Colts Owner Irsay Pleads Guilty To Misdemeanor In Drug Case

Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay has pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of operating a vehicle while intoxicated stemming from his arrest after a traffic stop in March.

Irsay appeared in a Hamilton County court in Noblesville on Tuesday for a change-of-plea hearing.

The 55-year-old Irsay will be on probation for a year and will be required to submit to drug tests.  His driver's license has been suspended for one year.
 
He was arrested March 16 near his home in the Indianapolis suburb of Carmel after police say he was spotted driving slowly, stopping in the roadway and failing to use a turn signal.

Officers said he had trouble reciting the alphabet and failed field sobriety tests. Various prescription drugs were found in his vehicle.

UPDATE:  The NFL has suspended Irsay for the first six games of the season and fined him $500,000 for violating its personal conduct policy, coming down hard after he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor stemming from a March traffic stop.
 
Commissioner Roger Goodell says owners, management personnel and coaches must be held to a higher standard than players. The fine levied Tuesday is the maximum allowed under league rules.