Woods enters diversion program
If golfer completes Palm Beach County’s 12-month program, his May DUI charge will be dropped
Diversion programs such as the one Tiger Woods likely will be allowed entry to in Florida related to his May arrest for driving under the influence have sprouted up in many jurisdictions over the last two decades.
Woods is eligible to have his DUI charge dropped and his court record sealed as part of a deal with the Palm Beach County State Attorney’s Office that is being finalized, his attorney told reporters Wednesday. The firsttime offender program he would be placed in mirrors many aspects of similar diversion programs across the nation that were created largely in response to jail overcrowding.
“The program is an important effort to make our community safer by ensuring that drivers prosecuted for first-time DUIs (for both alcohol and drug use) have their underlying substance abuse issues addressed,” Palm Beach County State Attorney Dave Aronberg said in a statement to USA TODAY Sports.
WHAT DOES WOODS’ DIVERSION PROGRAM ENTAIL?
Palm Beach County’s first-time DUI offender program mandates a 12-month monitoring program — also known as unsupervised probation — where Woods must steer clear of any arrest.
Woods has to register with the county’s DUI school, which typically requires classes on addiction. Woods announced in July that he had completed an outpatient treatment program to manage his pain medications and sleep disorder.
Defense lawyer Steven Bell, a partner at Meltzer & Bell who has handled thousands of DUI cases in Palm Beach County, told USA TODAY Sports that completing treatment would be looked upon favorably by the DUI school, so Woods might not require as many classes. That decision would be up to the school.
Defendants are told to avoid the use of alcohol and drugs for the one-year monitoring term and are typically subject to random urine drug and alcohol screenings.
But prescription drugs are allowed.
In cases in which alcohol is involved, a defendant must agree to affix his or her car with an alcohol interlock device. Because Woods had no alcohol in his system, it’s not immediately known if such a device would be required on his vehicle. Woods admitted to taking prescription medication at the time of his arrest.
WHY IS WOODS ELIGIBLE FOR SUCH A PROGRAM?
The program is for any first-time DUI defendant as long as the following criteria are met:
The person must have a valid driver’s license.
No accident was involved as part of the arrest.
The blood alcohol content at the time of the arrest must not exceed 0.20.
The defendant must not have served time in prison previously.
WHY DIDN’T WOODS ENTER A PLEA WEDNESDAY?
While in the program, the DUI charge is basically on hold, known as withholding adjudication.
“The way the program works here generally is the client signs an agreement — the attorney can sign for the client — and then they come back in 60 days to formally enter the plea once some of the conditions are completed,” Bell said.
Woods has a court date scheduled for Oct. 25, where he will likely enter a plea to reckless driving.
WHAT HAPPENS TO THE DUI CHARGE IF THE PROGRAM IS COMPLETED SUCCESSFULLY?
Woods, like other defendants allowed to take part in the program, will accept a plea of reckless driving instead of DUI.
“They are both misdemeanors, but the huge benefit of the program is of course no DUI conviction,” Bell said. “The reduced charge is to reckless driving, but no criminal conviction is generally what is offered when you are given the standard diversion program.”
WHAT HAPPENS IF A DEFENDANT VIOLATES TERMS OF THE PROGRAM?
The DUI charge would be reinstated, which could result in a 90-day jail sentence.