Current:Home > ContactOliver James Montgomery-Tyreek Hill's attorney says they'll fight tickets after Miami police pulled Hill over -Capitatum
Oliver James Montgomery-Tyreek Hill's attorney says they'll fight tickets after Miami police pulled Hill over
Johnathan Walker View
Date:2025-04-06 23:46:32
Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill intends to fight the two tickets he received during a traffic stop outside Hard Rock Stadium on Oliver James MontgomerySunday, according to online records filed by his attorney.
Hill has pleaded not guilty to careless driving and driving without a seatbelt − the minor traffic violations at the center of a police encounter in which the Dolphins star was forcefully pulled out of his car and briefly placed in handcuffs. The tickets carry a combined fine of $308, while the careless driving citation would also result in three points being assessed against his driver's license; The threshold for the suspension of a license in Florida is 12 points in 12 months.
"The two citations will be litigated in court," Hill's attorney Adam Goodman confirmed to USA TODAY Sports in an email Thursday night.
Goodman did not offer additional details when asked why the 30-year-old NFL star pleaded not guilty to the traffic tickets, but legal experts said there could be a variety of reasons for the move. If Hill intends to file a lawsuit against the Miami-Dade Police Department, some said that a possible civil case could be strengthened if the reasons for pulling him over in the first place were dismissed. Others said it might be because he has the financial resources to push back, or simply because he believes he did not commit any infractions.
"Lots of regular people would do exactly what he's doing," said Florida State University College of Law professor Lawrence Krieger. "It doesn't have to mean something."
All things Dolphins: Latest Miami Dolphins news, schedule, roster, stats, injury updates and more.
In the written plea, Goodman requested that the state of Florida produce information about the speed measurement device used by Miami-Dade police prior to the traffic stop. Officer Manuel Batista wrote in the citations that, per "visual estimation," Hill was traveling about 60 miles per hour in a heavily-trafficked area near Hard Rock Stadium prior to the Dolphins' season-opening game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The speed limit in that stretch of roadway is 40 mph.
While Hill was not ticketed specifically for speeding, the citations appear to cite his speed as a key factor in the allegation that he was driving carelessly. And if the only basis for Hill's speed was an officer's estimation, that could be a way for him to challenge the citations, according to Tim Jansen, a Florida-based criminal defense attorney who has previously represented athletes accused of wrongdoing.
"He clearly has a basis to challenge the charges. And he has the means to challenge the charges," Jansen said. "I can't predict his motive, what they're trying to do, but I'm sure he has good legal counsel that has instructed him to file not guilty."
In the body-cam footage, Hill appeared to acknowledge to officers that he was traveling 55 mph prior to being pulled over. But that would not preclude him from challenging the violations.
"People fight traffic tickets for two reasons," Cleveland-based attorney Danny Karon added. "They think they’re innocent, or they have enough money to force the state to meet its burden of proof, which is beyond a reasonable doubt."
The minor traffic infringements led to an encounter with police that has since made national headlines and renewed long-standing conversations about officers' use of force.
According to the body-cam footage, at least three Miami-Dade police officers removed Hill from his car after he rolled up his window during the traffic stop, despite being asked to not do so and to exit the vehicle. The officers took Hill to the ground, put him in handcuffs and then forced him into a sitting position on a nearby curb, where he sat for about 15 minutes. One of the officers involved in the traffic stop, 27-year veteran Danny Torres, has since been placed on administrative duties pending the results of an internal investigation into his conduct.
Hill reiterated Thursday that he believes Torres should be fired, while also acknowledging that "I could've been better" during the traffic stop.
"Now, does that give them the right to literally beat the dog out of me? Absolutely not," he said in a news conference Wednesday. "But at the end of the day, I wish I could go back and do things a bit differently."
Contact Tom Schad at [email protected] or on social media @Tom_Schad.
veryGood! (93)
Related
- Skins Game to make return to Thanksgiving week with a modern look
- Jury mulling fate of 3 former Memphis officers charged in Tyre Nichols’ fatal beating
- Helene will likely cause thousands of deaths over decades, study suggests
- PFF adds an in-game grading feature to its NFL analysis
- Illinois governor calls for resignation of sheriff whose deputy fatally shot Black woman in her home
- How Black leaders in New York are grappling with Eric Adams and representation
- Jax Taylor Gives Brittany Cartwright Full Custody of Son Cruz in New Divorce Filing
- Prosecutors drop case against third man in Chicago police officer’s death
- RFK Jr. grilled again about moving to California while listing New York address on ballot petition
- The Krabby Patty is coming to Wendy's restaurants nationwide for a limited time. Yes, really.
Ranking
- Person accused of accosting Rep. Nancy Mace at Capitol pleads not guilty to assault charge
- I Live In a 300 Sq. Ft Apartment and These Amazon Finds Helped My Space Feel Like a Home
- Prosecutors drop case against third man in Chicago police officer’s death
- ACLU lawsuit details DWI scheme rocking Albuquerque police
- Chief beer officer for Yard House: A side gig that comes with a daily swig.
- Parole rescinded for former LA police detective convicted of killing her ex-boyfriend’s wife in 1986
- Pete Rose's longtime teammate Tony Perez opens up about last visit with baseball icon
- Lana Del Rey Shows Off Stunning Wedding Ring After Marrying Gator Guide Jeremy Dufrene
Recommendation
The 401(k) millionaires club keeps growing. We'll tell you how to join.
Rachel Zegler Says Snow White's Name Is Not Based on Skin Color in New Disney Movie
Pete Rose's longtime teammate Tony Perez opens up about last visit with baseball icon
Friends lost, relatives at odds: How Oct. 7 reshaped lives in the U.S.
Kansas City Chiefs CEO's Daughter Ava Hunt Hospitalized After Falling Down a Mountain
Spam alert: How to spot crooks trying to steal money via email
Tesla issues 5th recall for the new Cybertruck within a year, the latest due to rearview camera
Millie Bobby Brown and Jake Bongiovi share wedding photos, including with Jon Bon Jovi