BOZICH | Scheffler's attorney says traffic chaos, miscommunication led to golfer's arrest

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — For attorney Steve Romines, this is his best scenario for the resolution for Citation No. 202406220 —The Commonwealth against the defendant, Scheffler, Scott Alexander, inmate No. 0064436:

“If I can get it dismissed between now and Sunday, if (Scheffler) is in the last group, I want to be caddying for him,” Romines said.

Romines said he was home Friday morning with no plans to attend the 106th PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club when he received a phone call outlining two developments that will overshadow everything that happens over the remainder of golf’s second major championship.

First, a tragedy. A man attempting to report to work at Valhalla was struck by a bus and killed shortly after 5 a.m. outside the main entrance to the course on Shelbyville Road.

Throughout the lead-up to the tournament there were repeated warnings about the danger for pedestrians walking along the only road to the Valhalla gates. Sadly, the unthinkable happened.

“The situation (there) is chaotic,” Romines said. “There’s traffic everywhere. They’re closing lanes. There are open lanes.”

Second, Romines said there was an unfortunate lack of communication that resulted in the arrest and booking of a guy generally considered A) the best golfer in the world and B) the nicest golfer in the world.

“Scottie was trying to get into the facility, following the directions that another officer gave him,” Romines said.

“He’s in a marked vehicle. He has his credentials visible. An officer directed him what to do: Go around (in the far left lane) and turn left. (That) officer directed him to veer into the westbound lane to go into Valhalla.

“The arresting officer took issue with that and wound up bringing these charges … they arrested him the way they arrest anybody.”

Scheffler was handcuffed. He was driven away from Valhalla, taken downtown and charged on four counts, starting with second-degree assault of a police officer. Romines received a call from somebody in Scheffler’s camp.

Four counts? Orange prison garb? Mug shot?

“Over-charging, yeah, it’s very typical in every case,” Romines said. “It gives more leverage in a possible resolution of the case.”

As the case entered the legal system, Romines got the call to defend Scheffler, winner of the Masters and three other PGA events this year. Scheffler and his wife just welcomed the birth of their first child last week. He's been a favorite of the Valhalla gallery all week.

“I was contacted early this morning by some of his management and told that he’d been arrested and asked if I could help get a bond posted and, you know (get him to his second round tee time),” Romines said.

By 8:40 a.m., an hour and 12 minutes after he was booked, Scheffler was released. By 9:12 a.m., he walked into the Valhalla clubhouse. By 10:08 a.m., Scheffler hit his driver on the 10th tee, his first hole in Friday’s second round.

By mid-morning, Romines was fielding interview requests from across the globe.

Embarrassing for the city of Louisville?

“It is,” Romines said.

“It’s an international story. There’s no question. I’ve gotten calls from everywhere. Every place there is.”

This is what Romines says: As Scheffler was driving east on Shelbyville Road while trying to arrive early and prepare for his tee time, he was merely following the directions of one police officer who directed him into the main gate.

A second officer, Bryan Gillis, requested Scheffler stop. When the golfer proceeded, the officer grabbed the side of Scheffler’s courtesy car. The police report says that Gillis sustained pain, swelling and abrasions to his left wrist and knee as well a significant tear to an $80 pair of pants which were “damaged beyond repair.”

On a weekend when the city and state are entertaining visitors from across the world (including officials from the NCAA on Friday) and working to enhance Louisville’s reputation as a delightfully wonderful place to host more major sporting events, the fallout from this tragic death, the snarled traffic and later arrest of the face of professional golf is incalculable.

“(Scheffler) is the nicest guy there is,” Romines said. “That’s the one thing about this that makes it absurd. He is genuinely one of the nicest guys out there.”

Romines said that Scheffler tried to explain that the first officer gave him the OK to turn as well as explain why he wanted to enter the course.

“The issue there is it becomes a situation like he’s trying to act like he’s privileged or something,” Romines said.

“He’s just trying to tell them that he’s going in there to warm up and do a gym workout before he plays.”

What’s next?

“We’re scheduled for arraignment on Tuesday,” Romines said. “We’ll plead not guilty and fight the case as long as we need to.”

Any chance it will be resolved before then?

“There’s always a chance,” he said. “But if not, we’ll litigate it as necessary.”

Two former prosecutors, one for the state and one for the county, said the little amount of time between Scheffler's arrest and arrival back to Valhalla as, "quicker than normal."

Leland Hulbert said the process was the same for Scheffler as anyone else.

"He was released honestly a little quicker than normal... He was still booked, he was still placed apparently in the orange jumpsuit, so he went through the steps," Hulbert said. "My guess is so many people know of the event, and so many people knew who Scottie Scheffler was that they may have helped speed things up."

Matthew Lemme said Scheffler's timeline of arrest to release should be what's considered normal, but is not in Jefferson County.

"That's not concerning. That's appropriate. What's concerning is that it doesn't seem to happen for everybody," said Lemme. 

Scheffler never appeared before a judge Friday and didn't have to pay his way out, facing a felony charge. District court judge Sara Nicholson released him on personal recognizance, the written promise to appear in court when required.

"For bail to be set and released on recognizance for a charge of assault two would also not be unhear of," Lemme said. 

Scheffler's next court date is set for May 21. It is unclear at this time if he will appear in-person.

A spokesman for Jefferson County Attorney Mike O'Connell said: 

“The Jefferson County Attorney’s office is still obtaining information in the case of Mr. Scheffler and will review and proceed accordingly.”

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