"To be frank -- and attorney David Cornwell is consistently that -- he does not know how Donte' Stallworth is managing. Cornwell will know more when he visits his client in a Miami jail on Wednesday.

"I guess I have to say that Donte' is fine," Cornwell said. "None of this is a surprise to him. He was intimately involved in his defense. But I don't know how he really is. I never killed anyone."

Stallworth received a 30-day jail sentence for DUI manslaughter after his car struck and killed Mario Reyes, 59, on March 14 in Miami. Among other penalties after his mid-July release, the Cleveland Browns receiver will be under two years house arrest and eight years probation. He reached an undisclosed financial settlement with the Reyes family, who told prosecutors they wanted to avoid all trials. Prosecutors said that immediately following the tragedy and beyond, Stallworth was cooperative.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has suspended Stallworth indefinitely without pay. Further action depends on a meeting between the two after Stallworth's release.

Public outcry that Stallworth was treated too favorably is bold.

"Some of the emotional outburst from the public would have us believe that our legal system on so many levels is inept and was duped," Cornwell said. "How about if it was the right result? We know there is another piece to this and that is the commissioner's decision. The commissioner's early decision was strongly worded. We have to deal with it.

"But there were other circumstances that deal with the 30-day sentence. Had the case gone to court it would have been about cause. No question, Donte' was impaired. No question, Mr. Reyes is dead. But the question of accountability? Did Donte' cause his death? The answer is no. But he is willing to take responsibility to a certain point. The case is more complicated because he was impaired. But the evidence shows it was not all Donte's fault."

The Miami Herald reported on June 16 that the crash was caught on surveillance video. Witnesses told police that Reyes, out of the crosswalk, ran across a multiple-lane road that is more like a highway than a street.

None of this totally absolves Stallworth. But it helps explain the family's position and the prosecutor decisions."