Three days after his arrest on a DUI charge in one metro county, a popular former Atlanta Falcon entered a not guilty plea for an alleged DUI in a neighboring county.
Jamal Sharif Anderson, 42, was arrested early Sunday on Friendship Road in Hall County, according to the Sheriff’s Office. It was Anderson’s second arrest in 10 months for alleged DUI. He was also charged with failure to maintain lane and later released on $5,830 bond, a spokesman for the Hall County Sheriff’s Office said.
On Wednesday, Anderson was arraigned in a Gwinnett County courtroom on his DUI charge from a November arrest, an assistant solicitor said. Anderson appeared in court without an attorney. His previous attorney withdrew from the case for unknown reasons. Anderson told the judge he planned to hire a new lawyer.
Drafted by the team in 1994, Anderson played eight seasons wearing No. 32 before a knee injury ended his career. But it may be his “Dirty Bird” dance that fans remember the most.
Anderson has also made headlines for drunken driving arrests since his playing days ended.
In November, Anderson was passed out behind the wheel of his Cadillac Escalade in the travel lanes on I-85 when an off-duty police officer asked him to move onto the shoulder, according to a report released by the Georgia State Patrol.
Anderson admitted to having three beers but declined to submit to field sobriety tests, including a breath test, the GSP said. He was arrested and charged with DUI and improper stopping in the roadway and booked into the Gwinnett County Jail.
Anderson previously faced a drunken driving charge after being arrested by DeKalb police in June 2012. In December of that year, he pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of reckless driving. He was sentenced to 12 months of probation and ordered to pay a $700 fine. He was also ordered to perform 64 hours of community service, complete a defensive driving program and attend a drunken driving impact panel.
In February 2009, Anderson was charged with cocaine and marijuana possession after an off-duty officer said he saw the athlete using drugs at a Buckhead bar. The charges were later dismissed, according to Anderson’s attorney.
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