NASCAR driver Kurt Busch will not face criminal charges relating the the domestic abuse allegations leveled by his ex-girlfriend Patricia Driscoll last year, Delaware’s News Journal reports. The decision was announced Thursday morning by Delaware Attorney General spokesman Carl Konefsky, who emailed the News Journal:
“After a thorough consideration of all of the available information about the case, it is determined that the admissible evidence and available witnesses would likely be insufficient to meet the burden of establishing beyond a reasonable doubt that Mr. Busch committed a crime during the Sept. 26 incident. Likelihood of meeting that high burden of proof is the standard for prosecutors in bringing a case. For this reason, the Department of Justice will not pursue criminal charges in this case.”
Driscoll filed charges last November in connection to an incident she alleges occurred in September at Dover International Speedway. Driscoll had outlined a horrific scenario, in which she claims Busch repeatedly smashed her head against the wall inside his motor home at the track. U.S. Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.) even got involved, petitioning Busch’s team Stewart-Haas Racing to suspend Busch during the investigation. NASCAR ended up suspending Busch last month after a Delaware family court found what it called “a preponderance of the evidence” that the 36-year-old driver “committed an act of domestic violence” against Driscoll.
The burden of proof differs between criminal and civil courts, where separate cases have been ongoing. With the criminal case behind him, though, Busch is one step closer to gaining reinstatement for NASCAR’s 2015 season. The path, outlined by NASCAR, will not be an easy one, however.
Busch made an agreement with NASCAR last last week on the steps he will have to take to move forward. Neither Busch nor NASCAR revealed the details of their plan, nor does it have a clear timetable.
“NASCAR has laid out its expectations for Kurt, and while there is no timetable to meet those expectations, Kurt’s willingness to embrace the conditions set forth by NASCAR is a positive step that we support,” Stewart-Haas Racing executive vice president Joe Custer said in a statement (via ESPN) on Monday. “We understand Kurt Busch has begun the process for reinstatement as a NASCAR member.”
Marissa Payne writes for The Early Lead, a fast-breaking sports blog, where she focuses on what she calls the “cultural anthropological” side of sports, aka “mostly the fun stuff.” She is also an avid WWE fan.
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