Irsay pleads guilty to misdemeanor in drug case

Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay must submit to drug testing for a year after pleading guilty Tuesday to a misdemeanor count of driving while intoxicated stemming from his arrest after a traffic stop in March.

The 55-year-old Irsay admitted to a Hamilton County judge that he was under the influence of the painkillers oxycodone and hydrocodone when he was arrested March 16 near his home in the Indianapolis suburb of Carmel.

Irsay will be on probation for a year and is prohibited from drinking or possessing alcohol during that time. His driver's license also was suspended for one year. Judge J. Richard Campbell asked Irsay about his history of prescription drug troubles.

"Yes, I've had it in the past … when I was dealing with the effects after having surgery," Irsay said in court. He left the courtroom with his attorneys once the hearing ended and didn't immediately speak with reporters.

Irsay acknowledged in 2002 he had become dependent on painkillers after several years of orthopedic operations. He said then that he had overcome the problem.

Less than 48 hours after his March arrest, the Colts said Irsay had entered a treatment facility. He was back with the Colts management at the NFL draft in early May.

Carmel police said Irsay was arrested after an officer spotted him driving slowly, stopping in the roadway and failing to use a turn signal. Officers said he had trouble reciting the alphabet and failed field sobriety tests. Various prescription drugs were found in his vehicle, along with more than $29,000 in cash.

Irsay told the judge he is still under the care of a doctor and an orthopedic specialist who prescribe medications for him. Under terms of his probation, Irsay must provide officials with all current medication prescriptions.

The NFL suspended Irsay Tuesday for six games and fined him $500,000 for violating the legaue's Personal Conduct Policy.

Andre Miksha, the Hamilton County chief deputy prosecutor, said Irsay's case wasn't handled differently than the 1,100 intoxicated driving cases the office handles each year.