Tiger Woods DUI arrest worst-case punishment emerges as legal expert wades in

A legal expert has listed several possible punishments Tiger Woods may face after being charged with DUI.

On Friday (27 March), 15-time major champion Woods was involved in a rollover crash after the Land Rover he was driving clipped a truck at a “high rate of speed” on Jupiter Island in Florida.

The 50-year-old golfer was subsequently arrested and held by Martin County police for eight hours before being released on bail.

Following the crash, Woods was breathalysed but refused to take a urine test.

Martin County Sheriff John Budensiek claimed that officers did not suspect Woods of alcohol impairment, with the golfer returning “triple zeros”.

Woods was charged with driving under the influence, property damage and refusal to submit to a lawful test. It is unclear what alleged substance led to the DUI charge.

Tiger Woods after his arrest (Credit:Getty)

So, if found guilty of an offence, what are the possible punishments Woods could face?

Over the weekend, criminal defence attorney Josh Ritter offered his expertise during an appearance on Fox News.

When asked about the potential punishments, Ritter said: “It could include some pretty heavy restrictions on his driving.

“I think the thing that he’s most concerned about is whether it could include custody time. I think that’s very much on the table. Not so much for this arrest. This is bad – he rolled a vehicle, he hit another vehicle, there’s an allegation that he was driving at a high rate of speed.

“The problem is the prior arrest from nine years ago. In many jurisdictions, that would be considered a punishable offence, meaning they could charge it as an allegation in this case, giving enhanced exposure on this current case. Even if they don’t charge it that way, prosecutors will still consider it.

“They’re going to take a look at him and, unfortunately, they are going to say this is a person who has a problem with substance abuse or a drinking issue and treat him that way with any kind of offer they give him.”

It should be noted that there is no suggestion that Woods was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash based on information made public by the authorities involved.

The previous offence Ritter referred to was when Woods was found asleep at the wheel in 2017, before being charged with DUI in Florida.

The engine of the car was running while the vehicle had light damage to the driver’s side, as well as two flat tyres. After a toxicology report found several legal medications in his system, he was sentenced to a year’s probation, pleading guilty to reckless driving.