1:02 PM
A Las Vegas judge gave a stern talking-to to the former Raiders wide receiver, but he was allowed to remain under house arrest with a continuous alcohol monitor on one ankle and a gps monitor on the other.
After a hearing about a delay in providing a remote breath alcohol test with a hand-held device, Justice of the Peace Baucum told Rugg and his lawyers she was comfortable with a higher level of monitoring.
"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," she said.
The attorneys said that their client took the test out of caution and met the three-hour requirement by submitting the negative test.
"Henry did the right thing by testing within the window," said attorney David Chesnoff, standing with his client. His case attracts a lot of attention.
His lawyer told the judge that since his release from jail, he has passed more than 77 breath alcohol tests.
Two people who said they were with him when he missed the call submitted testimonials from his lawyers.
Las Vegas police still have a cellphone, but they have provided a new phone number to the monitoring system.
The hand-held device emitted a signal while Ruggs stood before the judge, and he had to submit a breath test after the court hearing.
Police and prosecutors say that Ruggs and his girlfriend were injured in a crash when his car slammed into a Toyota that caught fire.
Tina and her dog were killed in the crash. She was young.
The leg cast that initially prevented the use of the ankle monitor has been removed, according to the judge.
An attorney for Kilgo-Washington has launched a similar effort to block prosecutors from accessing her client's medical records. There is a hearing on that question.
According to prosecutors, the blood alcohol level of Rugg's was twice the legal limit for drivers in Nevada, and his vehicle hit speeds of 156 mph before the crash.
If he's convicted on the two felony driving under the influence charges, he'll face mandatory prison time of two to 20 years, plus felony reckless driving and a misdemeanor weapon charge. Police found a loaded handgun in his car.
Hours after the crash, the Raiders released Rugg.
The Raiders had an emerging player in Rugg, who was the team's first pick in the 2020 NFL draft, from Alabama.
