Todd Marinovich caught naked with pot in a stranger’s yard
Todd Marinovich, 47-year-old former quarterback at the University of Southern California, found himself in handcuffs Friday after police officers in Irvine found him in a stranger’s backyard, naked with a bag of pot. He’d been spotted around 9 p.m. by a local resident while wandering through the Venta Spur trail, a path for bikers and walkers that winds through the neighborhood. Obviously, the concerned local called the police.
By the time officers arrived on the scene, Marinovich had made his way into a someone’s backyard on nearby Bluecoat street. He was nude, but carrying around a brown bag, inside of which cops found marijuana, paraphernalia, and a substance that allegedly looked like meth. There wasn’t really any way for Todd to talk himself out of this one — his I.D. was also in the bag.
While the substance believed to be meth is still undergoing testing, Marinovich has already been charged with trespassing, marijuana possession, possession of a controlled substance, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
A pattern of drug use:
This isn’t Marinovich’s first arrested-for-drug-possession rodeo. His first run-in with law enforcement came in 1990, when he was arrested for possession of cocaine. It was the sad beginning of the end for his potentially incredible football career. After getting the attention of USC during his high school years, Marinovich became the first freshman quarterback to start since World War II. He was a candidate for Heisman Trophy a year later, and it was with him that USC’s Trojans conquered Michigan in the Rose Bowl. The Oakland Raiders picked him over Brett Favre in the draft after he graduated.
Then his football career started spiraling downhill. There was the cocaine arrest, which foreshadowed other drug problems that eventually led to his removal from the Raiders after a mere two seasons. He was arrested again in 1997 for growing pot in his house and possessing prescription drugs that weren’t prescribed to him.
There was almost a comeback in 2000 when the Los Angeles Avengers picked him up, but his stint there only lasted eight months. This time it was heroin possession that got him kicked off the team.
In 2005, he was arrested again for drug possession in Newport Beach.
His most recent drug offense (not counting Friday’s) happened in 2007 when he was arrested for possessing a hypodermic needle and a controlled substance. He also resisted arrest, so that didn’t help.
Things seemed to be improving in the following years. Marinovich had been telling the media that he was focusing on his art career and being a good dad. Unfortunately, getting caught naked in a stranger’s backyard with a bag of drugs doesn’t really support that story.
Simple Possession:
Most of Todd Marinovich’s various charges amounted to simple possession. In Tennessee, this is the least severe drug offense. It’s all dependent on how much of a controlled substance the offender possesses, as well as the schedule of the drug in question. Repeated offenses are, of course, punished more severely, but first-timers are only looking at a Class A misdemeanor.
At Turner Law Offices, P.C., our team of attorneys has years of experience working with clients across a wide range of cases involving drug offenses, a great number of which amount to simple possession. If you’re accused of committing a drug offense, simple possession or otherwise, your safest first step is to seek legal representation you can trust. Call today, or go online to set up your free initial consultation, and meet with a skilled lawyer who’s ready and waiting to get you on track toward the justice you deserve.
