Jon Jones avoids jail time, gets probation

He was ordered to make 72 appearances at charity or youth outreach programs. He also avoided fines and fees.

Jon’s lawyer is asking the judge to allow Jones to carry one firearm because he’s concerned about his personal safety. Witnesses say Jones was the driver of an SUV that ran a red light and caused the accident.

He reportedly returned to the scene later to grab cash from the rented vehicle, before fleeing it again. Jones’ attorney Vincent Ward said Tuesday that the victim has fully recovered and sustained no permanent damage. He turned himself the next day when it was too late for police to test him for a DWI. He was subsequently suspended indefinitely by the UFC and stripped of his light heavyweight title.

The fight night could well still get scrapped or moved depending on upcoming court proceedings, but there’d be no better place for Jones to make his grand return.

Shortly after the plea deal was announced, Jones released a statement on his Facebook page.

“I am here to accept full responsibility for what happened, and I hope you can give me an opportunity to redeem myself”, Jones said during the hearing. “I am not sure what the future holds for me but I plan to continue to do the work needed to be productive and successful in every aspect of my life”, Jones said.

Jones (21-1) was scheduled to defend his title on May 23 against Anthony Johnson at UFC 187. It was the second incident in Jones’ brief career with the UFC, forcing White to take disciplinary actions. In 2012, he was arrested after crashing his Bentley into a telephone pole in Binghamton, New York. Few expected Jones to face any real hard time for his crimes, but do you think this punishment is a little lenient?

During his arguments in court, Jones’ attorney called the April incident a “huge wakeup call” for his client.

TMZ reported that UFC president Dana White was also at the hearing. Jones claimed he didn’t have a cocaine issue, but “dipped and dabbed” in various illegal substances during his college years.

MMA fighter Jon Jones reached a deal with prosecutors to avoid jail time with a guilty plea for the fourth-degree felony charge of leaving the scene of a hit-and-run accident.