Scottie Scheffler’s arraignment is scheduled for Tuesday morning.
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No matter rating Scottie Scheffler posts on Sunday on the PGA Championship, there’s little question what his attorneys will report for him on Tuesday.
“We’ll be pleading not responsible,” Steve Romines informed GOLF.com in a phone interview Friday night.
Romines, a outstanding Louisville-based protection lawyer, is representing Scheffler in a case that exploded into nationwide headlines after the world’s top-ranked golfer was arrested Friday morning whereas driving to Valhalla Golf Membership to arrange for his second spherical of the event.
The incident occurred amid a visitors jam brought on by a deadly accident a few mile away, through which a event volunteer was struck and killed by a shuttle bus. In keeping with the police report, Scheffler, in an try and bypass the bottleneck, pulled across the congestion into an adjoining lane, the place Detective Bryan Gillis of the Louisville Metro Police was directing visitors. Gillis stated that he stopped Scheffler and tried to present him directions, however that Scheffler “refused to conform and accelerated ahead, dragging (him) to the bottom.”
Whereas many particulars across the incident stay murky, this a lot is evident: Scheffler was arrested and brought to the Louisville Metro Division of Corrections and slapped with 4 costs — three driving-related misdemeanors and second-degree assault of a police provide, a felony — earlier than being launched in time to make his Friday morning begin. In an announcement, Scheffler stated that he had been “continuing as directed by police gives” and that the incident stemmed from a “massive misunderstanding of what I assumed I used to be being requested to do. I by no means supposed to ignore any of the directions.”
Subsequent up in Scheffler’s authorized drama is an arraignment, slated for Tuesday morning, although that would change if any conflicts come up for the events concerned.
Not like trials, arraignments are usually not a chance to current detailed proof. There are sometimes “perfunctory” proceedings, Romines stated, through which the defendant — or the defendant’s lawyer — enters a plea and awaits the decide’s ruling.
Romines stated that he and his staff will enter a “not responsible” plea for Scheffler on all 4 costs, however that he doesn’t anticipate a same-day determination by the decide.
Why was Scottie Scheffler arrested? Right here’s what police say occurred
“Extra seemingly it is going to be a matter days,” Romines stated, at which level, certainly one of two issues will occur.
“Both the decide will dismiss the costs, or we’ll go to trial.”
Within the meantime, Romines stated that he and his staff will proceed accumulating proof, together with eyewitness accounts and police body-cam footage, which he stated that regulation enforcement “usually had 30 to 45 days” after an arraignment to supply.
Prosecutors have the choice of dropping all costs earlier than the arraignment. However that may be “an uncommon incidence,” stated Kevin Value, a Louisville-based prison protection lawyer.
Probably the most severe cost towards Scheffler — second-degree assault — may end up in a jail sentence of 5 to 10 years. To earn that conviction, prosecutors must set up that Scheffler both deliberately triggered severe harm to a different individual, or that he wantonly did so, that means that he dedicated an act with reckless disregard for an additional individual.
Romines stated that was clearly not the case.
“Scottie didn’t deliberately do something incorrect,” he stated. “He was doing precisely what they informed him to do.”
