Tiger Woods Due to Change Plea in Florida DUI Case

Tiger Woods is expected to formally change his not-guilty plea in a Florida driving-under-the-influence case, according to court documents reviewed Tuesday. A change-of-plea hearing was added to the docket for early Wednesday morning at a Martin County court.

The court listing marks the latest procedural development in the case involving the 15-time major winner, who had previously entered a not-guilty plea after a March crash near his Jupiter Island home. Woods’ lawyer did not immediately respond to an AFP request for comment on the nature of the anticipated plea change.

Woods faces misdemeanor charges of DUI with property damage and refusing to submit to a lawful test. The scheduled hearing is significant because it could clarify how the case proceeds after the golfer’s original not-guilty plea.

What the court record says

Online court records showed that a hearing described as a change of plea had been added to Woods’ case docket at the Martin County court. The documents did not state what plea Woods is expected to enter, and no immediate comment was provided by his lawyer.

The case stems from a March incident in which Woods crashed his SUV into a trailer being pulled by a pickup truck near his Jupiter Island residence in Florida. Officers at the scene assessed Woods to be impaired, and opioid painkillers were found in his possession, according to the source report.

Woods told authorities that he had been looking at his phone and changing radio channels when the crash occurred. He subsequently pleaded not guilty to the two misdemeanor charges connected to the incident: DUI with property damage and refusing to submit to a lawful test.

Days after the crash, Woods said he was stepping away to seek treatment and focus on his health. A judge later cleared him to travel overseas to an inpatient facility, reportedly in Switzerland.

Medical records were later made available for review

In July, a judge ruled that prosecutors could review Woods’ hospital treatment information and prescription drug records. Access to that material was limited to prosecutors, designated law-enforcement officers and experts, and Woods’ defense team.

The legal proceedings have unfolded against the background of Woods’ extensive medical history. He has undergone multiple back operations as well as surgeries for severe leg injuries suffered in a separate car crash in California in 2021.

Woods made his first public appearance following his arrest at the PGA Tour’s Travelers Championship in June. The source report did not detail any comments from Woods at that appearance regarding the Florida case.

Wednesday hearing is the next key date

The early Wednesday hearing at Martin County court is now the next scheduled event in the case. While the docket identifies it as a change-of-plea hearing, the available court documents and the response reported from Woods’ legal representation did not specify the proposed terms or outcome.

For now, the court entry provides the clearest indication that Woods’ original not-guilty plea may be revised. Any formal change entered at the hearing would represent a major procedural step in the misdemeanor case arising from the March crash.

Woods remains one of golf’s most prominent figures as a 15-time major champion. But the immediate focus in this matter is the Martin County court process, where the nature of his plea change is expected to become clearer when the hearing takes place.