Getty Antonio Brown #17 of the New England Patriots looks on against the Miami Dolphins during the fourth quarter at Hard Rock Stadium on September 15, 2019 in Miami, Florida.
Antonio Brown is a free man — at least, in terms of leaving his own property.
A Florida circuit judge freed the much-maligned NFL wide receiver from house arrest Tuesday, allowing him to travel freely within the United States in order to satisfy his contractual obligations as he awaits trial for battery charges, according to ESPN. Instead of wearing an ankle monitor, Brown will be required to check in with court personnel daily and must still surrender his passport.
Brown is also not allowed to possess any weapons or ammunition and must submit to a mental health evaluation and random drug testing.
“I’m about to get this taken off,” Brown said in an Instagram Live video taken Tuesday morning. “I’m free to go.”
Brown turned himself in after Florida police issued a warrant for his arrest last week following a reported dispute involving his trainer and the driver of a moving truck. He faces charges of burglary with battery, burglary of an unoccupied conveyance and criminal mischief and, while he is free to go, his bail of $110,000 remains in place.
Brown was one of the most prolific NFL wideouts over his nine seasons in the league, spending the majority of his time with the Pittsburgh Steelers until he was traded last year to the Oakland Raiders. He never played a live snap for the Raiders, though, as multiple off-the-field incidents led to his release from the team. He then signed with the New England Patriots, but they released him less than two weeks later in September after two women accused him of sexual misconduct.
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Brown Enters Plea of Not Guilty, Per Records
Brown’s recent entanglement with the court system stems from a Jan. 21 disturbance call where a moving truck driver claimed Brown and his trainer, former NFL player Glenn Holt, hit him outside of Brown’s home in Hollywood, Florida.
According to police reports, the incident began when Brown refused to pay $4,000 to the driver to release his belongings from his truck. The driver claimed Brown threw a rock at his truck when he drove away that left some damage, causing him to call the police and report it as vandalism.
After some communication between the company’s manager and Brown, the driver was told the NFL star would now pay the $4,000 along with an additional $860 to cover the damages. Brown paid the initial amount but refused to cover the damages, which is when police said Brown “started another verbal argument.” Brown allegedly climbed into the truck and tried to pull out the driver — which he claimed left him with scratches and a torn shirt — while Holt grabbed the keys from the ignition
According to court records from the 17th Judicial Circuit of Florida in Broward county, Brown’s legal team submitted a written plea of not guilty last Friday on his behalf and elected for a trial by jury. It comes after what sounds like a testy exchange between Brown’s defense team and prosecutors.
Per TMZ, prosecutors argued that Brown should be kept in custody given the severity of his charges and also argued he is a legitimate flight risk. Brown’s attorneys insisted their client would not be going anywhere if release and that his charges were not that serious, saying they were “talking about scratches.”
A trial date for Brown’s case has not yet been set.
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