Tiger Woods Due in Court Wednesday for DUI Change-of-Plea Hearing — Case Stems from Jupiter Island Crash

Tiger Woods is set to appear in a Martin County courtroom Wednesday, September 2, at 8:30 a.m. for a change-of-plea hearing in his DUI case, according to court records. The hearing is before Judge Darren Steele, and the State Attorney's Office has confirmed it is taking place.

Woods previously entered a written plea of not guilty and waived his arraignment following his March 27 arrest. He faces two misdemeanor charges: DUI with property damage and refusal to submit to a lawful test. It was not immediately clear Wednesday morning whether the hearing is connected to a negotiated plea agreement or what plea Woods intends to enter.

The charges stem from a single-vehicle rollover crash on South Beach Road on Jupiter Island, near Woods' home. Martin County Sheriff John Budensiek said Woods was driving a Range Rover at high speed when he approached a pickup truck pulling a pressure-cleaning trailer that was turning into a driveway. Woods swerved to avoid a collision, clipped the back of the trailer, and his SUV rolled onto its side. Woods crawled out through the passenger door uninjured. The driver of the pickup was also unhurt.

Deputies said Woods showed signs of impairment at the scene. A breath test showed no alcohol, but Woods refused to provide a urine sample — a refusal that under a new Florida law constitutes its own criminal charge. No drugs or medication were found inside the vehicle. Because no sample was obtained, investigators said they could not definitively determine what caused the alleged impairment.

Woods was booked into the Martin County Jail and released that night after posting $1,150 bail.

Wednesday's hearing comes nearly a decade after a prior DUI-related arrest in Palm Beach County. In 2017, Woods was arrested on suspicion of DUI and later pleaded guilty to reckless driving as part of a plea agreement.

Image / Source: WPTV / Martin County Sheriff's Office