Federal Judge Rejects Former Dodger Yasiel Puig’s Request in Legal Battle

Former Dodgers All-Star Yasiel Puig’s legal battle unfortunately continues. According to a report by ABC News, Puig requested a “mass of documents” he hoped to use to “lend credence to his claims of race-based selective prosecution for lying to investigators in an illegal gambling case.” Going back, Puig is facing federal charges including obstruction of justice in a probe into an illegal gambling operation.

Puig had allegedly began betting through a third party in 2019. That third party was involved in an illegal sports gambling business. The former MLB star is alleged to have lied to investigators when questioned about the gambling operation. He had agreed to plead guilty to a single count of “making false statements” but later withdrew that and changed his plea to not guilty. Puig’s representation alleged that, at the time, he did not understand what he was agreeing to and did not have appropriate council with him during the investigation conducted over a single Zoom interview.

As this legal drama grew, Puig’s representation filed a motion accusing federal authorities of racial bias. To back that accusation, Puig’s attorneys asked the judge to “order federal authorities to turn over records concerning the investigative patterns of the prosecution team that led a five-year probe that resulted in two criminal charges against Puig.”

Today, the judge denied that request.

U.S. District Judge Dolly Gee denied the request by Puig to compel the government to produce what he claims is evidence that would prove agents have different standards when dealing with Black suspects.

“Because Puig has not come forward with some credible evidence of discriminatory intent and effect, the court respectfully denies the motion to compel,” Gee wrote in her order.

Via ABC7.com

More is certain to come on this ongoing legal battle.