Days after Jack Jones was arrested at Boston Logan International Airport, the attorney for the Patriots cornerback is blaming reporters and social media for branding her client a "thug" and "wannabe gangster."
Jones, 25, pleaded not guilty Tuesday to nine different gun-related charges after two loaded firearms were discovered in his carry-on luggage on Friday. Police reports say Jones was "in possession" and "in control" of a black bag that housed the weapons, plus two additional loaded magazines, per NESN.
But Rosemary Scapicchio, Jones' Boston-based lawyer, aggressively defended her client on the steps of municipal court Tuesday, arguing Jones "had no intention of bringing any guns onto an airport that day."
"As far as Mr. Jones is concerned, it's the social media and the media who have turned him into a 'thug,' who have labeled him a 'thug,' with no evidence whatsoever," she said. "This is not a situation where Mr. Jones ever wanted to be a thug or thought of as a thug. But because he's a young Black man, all of a sudden he's a thug. That's what's happened here. And it's disrespectful.
"That label that was attached to him through social media almost got him fired," she continued. "And it was completely unfounded. Mr. Jones did exactly what anyone else in his situation would've done. He cooperated with the police, he was arrested, he promised to be here, he showed up here this morning, he was polite to the police. ... It's the speculation that is getting him in trouble right now. All Mr. Jones wants to do is play football. He doesn't wanna be a distraction at all. ... In this case, we're grateful to the Patriots organization, and the leaders of the Patriots, that they didn't believe and read and feed into what was happening on social media."
Jones was arraigned earlier Tuesday and posted $30,000 bail. He's due back in court on Aug. 18 for a probable cause hearing. It's unclear yet if he'll face discipline from the Patriots or the NFL, who could penalize him for violation of the personal conduct policy. The Athletic's Jeff Howe suggested recently New England brass is in fact "livid" over the situation and could still cut ties with Jones in the near future. Jones' previous off-field troubles could play into the decision.
As The Athletic reported, the 2022 fourth-round draft pick was arrested for allegedly breaking into a restaurant during his college career, after an academic-related dismissal from USC's football team. He later pled guilty to second-degree commercial burglary as part of a plea deal. In 2020, he was also suspended indefinitely from Arizona State for "team conduct" issues.
