Cornerback Fabian Washington has been suspended for the first game of the 2008 season, due to a violation of the Personal Conduct Policy.

“We had knowledge of Fabian’s situation prior to the trade we made for him,” G.M. Ozzie Newsome said in a release. “Based on the NFL’s personal conduct policy, and Fabian’s agreement with the authorities, we knew that a suspension was a possibility.  Fabian knows his actions were a mistake and has taken appropriate actions since then.”

Said Washington:  “I put myself in a bad situation, and I did not handle it the right way.  I was wrong and made a mistake. My girlfriend, my attorney and I wanted a quick resolution and knew that a suspension could happen.”

The suspension will take effect on August 30.  He’ll miss practice prior to the Week One game against the Bengals, and he’ll be permitted to return to the team on September 8.

Washington was arrested in February for domestic battery, but avoided prosecution via a 26-week intervention program.  He was traded by the Raiders to the Ravens in April.

As a reader recently point out, the message of the past week, given the lack of any penalty imposed on Bills running back Marshawn Lynch, is this:  Don’t hit a woman, unless you do it with your car.