Tiger Woods pleads not guilty to DUI charges

Golfer Tiger Woods has pleaded not guilty to a charge of driving under the influence (DUI) following his arrest in Palm Beach County, Florida in May.

He is now expected to admit to a lesser charge of reckless driving and enter a 12-month probation programme.

Dashcam footage of his arrest was released by police in Florida after they found him asleep at the wheel.

Mr Woods later apologised, blaming the incident on "an unexpected reaction to prescribed medications".

A blood sample taken after his arrest tested positive for painkiller Vicodin and antidepressant Xanax, but proved he had no alcohol in his system.

 

In a statement posted on social media in 3 July, Mr Woods confirmed he had completed an intensive programme to treat his use of prescription drugs.

Mr Woods did not appear in court in Palm Beach and his lawyer entered the charge on his behalf.

Probation deal

A senior Palm Beach County prosecutor said Mr Woods had agreed to plead guilty to the lesser charge of "reckless driving" on 25 October, when he will enter the county's first time DUI offender programme. 

The year-long scheme will allow him to avoid a formal DUI conviction if he completes a set of special conditions including a $250 (£190) fine, a victim impact class, 50 hours of community service and regular substance abuse monitoring.

Failure to complete the programme would result in a 90-day jail sentence. 

Mr Woods has won 14 major golf championships but has missed most of the last two years because of multiple back injuries.

 

 

BBC