University of Georgia men's basketball player Donte' Williams was arrested in Atlanta last week after police allegedly found marijuana in his possession.

Williams was arrested after a vehicle in which he was a passenger was pulled over in a traffic stop at Atlanta's Lenox Square Mall. The arresting officer reported smelling "an extremely strong odor or burning marijuana coming from the vehicle." According to the arresting officer's report, a small amount of marijuana was found inside a plastic baggie in the vehicle's glove compartment.

Williams has now been charged with misdemeanor possession of marijuana. It is unclear what, if anything, the driver of the vehicle, a 20-year-old man, has been or will be charged with.

University Athletic Association policy dictates that a student who is arrested on a drug charge must sit out for at least 10 percent of the games in a given season. That punishment (which apparently is handed down just for an arrest, not necessarily for a conviction) is an example of the costs associated with a drug offense or possible drug offense outside of the criminal justice system. If you're convicted on drug charges, it can be harder to find work, obtain a place to live, obtain scholarships, etc. This is why many people facing drug charges chose to hire criminal defense attorneys to help them fight the charges against them. There are a lot of repercussions for a drug offense, and obviously you want to distance yourself from them as much as you can.

Source: The Athens Red and Black, "Report: UGA men's basketball player Donte' Williams charged with marijuana possession," May 29, 2012