Las Vegas Raiders cornerback Nate Hobbs (39) attends practice at the Raiders Headquarters in Henderson Wednesday, July 28, 2021.
Published Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2022 | 9:49 a.m.
Updated Thursday, Jan. 27, 2022 | 12:17 p.m.
Raiders cornerback Nate Hobbs, arrested earlier this month on a misdemeanor DUI count, pleaded guilty to a lesser charge today after tests showed his blood-alcohol level under the legal limit for driving, prosecutors said.
Hobbs was arrested Jan. 3 after he was found asleep in his car on a parking garage ramp at the Cromwell, Metro Police said.
After his arrest, a toxicological analysis of Hobbs’ blood revealed he was under the limit for a DUI charge, according to the Clark County District Attorney’s Office.
The rookie instead pleaded guilty to one count of careless driving.
The complaint against Hobbs stated he “willfully and unlawfully (operated) a vehicle in any other than a careful or prudent manner by falling asleep in an exit lane.”
Hobbs will pay a $685 fine, complete a victim impact panel and complete 20 hours of community service. If the court requirements are not met, Hobbs could face a 30-day jail sentence.
"Since Mr. Hobbs did not violate the DUI laws he was not charged, nor will he be charged, with a DUI offense," a statement from his attorneys, David Chesnoff and Richard Schonfeld, said. "He will fulfill his court obligations for the careless driving traffic offense."
In a statement, Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson said, “After reviewing the facts of the case, and the fact that the result of the blood-alcohol test placed Mr. Hobbs under the legal limit for a DUI charge, my office determined that this was the most appropriate disposition in this case."
“Mr. Hobbs’ case will progress through the normal channels of the justice system, as would any other case with similar circumstances,” he said.
“Additionally, he will be submitting to an alcohol treatment program by the National Football League and the NFL Players’ Association,” Wolfson said.
David Chesnoff and Richard Schonfeld, the attorneys representing Hobbs, could not immediately be reached for comment.
Two weeks after his arrest, Hobbs was issued a reckless driving citation after driving over 100 mph on the 215 Beltway near Decatur Boulevard, according to Nevada State Police.
Hobbs, a 22-year-old out of the University of Illinois, was taken in the fifth round of the NFL Draft last April. He served as the team’s starting cornerback in all but two games, against the Browns — when he tested positive for COVID-19 — and the Broncos when he was still recovering from the virus.
Last year, Raiders teammate Henry Ruggs III was charged with DUI after a crash Nov. 2 that killed a 23-year-old Las Vegas woman. Ruggs was cut from the team, and his case is still pending.
