Judge recuses self from Henry Ruggs case following court reassignment
LAS VEGAS (KSNV) — A Las Vegas justice of the peace has recused himself from the ongoing criminal case against ex-NFL player Henry Ruggs III.
David Chesnoff, one of the attorneys representing Ruggs, confirmed the decision made by Judge Joe Bonaventure on Tuesday.
"[Attorney Richard] Schonfeld and I will reflect on it and continue to do whatever we need to do to protect the constitutional rights of Mr. Ruggs and thereby protect the rights of all Nevadans," Chesnoff said in an email to News 3.
Just this month, Ruggs's attorneys had successfully petitioned to have the case moved to Bonaventure, who now oversees the DUI court, from Las Vegas Justice of the Peace Ann Zimmerman.
Until recently, Zimmerman had been overseeing all DUI cases in Las Vegas, including the case against Ruggs. Those cases were transferred to Bonaventure, but Zimmerman wanted to continue presiding over Ruggs.
Chesnoff and Schonfeld argued that Zimmerman's decision violated their client's equal rights protections and filed with Clark County District Court to have the case moved.
Following Bonaventure's recusal, Judge Harmony Letizia will now hear the case against Ruggs, who is accused of driving drunk when his car slammed into an SUV on a Las Vegas street back in 2021.
The crash killed 23-year-old Tina Tintor, who was the driver of the SUV, and her dog Max.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
