Jarrett Jack Apologizes, Awaits Legal Process

A day after his Snellville arrest, Jarrett Jack apologized Monday for actions that led him to spend 14 hours in a Gwinnett County Detention Center.

"I'm deeply sorry for making the team have to go through this," Jack told the Times-Picayune as his team prepared for Wednesday's game against the Los Angeles Clippers. "I know the importance of what I did, and I will just try to learn from it as much as possible. I made a mistake, and the key is not repeating it."

Jack, who has an Atlanta address, is a backup point guard for Chris Paul and a former Georgia Tech basketball star.

General Manager Dell Demps said in a statement Monday that it would allow the legal process move forward, and that there would be no action taken at this time by the team.

"We are aware of the incident involving Jarrett Jack and are extremely disappointed in the situation Jarrett has created---regardless of the final outcome," Demps said in a statement. "This is a matter that we take very seriously, however, we will respect the judicial right to due process. At this time, there will be no further action taken by the team.”

Jack, 27, was arrested and charged Sunday morning with driving under the influence, speeding and failure to maintain lane. Snellville Police Chief Roy Whitehead said that Jack was travelling westbound on U.S. Highway 78 near McGee Road when he was stopped about 4 a.m.

The Snellville police officer noted that Jack was weaving and traveling 66 mph in a 45-mph zone, Whitehead said. The officer paced Jack's black Mercedes to determine the approximate speed, police said.

Jack failed a field sobriety test, and he was then transported to the Gwinnett County jail. About 90 minutes after he was stopped, Jack received a breath test. At that time, his reading was .079 or just below the legal level of .08.  

Police say they charged him with driving under the influence because "he was a less safe driver and most likely had a reading in excess of .08 at the time of the stop." Alcohol dissipates from the system at a rate of about .02 grams per hour.

Without a current suspension, Jack will likely play in Wednesday night's game against the Los Angeles Clippers at the New Orleans Arena.