Jerry Jeudy was arrested on Thursday on charges of second-degree criminal tampering with a domestic violence enhancer. The Broncos wide receiver was booked by the Arapahoe County Sheriff and is being held on a “no bond hold.”
Jeudy, 23, was a former first-round draft pick by the Broncos during the 2020 NFL Draft. Denver released a brief statement shortly after news of Jeudy’s arrest was made public.
We are aware of the matter involving Jerry Jeudy and are in the process of gathering more information.
Below are the latest details about Jeudy’s arrest, and what the criminal tampering and domestic violence charges against him could mean.
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Why was Jerry Jeudy arrested?
Jeudy was arrested Thursday on charges of second-degree criminal tampering with a domestic violence enhancer. The Arapahoe Sheriff made the arrest and announced it on Twitter.
Professional football player Jerry Jeudy has been arrested by Arapahoe Co sheriff deputies. He’s being held at the Arapahoe Co jail on charges of 2nd degree criminal tampering w/a domestic violence enhancer, a misdemeanor. He’s on a no bond hold. He’s innocent until proven guilty
— Arapahoe Sheriff (@ArapahoeSO) May 12, 2022
Jeudy was booked between 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Mountain Time, per Ryan O’Halloran of The Denver Post. He is being held on a “no bond hold” meaning that he will stay in jail until his case is heard by a judge. That is expected to occur at 8:30 a.m. Mountain Time on Friday, per 9News’ Mike Klis.
Additionally, Klis reports that “no physical contact” was made between Jeudy and the accuser, who is the mother of Jeudy’s one-month-old daughter.
At press conference Arapahoe County Sheriff Tyler Brown said Jerry Jeudy incident involved the mother of his 1-month daughter. Thus, the domestic violence charge. No physical contact was made. Charge of criminal tampering stemmed from removal of property. #9sports
— Mike Klis (@mikeklis) May 12, 2022
Klis also reported that the police report outlined that “things got crazy” between Jeudy and his accuser. Jeudy stands accused of “withholding [the] baby’s car seat, medical records and mother’s wallet” from his accuser.
Per Arapahoe County police report re: Jeudy and woman:
On the evening of 05/11, “things got crazy” between JERRY and her. She would not explain exactly what that meant, but she did say that JERRY put her wallet and medical paperwork for their child in his car and (more)— Mike Klis (@mikeklis) May 12, 2022
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What is criminal tampering?
The Colorado Legal Defense Group defines criminal tampering as “tampering with the property of another with the intent to annoy, inconvenience, or interrupt utility service.” The offense is a class 2 misdemeanor and can be punished by “up to 120 days in jail and/or up to $750 in fines.”
There are different degrees of criminal tampering. First-degree tampering “involves tampering with the property of an institution or utility that provides health or safety protection.”
Jeudy, however, was specifically charged with tampering in the second degree. That covers a much wider variety of potential actions than first-degree tampering.
The Colorado Legal Defense group cites “cutting a neighbor’s phone line because they talk too loud on the phone late at night” as an example of second-degree tampering. Additionally, the group outlines that “making an unauthorized connection with property of a utility” can constitute second-degree criminal tampering. An example of this would be “connecting [a] cable line to your home without authorization.”
What is a domestic violence enhancer?
In Colorado, domestic violence isn’t investigated as an independent crime. As the Colorado Legal Defense Group explains, the state treats domestic violence as a “sentencing enhancement or aggravator.” Those are added to other charges — like criminal tampering, in Jeudy’s case — to increase the punishment for any offense against spouses or dating partners.
So, the domestic violence charges against Jeudy are based on his relationship with the accuser.
How will this domestic violence enhancer impact Jeudy? The underlying criminal tampering charge will still largely dictate his punishment. However, depending on the nature of the crime, a judge could have Jeudy enrolled in a domestic violence treatment program. They could also grant Jeudy’s accuser a restraining order against him.
It seems likely that the NFL will investigate the charges against Jeudy as well as part of its personal conduct policy. That could lead him to be placed on the Commissioner’s Exempt List or suspended.
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This story is updating