Georgia LB has negligent driving charges dropped

• Mark Schlabach, ESPN Senior WriterAug 19, 2024, 10:28 AM ET

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Racing and careless driving charges were dismissed against Georgia starting linebacker Smael Mondon Jr. on Monday, his lawyer verified to ESPN.Mondon, who was arrested by Athens-Clarke County Police on July 10, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of driving too fast for conditions throughout a hearing at Athens-Clarke County Municipal Court on Monday.Mondon’s lawyer, Billy Healan, stated Mondon participated in defensive driving and victim effect classes and paid a$500 fine. Healan said the misdemeanor count is a nonreportable traffic offense, suggesting it will not show up on Mondon’s driving record.Editor’s Picks 2 Associated”We feel like this was the appropriate resolution,” Healan stated. “Smael accelerated too quick, but he was not racing

and wasn’t

negligent. He has paid his fine, and he is all set to proceed from here. Smael is arranged to graduate in December and had no prior traffic events.” According to an Athens-Clarke County Cops report, which was previously gotten by ESPN, a law enforcement officer saw 2 lorries side-by-side speed up” at a high rate of speed and begin to race one another.”Mondon remained in the left lane, driving a 2022 black Dodge Battery charger, and his colleague, freshman defensive back Demello Jones, remained in a 2021 gray Porsche Panamera.According to the report, the officer paced Mondon at 75 mph in a 40 mph zone and pulled him over. Mondon denied racing and stated that he didn’t understand the driver of the other automobile. Jones then pulled over, though, and informed the officer he was checking on his”colleague. “The officer stated that Jones was released on a citation for racing due to the fact that he willingly pulled over and was not the primary vehicle in the traffic stop. According to the report, as Jones was starting to leave, Mondon”leaned over to [Jones] and stated: ‘Do not state anything in the group chat. ‘”En route to the prison, Mondon continued to reject that he understood Jones, according to the report. The officer asked Mondon about his remark about the group chat, and Mondon”altered the subject and started asking about my individual life.”Mondon played in 13 games last season, including 11 starts at linebacker, and he ranked 2nd on the team with 68 tackles.Jones’ hearing was rescheduled on Monday, his lawyer, Kim Stephens, verified to ESPN.On Aug. 7, Athens-Clarke County lawyer general Will Fleenor dismissed charges versus Georgia freshman receiver Sacovie White, who was implicated of driving the wrong method on a downtown Athens street at a high rate of speed on May 18 with a guest partially outside his 2021 Dodge Charger.White, from Cartersville, Georgia, was charged with misdemeanor negligent driving and driving the incorrect method on a one-way street.In a motion to dismiss, Fleenor composed,”After a careful evaluation of the proof, including footage from the downtown electronic cameras

, it is clear that the state will not be able to prove careless driving beyond an affordable doubt.”Fleenor composed that the driving

the wrong method on a one-way street citation was dismissed in the “interests of justice.”ESPN’s Heather Dinich added to this report.