2024-07-20 02:30:02
Hall of Fame linebacker Lawrence Taylor was arrested in Florida on Wednesday on a felony warrant for failing to report his residence change as a registered sex offender, per the Pembroke Pines (Fla.) Police Department (via The Athletic).
The former linebacker turned himself into the Broward Sheriff’s Office in Fort Lauderdale and was released on bail on Thursday. TMZ reports that Taylor turned himself in at approximately 5 p.m. local time on Wednesday. He then spent the next several hours behind bars before he was ultimately released at around 3 a.m. on Thursday.
This is a near identical situation that Taylor, 65, found himself in back in December of 2021 when he was also arrested in Florida. Taylor’s attorney, Mark Eiglarsh, called the situation a “misunderstanding” and noted that his client will be pleading not guilty to the charges.
“As with the previous incident involving the same allegations, Mr. Taylor did not knowingly commit any criminal offense. This situation is a significant misunderstanding,” Eiglarsh told The Athletic. “We are confident that, once the prosecutors review the exculpatory evidence demonstrating Mr. Taylor’s innocence, he will once again achieve a favorable outcome.”
This arrest comes over a decade after Taylor pleaded guilty to charges of sexual misconduct and patronizing a prostitute, which resulted in him becoming a registered sex offender. Because of that, he is required to inform authorities of new residences. In his 2021 case, Taylor ultimately pleaded no contest to a lesser charge of residency restriction for persons convicted of such crimes.
These are not the only times that Taylor — widely considered the greatest defensive player in NFL history — has had. In 2009, he was charged with leaving the scene of an accident. In 2017, he pleaded guilty to driving under the influence of alcohol.
