(We know what you’re going to ask, and the answer is "very well, and on a big pile of money.")
Breakin’ news from from The OC Register:
Ultimate Fighting Championship brawler Quinton "Rampage" Jackson pleaded guilty today to felony evading police and misdemeanor reckless driving for a high-speed chase down Newport Boulevard last July that left a wake of crumpled cars and scared pedestrians.
Jackson, a former UFC champion and one its brightest stars, was ordered to complete 200 hours of community service, seek mental heath therapy, and pay restitution to the people whose cars he damaged.
Superior Court Judge Thomas Goethals said if Jackson, 30, successfully completes those terms, the felony charge will be dismissed against him and he will likely serve no time in jail when he is officially sentenced on Jan. 7, 2010.
Jackson, who said he was delirious from a lack of sleep and a lack of food when he launched the wild police chase on July 15, said he was ecstatic that he wasn’t going into custody.
"No one wants to get to jail," he said after in an interview after pleading guilty. "But my main concern was that no one got hurt. I am so relieved and happy that no one was injured."
He said he decided to plead guilty because he didn’t want to put the other drivers through the ordeal of a trial.
"I feel sorry for everything that happened, and I apologize," he said.
Some more amazing details about Jackson’s community service from his attorney Carol Lavacot, via MMA Weekly:
"Quinton, from the beginning, has wanted to take responsibility for his actions. He has learned a great deal about his physical body and about mental health. During this next year, Quinton has chosen to share his knowledge of how good nutrition, exercise, and sufficient sleep leads to success. He will be speaking to groups of young people in the hope that his unfortunate incident can be turned into something positive for others."
Regarding the sentence, Lavacot said "I think it’s very fair, considering the circumstances."
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He was overcharged to begin with, which is the reason why the deal was so reasonable. It also appears to be a Deferred Entry of Judgment type deal, which is why the sentencing is put of until 2010. This means that there is no conviction record at this time and when there is one it will be for a Misdemeanor that can immediately be expunged pursuant to California Penal Code Section 1210.4, since the probationary time period would have been completed. All in all, it should not hinder his ability to train out of the country due to the way that the deal was designed, he had a good attorney.