Tiger Woods pleads not guilty to drink-driving charges
Tiger Woods has entered a not guilty plea to drink-driving charges stemming from his rollover accident in Jupiter Island, Florida, last Friday, reports BritPanorama.
The 50-year-old golf icon submitted his plea on Tuesday, just four days after being taken into custody following the collision in his hometown. Woods has opted to bypass his formal arraignment hearing and is instead requesting that his case be heard before a jury.
The 15-time major champion was allegedly operating his Land Rover while impaired when the incident occurred. His vehicle reportedly struck a trailer being towed by a lorry, causing his Range Rover to veer off course and flip onto its side before sliding along the road. Woods managed to escape through the passenger window.
During the arrest, police discovered prescription opioids on Woods, according to court documents. Officers found two white tablets marked ‘M367’ in his left trouser pocket, identified as hydrocodone, a powerful painkiller known to be highly addictive. Woods declined to provide a blood alcohol sample when requested by law enforcement.
He faces two charges: driving under the influence with property damage and refusing to submit to a lawful test. According to an arrest affidavit, Woods told officers he had been ‘looking down at this cell phone and changing the radio station’ prior to the collision.
Attending officers noted that Woods appeared to be perspiring and moving in a sluggish manner. His eyes were described as bloodshot with significantly dilated pupils. Woods has once again turned to Douglas Duncan to handle his defence. Duncan previously represented the golfer during his 2017 drink-driving case, in which police found Woods unconscious behind the wheel of his car with five different substances in his system.
Initially facing three misdemeanour charges: DUI, reckless driving, and improper stopping, Woods pleaded guilty to reckless driving in 2017 and enrolled in a DUI diversion programme as part of his plea agreement. The court placed him on probation for a year and ordered him to complete 50 hours of community service.
Duncan has now been listed as the attorney of record and filed paperwork on Tuesday waiving Woods’ attendance at pretrial conferences. He is scheduled to appear in court on 23 April.
Following his arrest on Friday, Woods was processed at Martin County Public Safety Complex at approximately 3pm and held for eight hours before his release on bail. Sheriff John Budensiek addressed reporters about the golfer’s detention, stating, “It doesn’t matter who you are, if you break the law we’re gonna follow the law. That’s a really easy path to take.”
The sheriff confirmed that Woods was kept separate from other inmates for his protection during his time in custody, adding, “He’ll pay the price, but he’s not gonna pay the price by getting punished in jail.” Budensiek noted that Woods was not injured, but was lethargic on the scene, likely due to his intoxication.
These incidents, while troubling, underscore the complexities of celebrity in the scrutiny of public life, and how even the greats can find themselves ensnared by their own missteps on the road.
