LAS VEGAS — Lawyers for former Raiders large receiver Henry Ruggs III are combating to retain his professional medical records away from prosecutors charging him with driving beneath the impact in a fiery motor vehicle crash that killed a woman previously this thirty day period.
Already dealing with felony DUI ensuing in loss of life and reckless driving prices, Ruggs, who did not show up in human being in courtroom Wednesday, was also strike with further felony DUI and reckless driving rates and a misdemeanor charge for possession of a firearm whilst intoxicated. The more fees would imply added prison time for Ruggs if convicted.
“The proof supports a second felony DUI demand,” Clark County District Lawyer Steve Wolfson instructed reporters. “We believe that that Mr. Ruggs’ girlfriend [Kiara Je’nai Kilgo-Washington] was significantly wounded, and less than Nevada law, if 1 is significantly wounded in a DUI collision as a final result of the defendant’s steps, we can file a second demand.”
Questioned how a great deal time Ruggs could be struggling with if convicted on all five expenses, Wolfson replied, “The bare minimum, in fact, would be two several years in prison, up to as considerably as someplace in the 50-[years] assortment. These are nonprobationable offenses. So the felony DUI rates, if Mr. Ruggs is convicted, he can’t get probation. He must get a jail sentence.”
Ruggs, 22, is accused of driving 156 mph with a blood alcohol content material two times the legal restrict in Nevada when his 2020 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray slammed into the rear of Tina Tintor’s 2013 Toyota RAV4, which burst into flames, at 3:40 a.m. Nov. 2. Tintor and her pet dog had been each killed in the crash. The 23-year-old’s funeral is scheduled for Thursday.
“I have been doing this for 40 a long time, and I can convey to each and each and every a person of you that I have experienced various activities wherever the information that were introduced at the outset of the situation turned out not to be the information,” Ruggs’ attorney David Chesnoff reported. “So which is why I preserve expressing, ‘Please really don’t prejudge, enable us do the operate in the courtroom.’ The state, the prosecutor will do theirs, and that is when the facts will be determined.”
Chesnoff and authorized companion Richard Schonfeld cited condition privacy regulation as they attempted to persuade the choose to briefly block access to Ruggs’ medical data, indicating state law supersedes federal well being documents privacy prerequisites.
Legal professional Peter Christensen received the identical short-term block on behalf of Kilgo-Washington, who was a passenger in Ruggs’ automobile and reportedly underwent medical procedures on an arm soon after the crash.
The judge set a Dec. 8 hearing to choose no matter if Ruggs’ and/or Kilgo-Washington’s health-related records have to be turned more than to law enforcement and prosecutors, which would be the crucial to the supplemental felony costs Ruggs is experiencing. A Dec. 16 preliminary listening to of proof was also set to identify no matter if Ruggs will experience trial in point out courtroom.
Ruggs posted $150,000 bail past 7 days and is less than home arrest with demanding circumstances — he is being monitored electronically simply cannot travel or eat alcohol, together with becoming examined 4 times for each day for liquor and had to give up his passport — as his legal scenario proceeds.
Ruggs — who was the very first draft select in the team’s record right after it relocated to Las Vegas, taken in the very first round of the 2020 draft at No. 12 — was introduced by the team a lot less than 24 hrs following the crash.
The Raiders also unveiled Damon Arnette, who was drafted seven spots immediately after Ruggs, on Monday after movie surfaced on social media of the cornerback waving a gun and threatening to eliminate another person. Only three of the Raiders’ seven picks from the 2020 draft remain on the staff.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.