future probation meetings will be
in Rockwall. She also sentenced him to 300 hours of community
service in Rockwall, fined him $2,000 and said that Rockwall officials
will have the right to demand the result of any of his future
NFL drug tests.
"We're pleased to have this behind us," said Ray
Sumrow, Rockwall County's district attorney. "We feel he
did the smart thing and we hope not to see him in Rockwall again."
After winning the Doak Walker Award as the nation's top collegiate
running back in 1993, Morris entered the NFL and starred with
the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Morris helped lead the Steelers to the Super Bowl in 1996 and
was the game's leading rusher, but he was released months later
after his legal troubles began.
He played for the Ravens the past two seasons, although the
NFL suspended him from the first four games of the 1997 season
for violating the league's substance abuse policy.
Morris, who ran for 517 yards on 126 carries this season, now
is an unrestricted free agent.
Ravens owner Art Modell declined to say whether he would consider
re-signing Morris.
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