Tiger Woods‘ DUI case has been simmering since March. After months of waiting and returning from his treatment, Woods was expected to make his first courtroom appearance on September 8th. Now, however, the date is no longer the same, as reported by Golfweek.
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Woods is expected to show up at the Martin County, Florida, courtroom on September 2nd, Wednesday, for a “change of plea” hearing in his DUI case. The hearing was originally set for September 8th. As reported by GolfWeek, the hearing is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. before County Judge Darren Steele.
The case dates back to March 27, when Martin County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Woods following a rollover crash on South Beach Road in Jupiter Island. Investigators said Woods crossed a double line in his Land Rover, striking a trailer attached to a pickup truck ahead of him. It also flipped his SUV onto its side. Since then, he has been charged with two misdemeanors: DUI with property damage and refusal to submit to a lawful test, and has entered a not-guilty plea in the case.
The docket lists the proceeding as a ‘Change of Plea,’ and Woods’ attorney Douglas Duncan filed a separate notice describing it as a “plea conference.” Reports note it is not yet known what plea Woods intends to enter or whether prosecutors and his legal team have reached a negotiated agreement. His legal team did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Beyond the DUI charges, Woods was also issued a traffic citation for driving carelessly following the crash, carrying a $163 civil penalty. That citation is also scheduled for its own change of plea hearing on the same Wednesday morning, meaning both matters stemming from the March 27 incident are scheduled for proceedings that morning.
Attendance is mandatory for the change of plea hearing, so Tiger Woods himself is expected at the Martin County courthouse in Stuart, which differs from earlier proceedings for which Woods had waived his personal appearance. Early in April, the judge had granted Woods permission to travel outside the country to begin his treatment, which has now been completed.
That being said, Tiger Woods has stayed largely out of public view since March. He has mostly taken time away to avoid the spotlight, focusing on his treatment and recovery. Moreover, he has been spending time with his girlfriend Vanessa Trump, as she undergoes treatment for breast cancer. No further official update has come from Woods or his camp since his attorney filed for a Wednesday hearing. For now, all eyes remain on Martin County Court, where the next step in his case will finally take shape.