Former UFC champ Jon Jones plea hearing in hit-and-run accident set for Sept. 29
Former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones will appear before a judge in New Mexico on Sept. 29 for a plea hearing following his arrest earlier this year for allegedly leaving the scene of an accident that left at least one woman injured.
According to court documents obtained by FOX Sports on Monday, Jones is set to appear before judge Charles Brown on Sept. 29 at 8:30 a.m. MT for a pre-indictment plea hearing after he was arrested earlier this year in Albuquerque for allegedly running a red light in a rented Buick SUV and smashing into two separate vehicles before fleeing the scene.
Originally, Jones was facing potential felony charges with a maximum penalty of three years behind bars, but according to the new court filing the former UFC champion now faces an F4 felony, which reduces the potential penalty down to a maximum of 18 months in jail with a fine of up to $5,000.
It appears Jones' attorneys have likely reached a plea agreement that the judge will rule on next Tuesday because the fighter was never officially indicted with the grand jury in Albuquerque.
Jones was allegedly involved in the hit-and-run accident on April 26 and was arrested and released on $2,500 bond the following day.
Jones was sought as a suspect after paperwork with his name on it was found in the rented Buick SUV that caused the accident. One local woman was left with a fractured wrist, which bumped up the charge to felony leaving the scene of an accident due to bodily harm suffered by one of the victims.
Following his arrest, Jones was suspended indefinitely by the UFC and stripped of his light heavyweight title. He remains suspended pending the outcome of his legal case. The light heavyweight title was eventually put up for grabs in his absence with Daniel Cormier defeating Anthony Johnson at UFC 187 to claim the vacant belt.
The title will be on the line again at UFC 192 on Oct. 3 as Cormier faces Alexander Gustafsson just days after Jones' hearing is scheduled in New Mexico.
While Jones could find closure to his criminal court case as early as Sept. 29, the terms of any potential deal reached will not be revealed until that time.
