Former NFL Running Back Marshawn Lynch Scheduled for November Trial on Misdemeanor Charges

Former NFL running back Marshawn Lynch is set to face trial in November on misdemeanor charges stemming from his arrest last year. Lynch was taken into custody in August 2022 on suspicion of drunken driving after being found asleep behind the wheel of a damaged luxury sports car on a Las Vegas street. The charges against him include driving under the influence, failure to drive in a travel lane, and driving an unregistered vehicle.

Las Vegas Municipal Court Judge Cedric Kerns has scheduled a two-day trial beginning on November 8. Lynch pleaded not guilty to all charges in March and did not attend the recent scheduling hearing. His defense attorneys, Richard Schonfeld and David Chesnoff, declined to comment on the matter.

According to police reports, Lynch was discovered in a 2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 with one front wheel missing and a damaged rear wheel. The vehicle was deemed “undriveable” and in a state where it was about to lose a wheel. Schonfeld and Chesnoff have argued that Lynch was not stopped by police while driving and that the vehicle was parked, making it inappropriate to charge him with DUI. However, in Nevada, a person in the driver’s seat of a vehicle can be considered to be in physical control of the vehicle.

Marshawn Lynch had a successful career in the NFL, primarily playing for the Seattle Seahawks before retiring in 2019. He was a five-time Pro Bowl selection and accumulated over 10,000 rushing yards and 85 rushing touchdowns during his 12 seasons with the Seahawks, Buffalo Bills, and Oakland Raiders.