San Diego DUI attorney news

Notre Dame tight end Yeatman charged with DUI

February 6, 2008

SOUTH BEND, Ind. San Diego native / Notre Dame tight end Will Yeatman was charged Wednesday with misdemeanor counts of DUI / drunk driving and criminal recklessness after allegedly driving a car on a campus sidewalk with his headlights off in the early morning hours.

The charges were filed a day after Yeatman, a 19-year-old sophomore, was suspended indefinitely from the football and lacrosse teams for an undisclosed violation of team policy. He remains enrolled in school, university spokesman Dennis Brown said.

A probable cause affidavit said Yeatman, a 6-foot-6, 263-pound tight end from San Diego, was arrested at 2:49 a.m. on Jan. 28 by campus police. Yeatman, who was released on $250 cash bond, had a blood-alcohol content of 0.11 percent, said Catherine Wilson, spokeswoman for the prosecutor's office. A blood-alcohol content of 0.08 percent is considered too drunk to drive under Indiana law.

Yeatman could not be reached for comment Wednesday because there was no telephone listing for him. A message seeking comment was left Wednesday by The Associated Press on an answering machine at the home of his parents.

Coach Charlie Weis declined to comment following a news conference Wednesday to announce signings of high school seniors to letters of intent, saying he would address the issue Friday when he holds a news conference to discuss other football topics.

If convicted of criminal recklessness, Yeatman could face up to a year in jail, Wilson said. The misdemeanor alcohol charge carries a penalty of up to 60 days in jail.

Typically, the prosecutor's office reviews such cases to determine whether those charged qualify for a pretrial diversion program, Wilson said.

"It depends on the defendant's criminal history, the particulars of the case and so forth," she said. "It will be determined if it is appropriate."