New York Family Law Blog
Dwight Gooden, 46 and a former Mets and Yankee star, was recently sentenced to five years of probation for driving under the influence while taking his young son to school. He had cocaine and sleeping pills in his system.
Gooden faced three years in prison due to an earlier plea agreement, but a Superior Court judge said the defendant deserved another chance to eradicate his addiction. New York Family Attorneys report that the judge referred to Gooden as a decent guy with a good shot at “finishing the game.” He said that the National Cy Young Award winner of 1985 should think of himself as a fourth-inning pitcher being hammered by the batters of the opposing team. His coaches are considering taking him out of the game. In this analogy, the judge was saying that being removed from the game would result in ruining his legacy, embarrassing and possibly alienating his children, missing a significant portion of their childhood, or even death. And it’s up to Gooden to decide if he wants to play with the attitude of staying in the game.
The prosecutor tried to sway the judge’s decision by citing Gooden’s history. The former MLB player has a slew of failed treatments under his belt. The prosecuting attorney insisted that the former baseball star should have to serve time in prison because he didn’t deserve or qualify for special probation.
The defense argued that Gooden was readier than he even had been to tackle his addiction – for his own sake and for his seven children’s sakes. According to a Family Lawyer in New York, the most convincing argument for a better outcome from this treatment cycle is the knowledge that should Gooden violate his parole, he will be put in prison for 10 years. He’d miss graduations, marriages, grandchildren being born, science fairs, little league championships and much more.
Gooden admitted in interviews in Manhattan and Westchester County after the hearing that his life is on the line. “I just have to take it a day at a time, and sometimes an hour at a time. I can’t look at it like I have to do this for 10 years. I just have to look at it like I have to get through today and then deal with tomorrow when it comes,” he said.
Substance abuse affects many families. When children are put in danger and legal help is needed to ensure their safety, call a New York City Family Attorney.Call a New York Family Lawyer today if your angel has been victimized. The Office of Stephen Bilkis and Associates can offer you support and guidance as well as a free consultation when you contact us at 1-800-NY-NY-LAW. We have offices in N York City, including Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, Staten Island and The Bronx and in Nassau County, Suffolk County and Westchester County.