DUI charges is one fight that UFC star Nick Diaz cannot avoid or even think he could win or get away with especially after being a repeat offender. The American mixed martial artist was not only arrested on Sept. 6th for a second DUI in ten months but for attempting to destroy evidence as well.
Central California Arrest
According to police, the 31 year old was pulled over in his hometown of Stockton, CA during a routine traffic stop by Cpl. Eric Bradley at around 2 am. The officer suspected Diaz was under the influence of alcohol. He was arrested and taken to Lodi County jail and subjected to a breath sample after opting for it over a blood sample.
Don’t Throw Up!
While the breathalyzer test was being set up Diaz requested to use the restroom. He was escorted by the officers who saw the onetime welterweight title challenger take the opportunity to vomit in what they claim was an attempt to rid his body of alcohol. This was considered an attempt to destroy evidence, which lead to the police filing additional charges.
According to police, Diaz was polite and cordial other than the attempt to throw up. He was released after a few hours on sobering up and was slapped with a notice to appear at the Joaquin County Courthouse in Stockton. No bail was set since it was a misdemeanor arrest. He is likely to be arraigned within a fortnight. In addition to driving under the influence and attempting to destroy evidence, Diaz was also charged with driving with a suspended license which stems from a DUI arrest last November.
Following his first DUI conviction for DUI, DUI with an alcohol or drug level above .08, and driving at an unsafe speed, on November 20th, 2013, Diaz apparently missed several court dates related to the charges despite providing a written promise. He missed one court date in December, which resulted in a warrant by the San Joaquin County Court.
At the end of February, Diaz appeared with his drunk driving accident attorney following which an arraignment and pretrial hearing was scheduled for April 3rd. However, his attorney showed up on the day and the hearing was postponed to May 5th. Once again only his drunk driving accident lawyer was present May 5th and a trial and plea date was set for June 2nd.
Diaz appeared in court on June 2nd with a new attorney and filed a petition to withdraw the current attorney assigned to his case. Despite a motion hearing set for June 16th, neither the UFC star nor his attorney turned up in court on the day. A bench warrant was issued for his arrest after which Diaz reappeared in court on Aug. 21st – believe it or not – with a third attorney. Diaz posted a $25,000 bail bond and his arraignment for his November DUI was set for Sept. 25th, which is around the same time he will have to appear in court for his second DUI charges.
Nick Diaz is in a bad place right now, like this penguin.
So, what is the MMA bad boy likely to do next? The first thing he ought to is take responsibility for himself and his behavior. Driving under the influence and with a suspended driver’s license is inexcusable. If he misses the arraignment hearing set for September 25th in the San Joaquin County court, where he will be formally charged, a warrant may be issued for his arrest.
Diaz needs to Shape Up
The multiple charges could hurt his chances of putting up a fight with Anderson “The Spider” Silva, scheduled at the end of January next year. Anything less than perfect behavior is likely to put some of his future fights in jeopardy. Diaz hasn’t got into the ring since March of 2013, when he lost a UFC welterweight title to Georges St-Pierre. Meanwhile UFC officials hope Diaz doesn’t mess up with his scheduled arraignment, which could only lead to additional punishment that could stop him from competing.
And then he will be on Obama’s food stamps and Obamacare unless he moves to Texas, North Dakota, Florida, or a few other states because of the lack of jobs in California. Diaz believes he can fight forever but he is not looking long term. He is probably looking at about $20,000 in fines because of these 2 DUIs right now.
