SAN JOSE
– Before Jeff Garcia dons the uniform of the Cleveland Browns,
he’ll be wearing Santa Clara County jail house orange.
SAN JOSE – Before Jeff Garcia dons the uniform of the Cleveland Browns, he’ll be wearing Santa Clara County jail house orange.
The much-heralded Gilroy native and former 49er Pro Bowl quarterback pled guilty Monday to drunken driving charges. He was sentenced to eight days in county jail. In lieu of spending the time behind bars, Garcia can join the county’s weekend work program, where he most likely will pick up trash in parks and alongside the road.
The eight-day sentence will be reduced by one day since Garcia, 34, served time in county jail Jan. 14, after San Jose State University police arrested him on suspicion of drunken driving.
“Jeff did today what he did from the outset, which is to take responsibility for what he’s done,” Garcia’s attorney Steve Manchester said outside the San Jose courthouse. “He wanted to get this over, get it behind him and move on with his life.”
In addition to the jail time, Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Thomas C. Hast-ings ordered Garcia to serve three-years probation and complete a six-month DUI program. His driving privileges will be restricted for 180 days, and he was ordered to pay a $1,500 fine.
Garcia was caught driving his Lincoln Navigator erratically in downtown San Jose during the early morning hours on Jan. 14. He also failed field sobriety tests and registered .22 and .24 blood alcohol levels on two breathalyzer tests.
“This was a standard sentence from this court,” Manchester said, explaining that he did not plea bargain on behalf of his client. “It wasn’t as if we agreed to this or didn’t agree.”
“This is jail time, it’s not community service. He’ll likely be picking up trash just like everybody else,” Deputy District Attorney Lisa Rogers said. “The judge gave an extremely standard sentence.”
Community service, Rogers said, typically involves volunteer work or making anti-drinking-and-driving speeches to youth, a sentence some had anticipated given Garcia’s status as a role model.
Garcia did not appear in court Monday for the second consecutive time in this case. Also for the second time, Hastings allowed Garcia’s case to be heard before the two dozen or so other cases on his docket that day.
A move to Ohio will complicate fulfillment of the sentence somewhat for Garcia. Manchester asked the judge to begin Garcia’s work sentence as early as May 3, since the signal caller will have to report to Browns training camp by summer.
Garcia must join a six-month-long DUI program in California. However, six months from now, Garcia will be practicing with his new team on most weekdays and playing games on Sundays.
“He has to do the program in this state unless the court makes other arrangements, and so far it has not,” Rogers said.
If Garcia violates certain terms of his Santa Clara County probation in Cleveland, he could go unpunished.
For instance, if Garcia drives a vehicle to some place other than work or his DUI program (a violation of the 180-day restricted license), Ohio authorities would have to report it to Santa Clara County.
“If he violates his probation in Cleveland, the court must be notified, otherwise we won’t necessarily know about it,” Rogers said.
