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Pal Says NFL's Chris Simms Didn't Smoke Marijuana Before Driving

NEW YORK (AP / CBSNewYork) - A childhood friend of Tennessee Titans backup quarterback Chris Simms has told a jury the player wasn't smoking marijuana before being pulled over in New York City.

WCBS 880's Irene Cornell With The Story From The Courthouse

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Friend Charles Granatell testified Tuesday he's the one whose smoking created a marijuana smell. Police said it wafted from Simms' luxury SUV during a July 1 traffic stop.

Granatell says he didn't smoke in the vehicle, but beforehand. He says he did that because Simms' pregnant wife Danielle was in the car. He says when he got in, his clothing still smelled of marijuana and she was annoyed.

The 30-year-old Simms is on trial on a misdemeanor charge of driving while high.

A police officer says Simms was "zombie''-like and said he'd been smoking marijuana. Simms denies it. He says the officer misunderstood him when he said Granatell had been smoking the drug.

The officer says that the smell of marijuana was so strong when he pulled the car over that it gave him a headache.

The defense challenged Granatell for not speaking up at the time of the incident, when his friend was being accused of driving while high.

Granatell says he didn't say anything at the time because he was nervous, and because he was high at the time.

Simms started his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2003. His father is former New York Giants quarterback Phil Simms.

(TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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