CINCINNATI (Jan. 22, 2007) -- Bengals cornerback Johnathan Joseph was arrested early Monday and charged with possession of marijuana, the ninth Cincinnati player arrested in the last nine months.
The arrest came three weeks after coach Marvin Lewis promised to get tougher on player misconduct, hoping to stop a series of arrests that has embarrassed the team and drawn the attention of NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.
Joseph was arrested on U.S. Route 42 in northern Kentucky. He lives nearby in Union, Kentucky. The Boone Country sheriff's office arrest report said Joseph was the passenger in a vehicle driven by a woman who had a suspended license, was driving slowly and weaving.
When a Boone County sheriff's deputy asked Joseph to get out of the vehicle, he smelled marijuana. The deputy searched Joseph's black backpack with a Super Bowl logo and found a bag of marijuana in a pouch, the arrest report said.
Joseph was released Monday morning, and his first court appearance is scheduled for Feb. 5. Marijuana possession is a misdemeanor that carries a maximum of one year in jail and a maximum $500 fine.
He was the team's first-round draft pick last season and had positioned himself to take over a starting job next season.
