Judge OKs prosecutors' access to Tiger Woods' medical records
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- Judge Darren Steele approved an agreement allowing prosecutors to review medical records from Cleveland Clinic Martin South Hospital, where Tiger Woods was taken after his March 27 crash
- Tiger Woods has pleaded not guilty to DUI after deputies found two pain pills in his pocket and observed signs of impairment when his SUV clipped a truck's trailer and rolled onto its side
- A separate May agreement granted prosecutors access to Woods' prescription medication records from a Palm Beach pharmacy covering January through March, with a protective order limiting release to prosecutors, law enforcement, state experts, and Woods' defense team
- Woods agreed to a Breathalyzer test showing no alcohol but refused a urine test; he was driving at high speeds on a 30 mph road on Jupiter Island and caused $5,000 in damage to the truck
- The case is being tried in Martin County circuit court, and Woods traveled outside the US for inpatient treatment before making his first public appearance at the Travelers Championship in Connecticut
Why it matters: The ruling gives prosecutors access to both Woods' hospital and prescription medication records from the months surrounding his March 27 arrest. Defense attorney Doug Duncan's protective order limits who can view the records, but the medical evidence — including the two pain pills deputies found in Woods' pocket — could prove central to establishing impairment in a case where a Breathalyzer detected no alcohol and Woods refused a urine test.
