By Steve Lyttle
slyttle@charlotteobserver.com

Carolina Panthers' wide receiver Dwayne Jarrett was arrested on DWI charges early Tuesday morning, his second such arrest in less than three years.

According to the Mecklenburg County sheriff's office, Jarrett was arrested shortly after 2 a.m. by Charlotte-Mecklenburg police and taken to the county jail for processing.

Jarrett, 24, of Charlotte, was arrested on March 11, 2008, by Mint Hill police for DWI. In that case, Mint Hill police said an officer saw Jarrett cross the center line and run a red light.

Jarrett pleaded guilty on June 23, 2008, and was sentenced to 24 hours' community service. He also paid $420 in court costs and surrendered his driver's license for an unspecified amount of time.

Panthers' team officials told The Observer on Tuesday morning they have no comment on the case, as they are gathering information on what happened.

Jarrett was required by the NFL to undergo a regular schedule of testing for alcohol and drug abuse problems, as a result of his first conviction. A second conviction could result in a suspension by the league.

Jarrett, who earned all-America honors as the University of Southern California, had two catches for 40 yards this season, both in the season opener against the New York Giants. He was selected in the second round of the 2007 draft by the Panthers but has been something of a controversial figure among some fans of the team, who have complained about his lack of production. In parts of four seasons, Jarrett has caught 35 passes and scored one touchdown.

The arrest comes two days after the Panthers' star receiver, Steve Smith, suffered a high ankle sprain in a 16-14 loss at New Orleans. Smith is not expected to play Sunday against the Chicago Bears, and a suspension for Jarrett could leave the team with only rookie wide receivers to play with rookie quarterback Jimmy Clausen.

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