Former Marlin Cabrera Avoids Jail, Gets Probation in DUI Case

MLB slugger to pay fines, do community service after entering no contest to DUI charge

Former Marlins star Miguel Cabrera will avoid jail but serve a year of probation and pay fines after he pleaded no contest Thursday to DUI charges in St. Lucie County.

Cabrera will have to pay $1,436 in court costs, serve 50 hours of community service and will have his driver's license suspended for 6 months.

Police arrested Cabrera in February after the 28-year-old was found standing on the side of the road next to his black 2005 Range Rover which had smoke billowing out of it.

Cabrera had bloodshot eyes and "heavily slurred" speech and started drinking from a bottle of scotch, according to an arrest report.

He had been reportedly driving recklessly and forced two cars off the road before he was found by police, authorities said.

Police said Cabrera was taken into custody and later refused to take a breath test.

Cabrera's attorney, Michael Kessler, said in a statement that they had "intended to take all available steps to clear his name," but that the baseball star wanted to put the case behind him.

"Miguel Cabrera is determined not to allow this to go on any further. He wants this behind him before the start of Spring Training," Kessler said. "For that reason, and for that reason only, Miguel Cabrera asked me to settle this case today."

The native Venezuelan, who made his major league debut with the Marlins in 2003 before he was traded to the Detroit Tigers in 2007, lives in Boca Raton.

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