Golf star Tiger Woods was arrested on Friday afternoon after a rollover crash in Jupiter Island, Florida, marking his second DUI arrest within the state in lower than a decade.
However, a minimum of in line with one Florida protection lawyer, that a part of Woods’ case isn’t more likely to maintain up.
Commercial
“Looks as if they haven’t any case, no DUI case,” longtime South Florida protection lawyer Robert Reiff informed Yahoo Sports activities on Friday evening. “Interval, full cease.”
Reiff will not be concerned within the case.
Tiger Woods arrested for DUI
Woods was driving at a excessive price of pace on Jupiter Island round 2 p.m. ET on Friday when police say he tried to cross a piece truck. Based on police, Woods’ Vary Rover clipped the again of that truck’s trailer and flipped onto its facet.
Woods was unhurt, and climbed out of the SUV on his personal. Officers on the scene mentioned Woods “did exemplify indicators of impairment.” Officers weren’t suspicious of alcohol, however suspected drugs or medicine. Woods took a breathalyzer take a look at, which returned a 0.00 studying, however he didn’t undergo additional testing, refusing a urinalysis take a look at. He was described as “torpid” on the scene, and tried to elucidate the accidents and surgical procedures he has undergone in current months.
Commercial
Neither Woods nor the motive force of the truck had been injured. Woods was arrested and charged with DUI with property injury and refusal to undergo a lawful take a look at.
“He cooperated with the breathalyzer, after which the urine he needed no a part of,” Martin County Sheriff John Budensiek mentioned. “He’s cooperative, however he was not making an attempt to incriminate himself. So he was cautious in what he mentioned and didn’t say.”
As a result of Woods didn’t undergo the urinalysis take a look at, Reiff mentioned, it’s going to be laborious to show that Woods was truly beneath the affect of a managed substance — which is required to suit the definition of a DUI beneath Florida regulation.
That would depart the refusal to undergo a take a look at cost, which is a second-degree misdemeanor in Florida that may result in as much as 60 days in jail. However with out that take a look at, barring new data or particulars popping out, it doesn’t seem from the skin trying in that there’s any authorized proof that Woods was impaired.
Commercial
“Typically [officers] go to the default place, we predict you’re impaired,” Reiff mentioned. “Take a breath take a look at, cross it. Oh properly, then it should be medicine. Sorry, it doesn’t work that means.”
Friday’s crash was simply the newest for Woods. He was concerned in a single-car rollover crash in Southern California in 2021, which left him with a number of leg fractures and a shattered ankle. He was arrested for driving beneath the affect in 2017 throughout a Florida visitors cease, too. He mentioned that incident was the results of “an sudden response to prescribed medicine” and pleaded responsible to reckless driving.
These accidents, in addition to the quite a few different again procedures that Woods has undergone, Reiff mentioned, could be motive sufficient to elucidate away any failed discipline sobriety checks, too.
Commercial
“I wouldn’t be shocked in any respect if Tiger Woods and his workforce have had him attempt to [lift his leg six inches] as a part of neurological testing and he couldn’t, particularly with one leg shorter than the opposite and all these again points,” Reiff mentioned, referencing a typical discipline sobriety take a look at.
Golfer Tiger Woods stands by his overturned car in Jupiter Island, Fla., on Friday, March 27, 2026. (AP/Jason Oteri)
(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Woods was transported to the Martin County Jail, the place he was held for about eight hours. He was launched simply after 11 p.m. ET. Even Woods’ lengthy keep in jail doubtless shouldn’t have occurred, Reiff mentioned. When a suspect is arrested for a DUI in Florida, they’re held for both eight hours or till they blow beneath a 0.05 on a breathalyzer take a look at. Woods already blew 0.00.
“It’s so indoctrinated into them that they’ve to carry him for eight hours … besides if he blew beneath a 0.05. Then you definately launch him, then it is best to launch him,” Reiff mentioned. “It’s like the rest, they don’t perceive the nuance.”
Commercial
It was simply three days in the past that Woods made his return to aggressive golf, when he performed within the TGL indoor golf remaining along with his Jupiter Hyperlinks Golf Membership workforce. It marked his first true aggressive golf, albeit in an indoor league, because the 2024 British Open. Woods ruptured his Achilles in March 2025, and underwent surgical procedure for a lumbar disc alternative in October.
Previous to the accident, Woods had been non-committal someway about teeing it up on this yr’s Masters, which begins on April 9.
Extra data is bound to return out about Friday’s incident. Woods hasn’t had the possibility to talk publicly but, both.
However legally talking from an outdoor view, a minimum of primarily based on what’s accessible for the second, Rieff is satisfied a DUI cost isn’t more likely to maintain up.
Commercial
“There’s actually extra to this story and we have to discover out [more],” Reiff mentioned. “However I’ll actually let you know from what I’ve been listening to … it certain doesn’t seem to be they’ve proof — a minimum of not of the DUI.”