Rajon Rondo did not go to jail. After his January 2024 arrest in Indiana on gun and drug charges, the former NBA guard pleaded guilty in September 2024 to a single misdemeanor count of unlawfully carrying a handgun and received a 180-day jail sentence that the judge suspended in full, placing him on probation instead.1ESPN. Rajon Rondo Pleads Guilty to Misdemeanor Gun Charge, Avoids Jail
What He Was Charged With
Indiana State Police stopped Rondo on Interstate 65 on January 28, 2024, after a report of a Tesla driving recklessly at more than 100 miles per hour.2Yahoo Sports. Former NBA PG Rajon Rondo Pleads Guilty to Gun Charge in Indiana, Won’t Serve Jail Time A search of the car turned up marijuana, paraphernalia, and a 9mm handgun.3CBS News Boston. Former Celtics Point Guard Rajon Rondo Reportedly Arrested in Indiana on Gun, Drug Charges He was booked into the Jackson County Jail and released on bond, facing three misdemeanors: unlawful carrying of a handgun, marijuana possession, and possession of drug paraphernalia.1ESPN. Rajon Rondo Pleads Guilty to Misdemeanor Gun Charge, Avoids Jail
The gun count was the serious one. Indiana Code § 35-47-2-1.5 makes it a Class A misdemeanor to knowingly carry a handgun while restrained by a protective order.4Justia. Indiana Code § 35-47-2-1.5 Rondo was subject to a protection order issued in August 2023, which barred him from possessing a firearm.5Fox 59. Former UK, NBA Star Rajon Rondo Arrested on Gun, Marijuana Charges in Jackson County The statute allows the charge to be elevated to a Level 5 felony in certain circumstances, such as an offense near a school or with qualifying prior convictions, but neither applied here.
Why the Case Shifted After Rahimi
Rondo’s attorney, Patrick Renn, first tried to knock the gun charge out on Second Amendment grounds, arguing that prohibiting firearm possession by someone under a protective order was inconsistent with the nation’s historical tradition of firearm regulation.6WDRB. Rajon Rondo Trial Delayed Pending U.S. Supreme Court Ruling on Gun Rights Case Judge AmyMarie Travis postponed the trial to wait on the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in United States v. Rahimi, which tested the parallel federal ban.7Courier Journal. Rajon Rondo Indiana Court Trial Awaits Supreme Court Ruling
In June 2024, the Supreme Court upheld the federal law 8-1. Renn later said that ruling was the “deciding factor” in negotiating a plea.8WDRB. Former UK, NBA Star Rajon Rondo Pleads Guilty to Gun Charge, Avoids Jail Sentence
The Plea and Sentence
On September 3, 2024, Rondo pleaded guilty in Jackson Superior Court to unlawfully carrying a handgun. The marijuana and paraphernalia charges were dismissed.1ESPN. Rajon Rondo Pleads Guilty to Misdemeanor Gun Charge, Avoids Jail The judge imposed a 180-day jail sentence but suspended the entire term, crediting him for the two days he had already spent in custody after the arrest.2Yahoo Sports. Former NBA PG Rajon Rondo Pleads Guilty to Gun Charge in Indiana, Won’t Serve Jail Time
A suspended sentence works as a backstop. If Rondo followed the terms of probation, the 180 days would never be imposed. A probation violation could send him back before the judge, who could revoke the suspension and order him to serve some or all of that time.
Probation Terms and How It Ended
Rondo’s 180-day probation required him to keep a job, abstain from alcohol and drugs, and pay court costs and probation fees.8WDRB. Former UK, NBA Star Rajon Rondo Pleads Guilty to Gun Charge, Avoids Jail Sentence Starting in September 2024, the term would have run out around March 2025. No public reports have described any violations or further criminal cases during or after that period.