WINNIPEG JETS

Record: 24 – 21 – 3

Chicago 6
Boston 5
FINAL (OT)Boxscore

Winnipeg Jets

Winnipeg Free Press - ONLINE EDITION

Byfuglien to face jury on boating charges

By: Ed Tait

Posted: 04/19/2012 12:31 PM | Comments: 0 | Last Modified: 04/19/2012 6:46 PM | Updates

Enlarge Image

Winnipeg Jets defenceman Dustin Byfuglien (33) in a game against the Florida Panthers in Winnipeg. Byfuglien faces a number of boating charges in Minnesota, which will go to trial. (JOHN WOODS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS ARCHIVES) Photo Store

The boating charges against Winnipeg Jet defenceman Dustin Byfuglien will be decided by a jury.

Mitchell Robinson, the lawyer for the 27-year-old Byfuglien, met this morning with the judge and Hennepin County district attorneys in Minneapolis in a last-ditch chance to come to a resolution, but were unable to do so. As a result, the next step in the case – which stems from an incident last August 31st on Lake Minnetonka in Minneapolis – will be to schedule it for a jury trial on July 23rd.

"We’ll pick a jury then and let a jury decide," said Robinson Thursday when reached by The Free Press. "I’m not surprised. I mean, I’m always optimistic that we can settle these cases, but we’re still so far apart. The prosecutor sees this as a boating-under-the-influence case and I see it as a case of failing to have navigation lights on.

"We’re very far apart. We weren’t able to reach any kind of a fair settlement, so the next step is trial and we’ll see what a jury thinks."

Late last summer Byfuglien was stopped by police on Lake Minnetonka and charged for boating while intoxicated, for initially refusing to take a blood or urine test and for boating without enough flotation devices for the passengers on board and without navigation lights.

In the police statement submitted to court in September a sheriff’s deputy said that when Byfuglien’s boat was pulled over his speech was slurred and that "he was unsteady on his feet, his eyes were bloodshot and watery and he smelled of a consumed alcoholic beverage."

Byfuglien pleaded not guilty on all charges and Robinson had hoped to have the case reduced by having the boating while intoxicated and refusal to take a chemical test charges dropped.

"I remain confident in this," said Robinson. "This has been dragging on for almost a year. The offence date on this was August 31st and our trial date is July 23rd… 11 months. I can’t say that’s too unusual. We’ve had numerous court appearances to try and settle this and I’ve been optimistic that we would reach a settlement. But we haven’t so we move on."

Byfuglien will attend the trial which is expected to last about a week. The Jets, meanwhile, have indicated the organization will not comment on the case is it is before the courts.

Byfuglien is coming off a season in which he played in 66 games for the Jets, finishing with 12 goals and 41 assists for 53 points – second among NHL defencemen. He was to participate in the NHL All-Star Game, but an injury prevented him from playing.

ed.tait@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @WFPEdTait

History

Updated on Thursday, April 19, 2012 at 2:19 PM CDT: Updates re: Byfuglien attending the trial.

6:46 PM: Fixes typo

Fact Check

Have you found an error, or know of something we’ve missed in one of our stories? Please use the form below and let us know.

* Required

In which story did you find the error? *
Please post the headline of the story or the title of the video with the error.
What was the error? *
Please post exactly what was wrong with the story.
What should we have written?
Please indicate your source for the correct information.
Who else should we interview to improve this story?
Please include any contact information you may have.
Can we contact you in the future for advice on stories about this topic?
Yes

No
First Name: *
Last Name: *
E–mail Address: *
This will only be used to contact you if we have a question about your submission, it will not be used to identify you or be published.
Phone: *
This will only be used to contact you if we have a question about your submission, it will not be used to identify you or be published.
Colour:
Are you blue? If you can see this, leave it blank and get some CSS support.
Enter the words that you see: * This is to prevent our forms from being filled out automatically.
You have failed to correctly identify the words in the box above. Please try again.

More Winnipeg Jets

Undock

You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is be a Winnipeg Free Press print or e-edition subscriber to join the conversation and give your feedback.

Have Your Say

New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.

Have Your Say

Comments are open to Winnipeg Free Press print or e-edition subscribers only. why?

Have Your Say

Comments are open to Winnipeg Free Press Subscribers only. why?

The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.