Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch was formally charged with DUI in Alameda County on Wednesday, but his lawyer doesn’t sound particularly worried about the outcome of the case.
Attorney Ivan Golde told NFL.com that he expects a “very positive” result for Lynch when the case plays out. His rationale for that feeling is based on his belief that there’s a good chance that Lynch wasn’t actually over the legal blood alcohol limit of 0.08 when he was pulled over by police this weekend. Golde is taking issue with a second test given 40 minutes after the arrest which showed a blood alcohol content higher than the 0.08 he registered when he was stopped.
“There’s a better than 50 percent chance he’s 0.06 or 0.07,” Golde said. “Those tests have a margin of error. Science is there to prove it.”
An officer for the California Highway Patrol disputed Golde’s claims, saying that Lynch was over the legal limit. The officer also said that there’s nothing odd about someone’s BAC rising over time if they were consuming alcohol close enough to the initial traffic stop.
Golde’s efforts on the legal front could also impact NFL discipline for Lynch. While he does not need to be convicted of DUI for the NFL to suspend him (not that a suspension is guaranteed even if he is convicted), getting the case thrown out altogether would make it harder for the league to justify punitive action.