Potential details surrounding the civil case against former Fox Sports NFL analyst Mark Sanchez made headlines late last week, but there’s also movement in the criminal case against him.
That trial, in which Sanchez is facing a felony battery charge as well as multiple misdemeanor counts (including public intoxication and unauthorized entry of a vehicle) related to an incident with a truck driver in downtown Indianapolis, has been moved from Thursday, March 12, to Thursday, April 9.
The felony charge carries a potential sentence of one to six years in prison.
Per WISH-TV (via PFT), Sanchez’s legal team requested a continuance on Friday. Judge James Osborn granted the motion, the second time he has done so at the request of Sanchez’s attorneys. He previously agreed to postpone the trial’s start from Dec. 11 to March 12.
Judge Osborn has also allowed cameras in the courtroom during the criminal trial when it begins.
According to Marion County prosecutors, Sanchez, who was in Indianapolis to call the Raiders-Colts game at Lucas Oil Stadium, allegedly confronted a 69-year-old driver at a loading dock over where he’d parked his truck. The driver told police that Sanchez smelled of alcohol and was slurring his speech, and that the Fox analyst climbed into the cab of his truck despite being told not to enter. When the confrontation escalated, the driver pepper-sprayed Sanchez. When Sanchez continued advancing, the driver said he feared for his life and pulled a knife, stabbing Sanchez multiple times.
After spending time recovering in a local hospital, the former NFL quarterback was arrested and initially charged with three misdemeanors before felony charges were added. Fox Sports fired Sanchez in November.