Jon Jones makes first court appearance in hit-and-run case
UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones appeared in Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Tuesday for a felony first appearance, stemming from a hit-and-run the fighter was allegedly involved in Sunday.
Jones, 27, has been charged with leaving the scene of an accident involving death or personal injuries. He was taken into custody Monday night and released shortly after on $2,500 bond.
He did not enter a plea or speak during Tuesday's court appearance, according to the court's public information officer Camille Cordova. Jones remains released under standard conditions, including restricted use of alcohol and other drugs. Judge Maria Dominguez did not increase the amount of Jones' bond.
A future court hearing has not been scheduled at this time. The district attorney will decide whether to move forward with the case, which would then play out before a grand jury.
Jones' attorney Vincent Ward successfully requested that Dominguez not place any travel restrictions on his client.
Jones (21-1) is scheduled to defend his title against Anthony Johnson at UFC 187 on May 23 in Las Vegas. UFC has not made any announcement regarding Jones' status for that event. On Monday, a UFC official told ESPN.com the promotion was still "in the process of gathering facts."
Jones willingly turned himself in to Albuquerque police Monday after an off-duty police officer identified him fleeing the scene of a three-car accident, which occurred after the vehicle Jones was allegedly driving ran a red light and collided into another car. Witnesses said a man fitting Jones' description ran away from the car, stopped and returned to grab a "large handful of cash" before fleeing.
The driver of the car that was first hit, a 25-year-old pregnant woman, suffered a fractured arm and wrist, according to police reports.
Responding officers found a marijuana pipe with marijuana inside it along with documents belonging to Jones in the vehicle that caused the wreck.
ESPN reached out to Jones' camp for comment Sunday night, but representatives have yet to respond. Jones moved to Albuquerque, the base of his longtime gym, Jackson-Winkeljohn MMA, full time earlier this year.
On Tuesday night, he sent out an apologetic tweet, his first since the weekend incident.
In May 2012, Jones was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence after he crashed his Bentley into a telephone pole in Binghamton, New York. Jones pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor DWI charge and avoided jail time.
In early December, Jones was tested positive for metabolites of cocaine while training for his bout against Daniel Cormier. Jones was allowed to compete because the test was conducted out of competition, and he beat Cormier via unanimous decision.
When the failed drug test became public after the fight, Jones publicly apologized for a "mistake." He admitted himself to a drug treatment center for one day and underwent outpatient therapy.
Jones has defended the 205-pound title eight times since becoming the youngest champion in UFC history in March 2011.
