La Russa expected to plead guilty at DUI case hearing
A change of plea hearing for Chicago White Sox manager Tony La Russa’s DUI case has been scheduled for Dec. 21, a Maricopa County Justice Courts spokesman confirmed Tuesday.
“The case should be fully adjudicated at that time with a plea of guilty to the charge(s) on the citation or as may be specified in a plea agreement which might be offered,” the spokesman wrote in an email to the Tribune.
The spokesman said the judge signed the motion for the change of plea Tuesday morning and the state had no objection.
La Russa was charged with driving under the influence after a February arrest in Arizona. The case was filed Nov. 16, according to the Maricopa County Justice Courts website, after it was initially filed Oct. 27.
La Russa pleaded not guilty, according to the case file obtained by the Tribune, and a pretrial conference was scheduled for Dec. 28. The pretrial conference is now vacated, the spokesman said.
ESPN first reported the charges Nov. 10, less than two weeks after the Sox announced La Russa’s hiring. A Sox spokesman said then that the organization was aware of the arrest before hiring La Russa.
The Sox released this statement Nov. 12: “As Tony La Russa’s attorney said in his statement, Tony deserves all the assumptions and protections granted to everyone in a court of law, especially while this is a pending matter. Once his case reaches resolution in the courts, we will have more to say. The White Sox understand the seriousness of these charges.”
La Russa was named Sox manager Oct. 29, replacing Rick Renteria.
It’s the second known DUI arrest for La Russa, 76, who was arrested in March 2007 in Jupiter, Fla., after he was found asleep at the wheel with his vehicle running and in park at a stop sign. He pleaded guilty to that charge eight months later.