Tiger Woods expected to plead guilty to reckless driving Friday

Golf star Tiger Woods will appear in Palm Beach Circuit Court Friday for an arraignment at which he’s expected to plead guilty to reckless driving and enter a pre-trial diversion program.

The hearing, originally scheduled for Wednesday, was rescheduled Tuesday morning.

So will begin the denouement of Woods’ May 29 arrest in Jupiter on charges of driving under the influence, reckless driving and improper stopping. While court documents say the groggy 41-year-old golf star had no alcohol in his system when found by police in his car, a toxicology report released by the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office said Woods had pain killers Vicodin and Dilaudid, anxiety calmer Xanax, sleeping pill Ambien and THC, the ingredient that provides the high in marijuana.

According to FelonyFlorida.com, Palm Beach County’s First Time Offender pre-trial plan allows a DUI charge to be dropped with a guilty plea to misdemeanor reckless driving. There’s a one-year probation during which the person must abstain from alcohol or drugs (unless prescribed) and must submit to random urine tests, pay a $250 fine and do 50 community service hours. It’s open to those who haven’t been arrested for DUI before without any other felony charges or charges for possession of drugs.

Woods’ back problems have prevented him from playing competitively since February. His last PGA Tour event win was August 2013, the same year he won the World Golf Championship-Cadillac Championship at Trump National Doral in the last tournament before now-President Donald Trump had the Blue Monster renovated.

This story was originally published October 24, 2017 at 8:51 AM with the headline "Tiger Woods expected to plead guilty to reckless driving Friday."