Scottie Scheffler's arraignment is scheduled for Tuesday morning.
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Whatever score Scottie Scheffler posted Sunday at the PGA Championship, there's no doubt what his lawyers will record for him Tuesday.
“We will plead not guilty,” Steve Romines told GOLF.com in a phone interview Friday evening.
Romines, a prominent Louisville-based defense attorney, is representing Scheffler in a case that made national headlines after the world's top golfer was arrested Friday morning as he drove to Valhalla Golf Club to prepare for his second round of the tournament.
The incident happened in the middle of a traffic jam caused by a fatal accident about a mile away, where a tournament volunteer was hit and killed by a bus. According to the police report, Scheffler, trying to pass the bottleneck, blocked traffic in the nearby lane, where Detective Bryan Gillis of the Louisville Metropolitan Police directed traffic. Gillis said he stopped Scheffler and tried to give him instructions, but Scheffler “refused to comply and accelerated forward, dragging him to the ground.”
While many details about the incident are still sketchy, this much is clear: Scheffler was booked into the Louisville Municipal Department of Corrections and booked on four counts — three driving-related charges and second-degree assault on a police officer, a felony — before being released in time to make his Friday morning start. In a statement, Scheffler said he was “proceeding as ordered by the police” and that the incident stemmed from “a serious misunderstanding of what I thought I was being asked to do.” I never intended to disobey any orders.”
Next up in Scheffler's legal game is a hearing, which is scheduled for Tuesday morning, although that could change if there are any conflicts from the parties involved.
Unlike a trial, a trial is not an opportunity to present detailed evidence. There are often “frivolous” trials, Romines said, where the defendant – or the defendant's attorney – files a plea and waits for a judge's decision.
Romines said he and his team will plead “not guilty” to Scheffler on all four counts, but he doesn't expect the jury to issue a verdict within a day.
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“It's probably going to be story days,” Romines said, and at that point, one of two things will happen.
“Either the judge will dismiss the charges, or we will go to court.”
Meanwhile, Romines said he and his team will continue to gather evidence, including eyewitness accounts and body camera footage, which he said law enforcement had “30 to 45 days” after the court appearance.
Prosecutors have the option to drop all charges before trial. But that would be an “unusual occurrence,” said Kevin Price, a Louisville-based defense attorney.
The most serious charge against Scheffler — second-degree assault — could result in a 5- to 10-year prison sentence. To get that charge, prosecutors would have to find that Scheffler intentionally harmed another person, or that he did so intentionally, meaning he committed an act of contempt for another person.
Romines said that is clearly not the case.
“Scottie didn't do anything wrong on purpose,” he said. “He was doing what they told him to do.”
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