NY Giants Great Lawrence Taylor Pleads Down, Avoids Jail

New York Giants great Lawrence Taylor has avoided a jail sentence.

Various sources, including Yahoo Sports, have confirmed that Taylor pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor charges on Thursday, soliciting a prostitute and sexual misconduct, and will serve no jail time. Taylor was arrested on May 6 of last year and charged with felony statutory rape after a 16-year old runaway-turned prostitute led police to Taylor's hotel room.

Taylor received six years probation and is scheduled to appear in court again in March, when his sex-offender status will be determined. Taylor had previously been offered a deal that included a short jail sentence, an offer Taylor refused. His defense since last May was that he was told the girl was 19 years of age and not 16, a defense that, according to the Yahoo Sports story, would not have helped Taylor had the case gone to trial.

Lawrence Taylor is, at the very least, the greatest defensive player in the history of the New York Giants. His numerous, numerous run-ins with the law (see link below) don't erase what Taylor achieved on the playing field. Nevertheless, Taylor's inability to get his life together almost 20 years after he left the game is very unsettling. Many a fellow Giants fan I know have stated that, at this point, they more expect than fear the worst from the Hall of Fame linebacker.

For more: LT's arrest history