Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Chris Simms' Stoned Driving Trial: Fasten Your Seatbelts
By
Christopher Robbins
Published May 3, 2011
Modified May 3, 2011
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Christopher Robbins
Published May 3, 2011
Modified May 3, 2011
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Facing charges of driving under the influence of marijuana, the trial of former Titans quarterback Chris Simms began yesterday with arresting officer Frank Acosta testifying that the son of Giants legend Phil Simms was "very, very unsteady on his feet" after being pulled over on West Houston street last summer, the Daily News reports. This was fairly vanilla compared to the things Acosta said during a pre-trial hearing, among them that the smell of marijuana was "coming from his breath. I had a headache. Even my tongue got numb…He was like a zombie." While we can't vouch for marijuana's ability to morph into garlic, we can say that Simms' mug shot is a tad damning. Maybe he's squinting because his future's so bright? Oh.
Harvey Steinberg, Simms' defense attorney, told jurors that it wasn't Simms, but his friends who were smoking, and that the 30 year-old would have never gotten behind the wheel in that state with his pregnant wife in the backseat. "There were no questions, no investigation, just off to jail with Chris Simms," Steinberg said. One of these "friends" is set to testify that he was in fact The Smoker. Look out O.J., I think America just found its new Trial of the Century.
Tagged
Chris Simms
crime
marijuana
new york giants
Phil Simms
pot
Christopher Robbins
Christopher Robbins is a New York City reporter covering transportation, affordable housing, local politics, and criminal justice. His work has also appeared in New York Magazine, The Village Voice and The New York Times. Chris is a graduate of Patrick Henry High School in Roanoke, Virginia, and enjoys biking to Fort Tilden in the summertime.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
GOP candidates in NY face a changed landscape on immigration
The 'migrant crisis' has changed markedly since the voters went to the polls two years ago.
By
Arya Sundaram
Published Oct 28, 2026 at 6:30 a.m. ET
Mamdani plans redesign of Brooklyn's Third Avenue after nurse killed in hit-and-run
Sunset Park residents and street safety advocates have called on city officials to make the avenue safer for years.
By
Ramsey Khalifeh
News
Mamdani plans redesign of Brooklyn's Third Avenue after nurse killed in hit-and-run
Sunset Park residents and street safety advocates have called on city officials to make the avenue safer for years.
By
Ramsey Khalifeh
NJ Gov. Sherrill: Election is secure, noncitizens taken off voter rolls
By
Michael Sol Warren
Ex-NYPD officer again faces murder charge in George Washington Bridge shooting
By
Samantha Max
Former NYC buildings boss helped reopen mayor's favored restaurant despite health violations
By
David Brand
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .