Tony La Russa is requesting that his DUI case stemming from last month's arrest goes to trial. From the St. Louis Post-Dispatch: His initial appearance in Palm Beach County Court, where La Russa could have entered a plea, was originally set for today. Instead, the arraignment was waived after La Russa's attorney in Florida, David L. Roth, requested that the case go to trial.I can understand if this is a standard request, likely orchestrated to reduce car insurance premiums and his right to drive in the state of Florida, but it doesn't really seem like he has much of a case -- police officers found him asleep behind the wheel of a car that was still in gear -- were it not for the pure luck that he didn't move his foot off the break while sleeping, his car would have drifted into the middle of an intersection. Even if he can find a way to dispute the blood-alcohol test (he blew a .093 and a .092, above Florida's limit of .080), it'll be damn near impossible for him to justify getting behind the wheel when he was so tired.
The move is a standard request in drunken-driving cases, although many are settled before actually going to a jury.
Assuming he cops a deal, it'll be interesting to see what punishment -- if any -- he receives from the Cardinals or Major League Baseball. The Sacramento Kings suspended head coach Eric Musselman without pay for two games after he plead no contest to a DUI charge last October -- and he was presumably pulled over instead of found asleep at the wheel. Then again, he's just a young coach with a losing career record, not a veteran World Series winner who's probably expecting (and has received so far) preferential treatment from the media and his employer.
Previously on FanHouse:
La Russa Apologizes for Arrest, as Does St. Louis Media
Tony La Russa Busted By Undercover Cops
Tony LaRussa Arrested for Driving While Intoxicated
