Pack Attack

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) – Green Bay Packers linebacker Erik Walden has been released after spending the weekend in jail.

Green Bay Packers linebacker Erik Walden is accused of assaulting his girlfriend. Courtesy of Chris J. Nelson

Walden was arrested Friday on suspicion of assaulting his girlfriend at their apartment near Green Bay. He was released Monday on a $1,000 signature bond.

Authorities say Walden’s girlfriend was treated for a head laceration at a Green Bay hospital.

Brown County District Attorney John Zakowski says Walden’s girlfriend has changed her story. He says they have to conduct more interviews before he decides if charges will be filed.

Walden, 26, started all 11 games this season and played in the team’s 27-15 Thanksgiving Day victory over the Lions. He is scheduled to return to court Dec. 7.

Missouri Coach Sidelined After Drunken Driving Arrest

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) – Missouri has suspended coach Gary Pinkel for Saturday’s game and frozen his salary for a year after his arrest on suspicion of drunk driving.

Gary Pinkel

Athletic director Mike Alden announced the disciplinary measures Thursday afternoon. They include a total of about $300,000 in penalties, including a donation to a campus alcohol-awareness program, and 50 hours of community service.

He will miss Saturday’s home game against Texas Tech.

Boone County Sheriff’s Office records show that deputies pulled Pinkel over in Columbia on Wednesday night. He was released from jail after posting a $500 bond.

License To Drive

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) – Nebraska volleyball star Lauren Cook will return to the No. 2-ranked Cornhuskers after reaching an agreement with prosecutors that could wipe a felony traffic charge from her record.

Lauren Cook

The 20-year-old apologized Tuesday for her role in an Oct. 30 traffic crash that left two people injured. She vowed to complete a one-year diversion program that includes community service, avoiding other run-ins with the law and a promise not to drive.

Cook, the daughter of Nebraska women’s volleyball coach John Cook, was charged with leaving the scene of an injury accident. The felony count will be dismissed if she meets terms of the diversion agreement.

Lauren Cook is accused of sideswiping a motorcycle that was pulled off to the side of a north Lincoln street. The motorcycle driver suffered a broken leg, and his passenger had cuts.

She has had six speeding tickets since 2007.

Days Of Thunder

CATAWBA, N.C. (AP) – Former NASCAR driver Jeremy Mayfield has been charged with possession of methamphetamine.

Jeremy Mayfield isn't celebrating after his recent arrest in North Carolina. Courtesy of NASCAR Photography by Darryl Moran

The 42-year-old former Sprint Cup driver was arrested Tuesday night at his home in the western North Carolina town of Catawba, according to the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office.

Mayfield posted $3,000 bond and was scheduled to appear in court Wednesday.

The phone at his home rang unanswered Wednesday morning.

Mayfield was suspended from NASCAR in May 2009 for failing a random drug test. Mayfield denied he was using an illegal drug, but NASCAR said he tested positive for methamphetamines.

In unsuccessful legal challenges to his suspension, Mayfield said his positive test stemmed from a mix of an over-the-counter allergy medication and the prescription drug Adderall.

Look But Don’t Touch

BOSTON (AP) – New England Patriots receiver Julian Edelman’s agent says his client will “vigorously” fight a charge that he groped a woman during a Halloween party at a Boston nightclub.

Julian Edelman

At a brief court hearing Tuesday, a not guilty plea to a charge of indecent assault and battery was entered for Edelman. The Patriots later released a statement from agent Don Yee, who said the charge “will be fought vigorously within the court system, instead of a rush to judgment elsewhere.”

Edelman, 25, and his lawyer left court without speaking to reporters.

According to an application for the criminal complaint, police were called about 1:30 a.m. to the club, where a woman said Edelman had reached under her costume and grabbed her crotch. Edelman denied groping the woman but was arrested.

Slam! (Duh Duh Duh, Duh Duh Duh) Let The Boys Be Boys!

PONTIAC, Mich. (AP) – Detroit Pistons center Ben Wallace has pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges of drunken driving and possessing a firearm while under the influence of alcohol.

Ben Wallace faces 93 days in jail when he returns to court next month. Courtesy of CloutOnline.com

Wallace appeared Tuesday in Oakland County Circuit Court in Pontiac. He faces a maximum penalty of 93 days in jail when he returns to court Dec. 13, but his attorney expects probation. A felony charge of possessing a concealed weapon was dropped.

Police in Bloomfield Township stopped the 37-year-old in a Cadillac Escalade about 3 a.m. Sept. 24. An unloaded pistol registered to his wife was discovered in a backpack.

A breath test showed Wallace had a blood-alcohol level of 0.14 percent, which is above Michigan’s legal limit of 0.08 percent.

Assistant prosecutor Robert Novy says Wallace was very cooperative.