Johnny Manziel's Lawyer Accidentally Texts Info to AP

He says plea deal coud be tricky in domestic violence case
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Jun 25, 2016 10:02 AM CDT
Johnny Manziel's Lawyer Accidentally Texts Info to AP
Former Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel sits at the back of the court during his initial hearing in his domestic violence case last month.   (Smiley N. Pool/The Dallas Morning News via AP, Pool)

An attorney handling Johnny Manziel's domestic violence case expressed doubts about the Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback's ability to stay clean and said he was given a receipt that shows Manziel may have spent more than $1,000 at a drug paraphernalia store just 15 hours after he was involved in a hit-and-run crash on Monday, according to a lengthy text message accidentally sent to the AP. Defense attorney Bob Hinton's text indicated Manziel's legal team was seeking a plea deal with prosecutors, but suggested that could be tricky. "Heaven help us if one of the conditions is to pee in a bottle," the attorney wrote.

The errant text was sent Wednesday after the AP sought comment via text about Monday night's crash. When asked about the text, Hinton said he had meant to send it to co-counsel Jim Darnell and was unaware the AP had received it instead. He insisted the contents were protected by attorney-client privilege and threatened to sue if certain details were published. On Friday, Manziel's father, Paul, told ESPN.com his son has refused repeated efforts to help him. "I don't know what to say other than my son is a druggie and he needs help," he said. "If I have to bury him, I'll bury him. That's the fact. So if not, if he calls me and needs help, I'll go get him. Until then, he's on his own. I've done everything I can do." The 23-year-old was dropped by the Cleveland Browns in March. (More Johnny Manziel stories.)

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