LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — A judge says the court is considering whether former Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Henry Ruggs III's medical records will be released this week.
Defense attorneys for Ruggs appeared in court early Wednesday. They are trying to keep his medical records from being released.
Ruggs did not appear in court Wednesday.
Ruggs' attorneys, David Chesnoff and Richard Schonfeld claim that releasing the records violates Nevada's doctor-patient privilege law by allowing health care providers to testify in pre-trial conferences about Ruggs’ treatment following the crash on the morning of Nov. 2.
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“Patients would presumably be hesitant to interact candidly and openly with medical professionals if they knew that conclusions drawn from those interactions could be used against them in future legal proceedings,” said one of his attorneys.
An update on the #HenryRuggs case. Judge Robert Walsh expected to make a decision on whether or not prosecutors can obtain medical records for Ruggs. @KTNV pic.twitter.com/0piRdbOJLh
— Alyssa Bethencourt (@a_bethencourttv) December 8, 2021
Justice of the Peace Suzan Baucum, who’s been overseeing the case, said that medical records are a routine request for prosecutors to make.
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Lawyers representing Ruggs’ girlfriend, Kiara Kilgo-Washington, are also fighting to keep her medical records private, however, they did not appear in court on Wednesday.
Thursday, Ruggs' attorneys argued that the state is not entitled to any additional information.
Authorities say Ruggs and his girlfriend were injured when Ruggs' Corvette slammed into the back of Tina Tintor's car. Ruggs suffered a leg injury and Washington underwent surgery on her arm.
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Court records show Ruggs was driving 156 mph before the crash. Ruggs had a blood-alcohol concentration of more than 0.16%.
