LAS VEGAS -- The attorneys for Henry Ruggs III, a former Raiders wide receiver, are trying to protect his medical records from prosecutors who intend to charge him with driving under the influences in a fiery crash that resulted in the death of a woman earlier in this month.
Ruggs already faces felony DUI with the death and reckless driver charges. He did not appear in court Wednesday. Ruggs could face additional prison time if convicted of the additional charges.
Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson stated that the evidence supports a second felony DUI conviction. We believe Mr. Ruggs' girlfriend, Kiara Je'nai Kilgo Washington, was substantially hurt. Under Nevada law, if one is seriously injured as a result the defendant's actions in a DUI collision, we can file a second case."
Wolfson was asked how long Ruggs could spend in prison if he is convicted of all five charges. Wolfson responded, "The minimum would be two years, but it's possible to get as high as 50 [years] in prison." These offenses are not eligible for probation. The felony DUI charges against Mr. Ruggs are non-probable. He must be sentenced to prison.
Ruggs, 22 years old, is charged with driving at 156 mph and having a blood alcohol level twice that of the Nevada legal limit. His 2020 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray crashed into Tina Tintor’s 2013 Toyota RAV4 rear end. The car burst into flames at 3:40 AM Nov. 2. Tintor and her dog died in the accident. Tintor, 23, was killed in the crash. Her funeral will be held on Thursday.
Ruggs' attorney David Chesnoff stated that he has been in this business for over 40 years and that he can share with you multiple instances where the facts presented at the beginning of a case were not the truth." "So that's what I keep saying, "Please don't judge, let's do the work in courtroom." The facts will be decided by the state and the prosecutor.
Chesnoff and Richard Schonfeld, Chesnoff's legal partner, used state privacy law to try to get the judge to temporarily stop Ruggs from accessing Ruggs' medical files. They claimed that state law supersedes federal privacy requirements for health records.
Attorney Peter Christensen secured the same temporary block for Kilgo-Washington. Kilgo-Washington was a passenger in Ruggs’ car and had reportedly needed surgery to his arm following the accident.
A Dec. 8 hearing was set by the judge to determine whether Ruggs' or Kilgo-Washingtons' medical records should be handed over to police and prosecutors. This would be key to the additional felonies Ruggs faces. Ruggs was also scheduled for a preliminary hearing of evidence on Dec. 16, to decide if he will be tried in state court.
Ruggs was released on $150,000 bail and is now under house arrest. He is being electronically monitored and cannot drive or drink alcohol. His criminal case is progressing and he had to surrender his passport.
Ruggs, who was the first pick in team history in Las Vegas, was taken in the first round at No. The team released 12 within 24 hours of the crash.
Damon Arnette was also released by the Raiders. He was drafted seven places after Ruggs on Monday. This happened after video of Arnette waving a gun at someone and threatening to murder them surfaced on social media. Only three of seven Raiders picks in the 2020 draft are still with the team.
This report was contributed by The Associated Press.
