Judge makes ruling on Henry Ruggs III missed test
A judge ruled Monday that former Las Vegas receiver Henry Ruggs III will be allowed to remain on house arrest, per ESPN. The ruling came after there was a delay on Ruggs’ part in providing a remote breath alcohol test via a hand-held device on Nov. 13.
Justice of the Peace Suzan Baucum was forgiving for the slip up, saying she would be “comfortable with a higher level of monitoring.” That will take place with a continuous alcohol monitor attached to one ankle and a GPS monitor attached to the other. This will ensure Henry Ruggs is adhering to the rules of his house arrest.
“If there are any misses, if there are any problems, if there is any alcohol detected in your system, you need to know that’s going to be problematic for this court going forward,” Baucum said.
Ruggs was involved in a DUI crash earlier this month that resulted in the death of 23-year-old Tina Tintor, along with her dog, Max. The former receiver is accused of driving 156 miles per hour through a suburban area, miles away from the Las Vegas strip. His speedometer read 127 mph when airbags deployed. In addition, Ruggs’ blood alcohol level read .161, more than twice the legal limit. Police found a loaded gun inside the car.
Probation is not an option for a conviction of DUI causing death in Nevada. In all, Ruggs is looking at a maximum sentence of 46 years in prison.
His attorneys David Chesnoff and Richard Schonfeld said Ruggs took a test anyway “out of an abundance of caution” on Nov. 13 and met a three-hour requirement by submitting the negative test.
“Henry still did the right thing by testing within the window,” Chesnoff said, standing with Ruggs before the judge. “He should not be punished because his case attracts so much attention.”
Since his Nov. 3 release from jail on $150,000 bail, Ruggs has passed more than 77 breath alcohol tests, his lawyer told the judge.
He is due for a Dec. 16 evidence hearing on two felony DUI charges that each carry mandatory prison time of two to 20 years if he’s convicted, plus felony reckless driving and a misdemeanor weapon charge.