Why is former Patriots star Willie McGinest facing a possible 8-year prison sentence
Following an incident that occurred in a Hollywood restaurant in December, the former Patriots star could be facing a lengthy prison term if convicted.
A prolific defensive player during his time in the NFL and one who was critical part of New England’s dynasty years, it’s hard to understand how he’s now found himself on the wrong side of the law. With that said, it appears that 51-year-old is at the very least, conscious of what he’s done wrong and in no way has attempted to hide from the consequences.
Willie McGinest could be facing lengthy prison sentence
According to reports, former Patriots star Willie McGinest has been charged with two felonies in relation to an incident that occurred on December 9th, 2022 at the Delilah nightclub in West Hollywood. At the time, multiple witnesses identified McGinest at the club as the being one a group that assaulted another individual. To be clear, McGinest did in fact turn himself in after the altercation, however, as per the Los Angeles District Attorney’s office, he has been charged with one count of assault with a deadly weapon and one of assault by means of force likely to cause great bodily injury. It’s worth mentioning, that there is also security footage of the altercation - see below - which appears to show McGinest punching the victim several times before hitting him with a bottle. It’s important to note that each charge carries up to four years in prison, meaning that if convicted, Mcginest could face a total of eight years in prison.
What did Willie McGinest say about his actions?
Though it will likely count for little in the grand scheme of things, it’s interesting to note that McGinest did actually address his actions in a statement just two weeks later. To his credit he appeared to be remorseful about his actions, describing them as a “lapse in judgement.”
“First and foremost, I want to offer my deepest apology for my lapse in judgment and behavior on December 9 at a restaurant in West Hollywood,” McGinest said. “I am disappointed in myself, as I know this is an isolated incident and is not reflective of my faith, role as a father, life’s body of work, or the role model I’ve worked hard to become. It is personally devastating that decades of community service, youth engagement, mentoring, and professional development would become an afterthought in a single moment that should have never happened.”
Who is Willie McGinest?
At the time of the incident, McGinest was working for NFL Network as an analyst. Needless to say, the decision to suspend him after news of his actions went public, was immediate. He has not appeared on the network since and there has been no official word as to his future with it holds.
Of course, as a player McGinest was as good as it gets. Having spent 12 of his 15 seasons in the NFL with the New England Patriots - 1994-2005 specifically - he was a key player on three separate Super Bowl winning teams during that era. As things stand, the two-time Pro Bowler is now set for arraignment in April. What happens from there is anybody’s guess, but it’s safe to say that it doesn’t look good.