Miami's Mark Walton Pleads Not Guilty In DUI Case
CBS Miami: University of Miami sophomore running back Mark Walton has pleaded not guilty to charges of driving under the influence and driving with a suspended license with knowledge according to the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office.
According to a blog report on The Miami Herald, Walton's attorney made the not-guilty plea Thursday morning.
Walton's next scheduled court date is yet to be determined, but the State Attorney's Office said that it should appear on its calendar within the next four weeks.
Walton was stopped by Miami police on April 23rd – and according to the arrest affidavit, his breath smelled of alcohol, he had slurred speech and nearly lost his balance when exiting his vehicle.
Walton was given a breathalyzer test, where the 19-year-old blew levels of 0.059 and 0.060. Those numbers are under the Florida limits for those 21 and older, but for under-aged drinkers the limit in Florida is 0.02.
Miami's second-leading rusher from 2015 remains suspended from the team. The University of Miami hasn't made any further comments regarding Walton since Athletics Director Blake James issued a statement shortly after Walton's arrest.
"We are aware of the situation regarding Mark Walton and we have taken immediate action by suspending him from the team," James said in the statement. "We have no further comment at this time."
Walton played in all 13 games this past season and finished with 1,054 all-purpose yards and a team-leading 10 touchdowns. Because of his versatility and ability to get tough yards, he was the presumed favorite to be the No. 1 ball carrier for the Canes in 2016 – emerging in a crowded backfield of 2015 leading rusher Joe Yearby, Gus Edwards and Trayone Gray.
