McDonald charged with misdemeanor (LA Times)

By Gary Klein
Rams safety T.J. McDonald, who was arrested in May after a traffic accident in Woodland Hills, has been charged with one misdemeanor count of driving under the influence of drugs, a spokesman for the Los Angeles city attorney’s office said Friday.

McDonald, 25, is scheduled to start in the Rams’ home opener on Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks at the Coliseum.

McDonald was arrested May 10 on suspicion of driving under the influence of substance other than alcohol after a car he was driving hit a parked car.

He is scheduled to be arraigned Oct. 7 in Van Nuys.

If found guilty, McDonald could face a maximum of six months in county jail and a $1,000 fine, the city attorney’s spokesman said.

The Rams did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

McDonald, who played at USC, suffered a season-ending shoulder injury late last season and underwent surgery.

He did not participate in organized team activities during the off-season, but reported for training camp in July.

“It’s something I’ve put behind me and I’m just focused on playing ball,” he said after the Rams’ first training camp workout. “So I’m definitely in a good place right now.”

On Thursday, Coach Jeff Fisher said he was proud of the way McDonald came back and how he played in the Rams’ season-opening loss to the San Francisco 49ers.

“He’s back,” Fisher said, “and he’s much better than he was.”

Asked if was worried about McDonald during the summer, Fisher said, “We were concerned with respect to the issues he was working through. But we stood behind him the whole time, knowing that he would come back.”

---