Felony charges for Cowboys' Markquese Bell. A swift legal turn raises questions about the player's surprising financial filing and rapid resolution.
FRISCO - Dallas Cowboys defensive back Markquese Bell was arrested on drug possession charges in the Dallas area on Friday, according to online jail records posted early Saturday morning.
But the system of jurisprudence has moved very swiftly here ... and some might think, notably so.
Bell, 27, was arrested and charged with felony possession of a controlled substance and marijuana this weekend according to Collin County jail records.
Bell could be subject to punishment from the NFL under the CBA and its Personal Conduct Policy. The Cowboys, who are aware of the arrest, could oversee discipline of their own as well, especially given their very public push for wishing to have "the best culture in all of sports,'' as coach Brian Schottenheimer has put it.
Or, maybe it will all go away.
And what causes us to consider that possibility?
In Texas, marijuana possession is classified as a Class B misdemeanor. But the possession of a controlled substance can be a felony that comes with a prison sentence.
Having noted all of that, we find it worth mentioning that the Collin County court, by 10:19 a.m. on Saturday, officially documented that the "case is closed.''
Oh, and that a hearing of some sort included Bell filing an "Affidavit of Indigency.'' In short, that filing is customarily of benefit to people who can't afford court costs.
But ...
Bell is entering the second year of a three-year, $9 million deal that included a $2.5 million signing bonus. He agreed to this deal last spring, at which time he purchased a home in the Frisco area worth $1.1 million.
We're therefore a bit confused as to how this all happened so quickly, with what we understand to have been no jail time to go along with the "Affidavit of Indigency'' that certainly makes no sense to the layman.
Maybe Bell, who has spent the last four seasons with the Cowboys after making the team as a UDFA in 2022, is simply innocent ... and all of this is some unfortunate mistake.
Or maybe, as it regards a Cowboys player who in this case is a core special-teamer but who is otherwise expendable if a team wanted to make a "culture'' example of him, we're simply misunderstanding how the law works.
On the football side?
The Cowboys have Malik Hooker as an incumbent starting safety and in free agency signed Arizona's Jalen Thompson, who they believe has star quality. Dallas is seemingly parting ways with veteran Donovan Wilson amid rumors that in this month's NFL Draft they could land Ohio State star Caleb Downs, who is now on their "30 Visits'' list.
And on the legal side?
Deiric Jackson, Bell's agent, told the AP his client deserves to see the legal process play out.
“Certainly,'' Jackson said, "let Markquese have his day like anybody else.''
Certainly. But on this particular weekend? Markquese "had his day,'' in a sense. And it went by quite quickly.
