In one of the least stunning developments in the Darren Sharper rape allegations case since it went public, the one-time NFL star defensive back was denied bail.
A Phoenix judge ruled that the one-time NFL star defensive back is not entitled to bail because there is "proof evident and presumption great" that he raped a woman in Tempe on Nov. 21, USA TODAY Sports reported Thursday.
The judge cited evidence of DNA on the women's genitals that partially matched Sharper's. The former Green Bay Packer and New Orleans Saint did not previously know the woman.
Sharper has pleaded not guilty to rape charges in Los Angeles and Arizona, and is being investigated in other possible rape in Louisiana and Nevada. But another USA TODAY Sports report indicated that Sharper may have an addiction to Ambien, the brand-name version of zolpidem, which he is being investigated and/or accused of using in as many as 11 drug cases.
No one is suggesting that Sharper's own use of Ambien contributed to the crimes of which he is being accused. But the question has to be asked whether the drug impaired his own judgment, at least initially.
Or whether his health issues that led him to seek a prescription for Ambien contributed to accused behavior that is in direct contrast of his work as being a champion of women's rights.
In January of 2012, Sharper filed a worker's compensation claim in California, in which he cited several health issues as a result of his 14-year NFL career. Among those issues, he wrote "head" and "sleep," according to the USA TODAY report.
To help his sleep issues, Sharper received a prescription for Ambien. USA TODAY Sports reported that he became a habitual user, consuming 70 pills in 65 days through mid-January. That is according to a prosecutor in Los Angeles.
Ambien manufacturer Sanofi told USA TODAY Sports that the FDA's Medication Guide approves of Ambien as a "short-term treatment" for insomnia - "short-term" meaning three to four weeks.
Long-term side effects can include withdrawal agitation, sleep interruption, depression, poor peak performance and focal amnesia, said David Spiegel, a doctor and professor at Stanford University.
"People do get habituated to it," he said. "They do get dependent on it, so you get kind of a rebound effect when you try to stop."
Sharper is being accused of slipping the Ambien into women's drinks, rendering them unconscious so he could rape them after a night of partying. The report adds that he had 20 Ambien pills in his possession in Los Angeles on Jan. 17 when police arrested him on suspicion of two rape charges there in October and in January.
FDA guidelines warn zolpidem users that they possibly could "get out of bed while not being fully awake and do an activity that you do not know you are doing. The next morning you may not remember that you did anything during the night."
"You have a higher chance for doing these activities if you drink alcohol or take other medicines that make you sleepy with Ambien," the guidelines state. "Reported activities include: driving a car, making and eating food, talking on the phone, having sex."
The USA TODAY Sports report added that the FDA notified manufactures that the dosage for zolpidem should be cut in half for women because they generally metabolize Ambien more slowly than men and might feel more pronounced side effects.
Because Ambien comes in pill form, it must be ground into powder to dissolve quickly in a liquid, and police in Tempe said the testing revealed the presence of zolpidem in a cup Sharper used to give drinks to the women.
He knew what he was doing. Or at least the Darren Sharper in his current condition knew. But whether by injuries suffered in the NFL, by drug addiction or by a combination of the two, Sharper may be looking at 30 years in jail.
At least, that would make more sense what otherwise is a shocking accusation against a former NFL role model.
Do you think NFL injuries may have contributed to Darren Sharper's current legal trouble, or is he just a bad man masquerading as a good guy? Comment below or tell us @SportsWN.
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