Mark Sanchez is still recovering from the stabbing that got him arrested nearly three weeks ago in Indianapolis.
His attorney told Judge James Osborn on Tuesday that Sanchez’s recovery process is ongoing and may impact scheduling for the criminal trial set for Dec. 11. The trial date remains in place for now, though the next pretrial conference is scheduled for Dec. 2.
Sanchez wasn’t required to attend Tuesday’s hearing, which lasted about two and a half minutes, per the Associated Press. The AP also reported that the ex-New York Jets quarterback’s defense attorney, Tim DeLaney, thanked the judge for excusing his client, noting that Sanchez is still recovering from his injuries.
The Fox NFL analyst faces a felony battery charge carrying up to six years in prison, along with three misdemeanors: battery with injury, public intoxication, and unlawful entry of a motor vehicle. All charges stem from an Oct. 4 altercation with Perry Tole, a 69-year-old truck driver who was collecting cooking oil from the Westin Hotel in downtown Indianapolis.
Security video shows Sanchez throwing Tole toward a wall on the hotel and to the ground before running off, according to a detective’s affidavit obtained by USA Today. Tole used pepper spray, then a knife, telling police he thought Sanchez was going to kill him. Tole suffered a severe laceration that penetrated all the way through his left cheek.
Sanchez was found at a nearby bar with stab wounds to his upper right torso. He spent a week in the hospital in critical condition before being discharged Oct. 12. Video from that day showed him leaving Marion County Jail after formal booking with his arm in a sling.
Tole, who claims self-defense and hasn’t been charged, filed a civil lawsuit against Sanchez and Fox Sports seeking unspecified damages. His attorneys say he suffered permanent disfigurement and other injuries.
Sanchez was in Indianapolis to call the Colts-Raiders game for Fox. Brady Quinn replaced him that Sunday, and Sanchez hasn’t been on Fox’s broadcast schedule since. The network released a brief statement after the incident, saying its thoughts were with Sanchez, but has said little publicly since.
The trial will be televised. Judge Osborn approved cameras in the courtroom after taking over the case from Judge Jennifer Prinz Harrison, who recused herself without explanation last week.
On Tuesday, prosecutors reportedly told the court that discovery materials should be available soon. The final pretrial conference is Dec. 2, with the trial beginning Dec. 11 at 8:30 a.m. ET.
Whether that date holds depends partly on how Sanchez’s recovery progresses over the next seven weeks.
About Sam Neumann
Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.