Ex-Raiders wide receiver Henry Ruggs’s misdemeanor DUI case has been delayed due to court dispute after killing woman and her dog in 2021 high-speed crash
A Nevada judge will again be asked to decide which justice of the peace should hear a preliminary hearing in the case of former Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Henry Ruggs III, who is accused of killing a woman in a drunken car accident in 2021 .
Las Vegas Justice of the Peace Harmony Letizia told Ruggs and his attorneys Monday that she does not have the authority to decide whether she or another judge should preside over the hearing to decide whether there is sufficient evidence to warrant that Ruggs stand trial on charges of reckless driving and driving under the influence resulting in death.
Ruggs’ attorneys, David Chesnoff and Richard Schonfeld, said they will retake the matter in Clark County District Court, where a judge in January said the case should be assigned to Las Vegas DUI specialty court.
But the judge hearing those cases backed out, saying he had spoken about the Ruggs case during his 2022 re-election campaign.
Prosecutors plan to present evidence that Ruggs had a blood alcohol level twice the legal limit and that his Chevrolet Corvette was speeding 155 mph before the fiery crash that killed a 23-year-old woman and her dog .
The case of ex-Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Henry Ruggs III has been delayed by a court case
Ruggs, pictured in court Monday, is charged with killing a woman in a drunken car crash in 2021
Tina Tintor, 23, of Las Vegas, “died Nov. 2 from thermal injuries resulting from a motor vehicle collision,” according to a statement from Clark County Coroner Melanie Rouse.
Ruggs is accused of causing the predawn crash by driving drunk at speeds of up to 251 mph with his girlfriend in his Corvette sports car before it crashed into the back of Tintor’s Toyota Rav4 on a residential street where the speed limit is 45 mph ( 72 km/h).
The Raiders quickly released the former first-round draft pick, who was in his second season with the team.
According to Spotrac.com, he had earned more than $11 million in two NFL seasons. As a rookie, he signed a four-year, fully guaranteed $16 million deal.
Ruggs was briefly hospitalized in the crash and his girlfriend suffered significant injuries, according to reports. The first-round pick of the 2020 NFL Draft was released from police custody on $150,000 bond and has remained on electronic GPS and alcohol monitors ever since.
He is under house arrest and could face up to 50 years in prison if convicted.
It was not immediately clear on Monday whether a case will be awarded before a preliminary hearing currently scheduled for May 4.
Tina Tintor, 23, ‘died of thermal injuries from motor vehicle collision’ in November 2021
Ruggs (left) and his girlfriend, Kiara Je’nai Kilgo-Washington (right), were injured in the wreck
The wide receiver was released by the Las Vegas Raiders less than 24 hours after his arrest
Prior to his involvement in the fatal accident, Ruggs would be an exciting long-term prospect for the Raiders.
He was the 12th overall draft pick in the 2020 NFL draft after playing three years at Alabama, where he had 12 receptions for 229 yards and six touchdowns as a freshman as the Crimson Tide won the NCAA Championship in 2017.
After being drafted by the Las Vegas Raiders, Ruggs had 26 catches for 452 yards and two touchdowns in his first professional football season.
At the start of this year’s season, he slowly started to rise to stardom, with 24 catches for a team-high 469 yards and two touchdowns.
