Dallas Cowboys defensive lineman Jay Ratliff is being charged with a Class A misdemeanor as a result of his DWI charge, Fox Sports has learned.
The court date is set for Feb. 26. If Ratliff is found guilty, the charge is punishable up to one year in jail and a $4,000 fine — the max is is unlikely for a first-offender.
Ratliff's blood-alcohol content was twice the legal limit after he was arrested for DWI after his car crash last week in Grapevine, Texas. The Grapevine Police say the results of Ratliff's blood test showed a BAC of 0.16.
Ratliff was arrested at 12:36 am on Jan. 22 after he allegedly hit an 18-wheeler in his 2011 Ford F-150 pickup truck before running into the guardrail on State Highway 114. Ratliff failed his sobriety test and declined to submit to a Breathalyzer test. Police secured a search warrant, took him to the Grapevine jail and took a blood sample.
In December, Ratliff's Cowboys friend, teammate and fellow defensive lineman Josh Brent was charged with intoxication manslaughter following a crash in Irving, Texas, in which practice squad teammate Jerry Brown Jr. was killed.
