6 rings: 2023 Patriots season preview
With the season opener just five days away, the gun charges against Jack Jones have been dropped.
According to MassLive, the Patriots cornerback moved his court date up from September 15 to Tuesday and agreed to one year of pre-trial probations and 48 hours of community service in exchange for the charges being dropped.
Jones was arrested at Logan Airport back in June while leaving New England's offseason program on two counts each of the following offenses (per Massachusetts State Police):
- possession of a concealed weapon in a secure area of the airport
- possession of ammunition without a firearm identification card
- unlawful possession of a firearm
- carrying a loaded firearm
- possession of a large-capacity feeding device
Now, all of that goes away.
As transcribed by MassLive's Chris Mason, the Suffolk Country District Attorney added the following to Tuesday's dropped charges:
“The Commonwealth states that consistent with its standard of review in all cases, it has thoroughly reviewed all the evidence in this case and determined that it cannot be proven beyond a reasonable doubt that Mr. Jones had knowledge that he possessed the firearms in his bag at the time of the incident.
In addition, pursuant to M.G.L. Section 140 Chapter 129C(j), Those exempt from having a firearm identification card include ‘any resident of the commonwealth returning after having been absent from the commonwealth for not less than 180 consecutive days or any new resident moving into the commonwealth, with respect to any firearm, rifle, or shotgun and any ammunition there then in his possession, for 60 days after such return or entry into the commonwealth.’
The Commonwealth has been provided documentation and verified that Mr. Jones purchased both firearms lawfully in the state of Arizona and has taken steps to become a lawful gun owner in the state of Massachusetts within this 60-day period.”
While the NFL could technically still suspend Jones though their personal conduct policy, it's shaping up for the Patriots to be 'full-go' at the cornerback position versus the Eagles on Sunday.
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