Ward, 30, a former NFL player and prominent member of at least one local activist organization, was released from jail on Friday. Instead, he had already spent the night in custody. This is his second arrest in the last two months, leading to questions about his legal troubles and behavior. Law enforcement officers subsequently pulled him back into custody for testing positive for alcohol, a breach of his bond release conditions.
Ward’s arrest comes after a woman accused him of beating, choking and threatening the woman. Steve Jackson, Ward’s attorney, shared the news with KPRC 2. He explained that a positive alcohol test led to Ward’s most recent arrest. The context around these new charges has received national media interest given Ward’s troubled past. On June 12, U.S. federal law enforcement officers arrested him at his home in Magnolia, Texas. By that time, he had upcoming felony charges for assaulting a family member and preventing their breathing.
Ward was released from jail, posting bail set at $30,000. He’s due back in court on August 13 for an information hearing. Legal requirements indicate that proceedings like this one probably won’t lead to anything other than a reset for a future court date. Further, Ward’s case is scheduled to be presented to a grand jury on August 31.
Ward is yet to report for his athletic professional training camp. He currently sits on Houston’s physically unable to form list with a foot injury. This reality makes his re-entry into professional sports all the more complicated, as he treads all these legal waters.
SJ Steve Jackson told us he was very optimistic about Ward’s case and that he hopes Ward will emerge “vindicated.” Taken together, these comments are indicative of a very defensive posture. They want to reduce the damaging effect of these egregious claims on Ward’s reputation and professional life.
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