Detroit Lions cornerback Terrion Arnold finds himself in a “unique situation,” and it has a bit to do with his place of employment.
On June 29, Judge Christopher C. Sabella of the Florida 13th Circuit Court granted bond for the Lions cornerback, allowing him to avoid further jail time while he awaits his trial.
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Arnold faces eight charges – four counts of kidnapping and four counts of armed robbery – stemming from his alleged involvement in a kidnapping and armed robbery in February. Arnold voluntarily turned himself into authorities on June 24 after facing an arrest warrant.
Under the bond agreement, Arnold cannot contact co-defendants or witnesses in the case and must surrender his passport.
The prosecution requested an electric GPS monitor, but the judge “reluctantly” rejected the state’s request for Arnold to wear it. Instead, Sabella indicated that he believes Arnold will be faced with a “Paparazzi monitor” instead.
“If he’s late for practice, ESPN will let us know. If he disappears, the world will know before he knows,” Sabella said Monday. “If he shows up on a beach in Tahiti, he’ll be on social media. If he violates the conditions of his bond, he will be found, because they will find you. And you will come back, because the law will bring you back, and then you will sit with no bond until your trial in this case.”
The defense argued the ankle monitor would prohibit Arnold’s ability to play in the NFL, something with which judge Sabella seemingly agreed.
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“He can only leave his residence for those reasons I’ve delineated, including whatever his involvement is with the NFL is with practice and/or games – as long as it’s required by the team. …
“I’m giving him a tremendous benefit, I believe, in not putting the ankle monitor that would interfere with his ability to earn a living, which I want him to continue to be able to do. He’s (Arnold) in a unique situation – we don’t have a lot of defendants with that type of a job.”
The ruling seemingly deems that Arnold is eligible to practice and play with the Lions, as long as he’s not ruled ineligible – i.e., placed on the Commissioner’s Exempt list. That means Arnold could suit up for the Lions in training camp when it opens in late July.
Veterans report to Lions training camp on July 28.
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There are no future court dates currently scheduled for Arnold.
What is the Commissioner’s Exempt list?
The NFL’s Commissioner’s Exempt list is reserved for players who find themselves in “unusual circumstances.” Typically, players who face some sort of extreme legal issue find themselves on the list.
Players who land on the Commissioner’s Exempt list do not count against the team’s 53-man roster, allowing a team to replace the player while the player is on the list. There is no set duration for the list, and players continue receiving their pay while on the list.
From the NFL Player Personnel Policy Manual:
The Exempt List is a special player status available to clubs only in unusual circumstances. The List includes those players who have been declared by the Commissioner to be temporarily exempt from counting within the Active List limit. Only the Commissioner has the authority to place a player on the Exempt List; clubs have no such authority, and no exemption, regardless of circumstances, is automatic. The Commissioner also has the authority to determine in advance whether a player’s time on the Exempt List will be finite or will continue until the Commissioner deems the exemption should be lifted and the player returned to the Active List.
While facing his legal issues, Arnold is a potential candidate for the Commissioner’s Exempt list, but the league has yet to make a determination on his status.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NFL player charged with kidnapping gets ‘tremendous benefit’ in ruling to keep job
