The latest on Mark Walton’s legal situation, with clarity on a scheduling conflict
Courtroom or classroom?
Next Wednesday, Dolphins running back Mark Walton — who has a hearing for one of his three pending criminal cases that conflicts with his team’s mandatory minicamp — is opting the latter.
“I will be appearing in court for Mr. Walton,” Michael Gottlieb, Walton’s attorney, told the Miami Herald. “He’s in constant contact with my offices. He’s an exception athlete, and I’d like to see him practice and resume his normal life as we litigate these unfortunate cases.”
Walton, who played at the University of Miami before entering the 2018 NFL Draft, actually has two hearings next week.
The first, scheduled for Monday, is for the misdemeanor battery charge from Feb. 15, in which police say he snatched a cell phone from a woman during a traffic dispute outside of his Brickell condo.
That came a month after Miami-Dade cops arrested Walton on misdemeanor marijuana charges after they say they found drugs in his SUV during a traffic stop. This is the case with a hearing Wednesday, the one in which Gottlieb will appear on his behalf so Walton can practice.
But the most serious of the three criminal cases — and the third strike that got him cut by the Bengals — is from an April 4 arrest on felony charges of carrying a concealed weapon, resisting without violence, marijuana possession and reckless driving stemming from a high-speed car chase that happened on the night of March 12 in North Miami-Dade.
During an ensuing foot chase, a police officer shot Walton in the back with a Taser, according to court documents, but he “sprang to his feet” and ran off. That exchange was captured on body camera footage and later released to the public.
After the Bengals released him, Walton was out of the league for a month before catching on with the Dolphins after an impressive tryout at rookie minicamp. Dolphins coach Brian Flores said at the time that “people deserve a second chance.”
Walton has made the most of it, showing particular acumen catching the ball out of the backfield in the three OTA practices open to reporters.
He has a real chance to make the team as Miami’s No. 3 running back. Whether he is available for all 16 games, however, is in doubt. Even if Walton pleads the charges down or has them dropped completely, he could still be subject to both the NFL’s substance abuse and personal conduct policies.
“There’s a lot of things that’s happened this offseason but right now my focus is on the task and right now that’s the Miami Dolphins and that’s all I can talk about,” Walton told reporters in mid-May. “I’m just thankful for the opportunity. Trying to leave a good impression on the coaches. Trying to leave a lasting mark with them. I know what I got to do while I’m here so that’s all I can talk about right now.”
This story was originally published May 31, 2019 at 11:03 AM.