An Indiana judge sentenced Bears Hall of Famer Dan Hampton to a year probation and other conditions after he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor drunken driving charge last month.
Hampton, 64, had an open jug of wine in his truck and had a blood alcohol level twice the legal limit when he was stopped by a Winfield police officer Nov. 20, according to charging documents.
Lake Superior Judge Julie Cantrell accepted his plea on Dec. 22, court records show.
“Mr. Hampton deeply regrets the decision that he made on that particular evening, but he’s accepted responsibility for his actions and he’s looking forward to successfully completing all the terms of his probation,” his lawyer Matt Fech said Monday.
He admitted Dec. 21 to Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated, a class A misdemeanor. In exchange, prosecutors dropped his other pending misdemeanor charges. Hampton would attend a court-ordered substance abuse program, victim impact panel, complete a defensive driving course and an option for 10 days in jail or community service. He also has reduced driving privileges, limited to work and court-ordered programs.
An officer pulled Hampton’s black Chevrolet truck over on the 11700 block of Iowa Street just before 7:30 p.m. Nov. 20 as he was driving 68 mph in a 40 mph zone, according to court documents.
Hampton, three miles from his Winfield home, claimed he had five beers at a friend’s house in Lowell, documents said. Later at the hospital, he learned his blood alcohol level was .189. The legal limit in Indiana is .08.
“That’s really high,” he whispered, before an officer took him to jail, documents said. He posted a $2,500 bond on Nov. 23.
Known to fans as “Danimal,” Hampton played as a defensive lineman for the Bears from 1979 to 1990, including the 1985 Super Bowl championship team, and is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He hosts “The Hamp and O’B” show on WGN Radio with former Bears Ed O’Bradovich, Glen Kozlowski and host Mark Carman.
He was originally charged with operation of a vehicle with a specified amount of alcohol in body, a class A misdemeanor, operating while intoxicated endangering a person, both class A misdemeanors, and operating while intoxicated, a class C misdemeanor.
Hampton had a previous drunken driving arrest in 2002 in Arkansas, days before he was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He served a week in jail and was fined $1,000, according to CNN. He also had past alcohol-related arrests in 1996 and 1997, according to media reports.
