Cowboys defensive tackle Jay Ratliff was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated in January, but his trial on those charges won’t be held until next February.
Ratliff was scheduled for a pretrial hearing on Thursday, but it was postponed until February 20. That pushes it past the end of the 2013 season, obviously, and likely means that Ratliff will be able to avoid league discipline that could take him off the field at any point this season. The trial date could get pushed even further, but Ratliff’s lawyer Tom Pappas said that his client would not agree to a plea bargain.
“I’m fairly certain this is going to trial,” Pappas said, via the Dallas Morning News.
Ratliff crashed his pickup truck into an 18-wheeler in January and his blood alcohol content was twice the legal limit when it was taken via a blood test more than two hours after Ratliff refused to take a Breathalyzer when he was arrested.
With the trial moved, Ratliff can now devote his efforts to getting on the field for the Cowboys. Ratliff remains on the PUP list and hasn’t practiced with his teammates since last season because of injuries, although the Cowboys maintain that he’ll be in the lineup for the season opener.