Henry Ruggs III's attorneys try to block release of former Raiders star's medical records
Former Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Henry Ruggs III was involved in a fatal car accident last week that killed 23-year-old Tina Tintor and her dog. Ruggs was arrested following the deadly crash. He had been driving under the influence and speeding down a residential street at 3:39 am, reaching speeds in excess of 150 mph.
Ruggs, who had his girlfriend as a passenger, hit Tintor's Rav4 and sent it hundreds of feet down the street, causing it to burst into flames.
Ruggs faces counts of DUI, which caused bodily injury, and reckless driving; both of which are felony charges.
Ruggs, who was released on $150,000 bail and is now under house arrest, had to turn over his passport and isn't allowed to drink alcohol or drive. He is also being tested, up to four times a day, for alcohol.
On Wednesday morning, Ruggs' attorneys were in court, but he was not present. His attorneys are trying to block a motion that could affect the former NFL wide receiver's case moving forward.
Statement from @LVMPD on Raiders’ WR Henry Ruggs III, who was involved and charged with DUI resulting in death: https://t.co/XldopvtClj
Henry Ruggs III's attorneys try to block the release of medical records
Initially, former Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Henry Ruggs III had been charged with two counts -- a DUI, which caused bodily harm, and reckless driving. On Wednesday, he was also officially charged with possession of a loaded firearm while under the influence. Due to Ruggs' girlfriend's serious injuries, he could be charged with another count of felony DUI with bodily injury. Ruggs' blood alcohol level was nearly twice the legal limit, and he was driving at 156 mph and 127 mph when the airbags within the Chevy Corvette were deployed.
Henry Ruggs III's lawyers seek to block medical records release
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One of Ruggs' attorney, David Chesnoff, has insisted, from the beginning, that not all of the details of the night's events have been made public. On Wednesday afternoon, Chesnoff asked Judge Suzan Baucum not to release either Henry Ruggs III's or his girlfriend Kiara Je'nai Kilgo-Washington's medical records to either the police or prosecutors.
Judge Baucum set a court date for December 8 to decide whether the medical records would be released or blocked, as Ruggs' attorneys have requested.
Ruggs' attorneys employed a Nevada state privacy law as the reason for wanting to block their client's records from being released. According to USA Today, the Nevada privacy law "is more strict than federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act requirements." They convinced the judge to "temporarily block prosecutors' access to Ruggs' medical records."
If found guilty of the charges, Henry Ruggs could face up to 50 years in prison.