"Powerless" is the last word expected to be used in connection with 18-time Olympic gold medalist swimmer Michael Phelps.
A Baltimore judge accused Phelps of being "powerless over alcohol," even while ordering Phelps to 18 months supervised probation for committing a driving under the influence offense on Sept. 30, USA TODAY Sports reported.
Phelps was ordered to stay away from alcohol during his probation.
It was the second DWI charged against Phelps, who has 22 Olympic medals overall in three Summer Olympics. His first occurred 10 years ago when he was 19.
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During his offense in September, prosecutors said Phelps' blood alcohol level was 0.14 percent; the Maryland legal limit is 0.08 percent.
According to USA TODAY Sports, Phelps was charged with driving under the influence, crossing double lines and speeding. He entered a guilty plea to the driving-under-the-influence charge; prosecutors then dropped the other two charges.
Police clocked Phelps driving 84 miles per hour in a 45 mile-per-hour zone in the Fort McHenry Tunnel in Baltimore.
Phelps complete a 45-day alcohol treatment program in Arizona, USA TODAY Sports added.
"I'm finding out a lot about myself, and for this day I'm happy to be moving forward, and I'll continue to grow from this and continue to be on my path to recovery," Phelps said outside the Baltimore City District Court.
USA TODAY Sports' Christine Brennan, however, took issue with Phelps support during his hearing in the form of former Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis.
"He says all the right things and apologizes at all the right times, yet we still have to wonder. In court today, Phelps was accompanied by his mother Debbie, and by former Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis.
"The man who was once charged with two counts of murder, later pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice in the still-unsolved case of two stabbing deaths and was fined $250,000 by the National Football League. ... Who in the world is advising Michael Phelps?"
Judge Nathan Braverman suspended a one-year prison sentence, handing the probation that includes random alcohol and drug testing.
"You've made a great start in your road to recovery, but as with your career this is not going to be a success overnight," the judge told Phelps Friday.
Even Phelps' lawyer, Steve Allen, could not argue the "powerless" adjective Braverman used to describe Phelps battle with alcohol.
"It's really difficult to comment on that. I'm not an alcohol professional. He has gone through an intensive, 45-day alcohol treatment program, and he's in an intensive after care program to address those issues," said Allen.
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