Antonio Brown has received a reprieve from the judge and is a free man – at least for now. The embattled NFL free agent who most recently (almost) played for the Oakland Raiders and had a brief stint with the New England Patriots before being cut, recently found himself in hot water over charges for alleged assault.  Brought before a judge in Florida today, he has been released from the shackles and is allowed to roam freely.  However, this may change after he returns to court for a trial over the accusations.

Judge Usan Decides On Brown Reprieve

Circuit Judge Michael Usan decided to give Brown a reprieve as he doesn’t represent any real threat to society and has allowed him to travel freely, as long as he stays in the US.  This will allow him to fulfill his “business obligations,” which he will be able to do with being required to wear an ankle bracelet while he awaits his court date.  Brown will, however, have to check in with the courts on a daily basis.

The 31-year-old, who was previously accused of rape before the charges were dropped, had to give up his passport and pay a bail of $110,000.  He is prohibited from possessing weapons or ammunition of any kind and has to undergo a mental health evaluation, as well as submit to random drug testing.  He doesn’t seem to mind the stipulations, though, and posted about removing the ankle bracelet on Instagram, stating, “I’m about to get this taken off. I’m free to go.”

Brown spent nine years with the Pittsburgh Steelers before being traded to the Raiders.  During his time with Pittsburgh, he was considered to be one of the best wide receivers in the league, but his off-field antics have caused teams to shy away from him.  He has been outspoken on wanting to wear his preferred helmet, despite an update to NFL rules, and hasn’t been able to find a steady job in the league for about the past year.

Hollywood, FL police charged him last week with burglary with battery, burglary of an unoccupied vehicle and criminal mischief.  The charges stemmed from an incident that took place on January 21 after law enforcement received a disturbance call that found Brown being accused, along with trainer Glenn Holt, of hitting the driver of a moving truck.  Holt was arrested at the scene and charged with one count of burglary with battery; however, Brown had made his great escape before police arrived to investigate the complaint.

The dispute allegedly began when the moving-truck driver attempted to collect $4,000 from Brown in order to have his household goods released.  Brown didn’t feel like paying, so the driver left the scene.  As he was leaving, Brown, and or Holt, reportedly threw a rock at the vehicle, causing damage to it.

Change of Heart From Brown

Brown is said to have had a change of heart, as the driver was ordered to return by his manager.  There had been an arrangement made in which Brown would reportedly pay the $4,000 that was owed, as well as another $860 to cover the damage to the vehicle, as well as the driver’s time.  However, when the driver arrived, Brown picked up where he left off and another argument ensued.

He allegedly climbed onto the truck and attempted to forcefully remove the driver.  In the meantime, Holt removed the keys and opened the truck, after which Brown and a few others began removing boxes.  In the melee, the driver received scratches on his shoulder, arm and neck, as well as a cut on his finger.

As it turns out, the boxes that were being unloaded didn’t even belong to Brown.  When the driver let him in on the detail, the group began throwing the boxes back into the truck, causing damage to the property.  At this time, the police had to be called back out to the scene, and Brown subsequently decided to lock himself inside his house.  Last Thursday, he finally turned himself into police.

Brown is still under investigation by the NFL for the rape allegations, as well as other conduct not in line with the league’s rules.  According to Miami police, they have had to visit his house 28 times since last month.