Hall Of Famer Puckett Faces Sex Rap
Hall of Fame baseball player Kirby Puckett was charged Friday with felony and misdemeanor counts for an alleged sexual assault at an Eden Prairie restaurant last month.
Hennepin County prosecutors allege that Puckett dragged a woman into the men's restroom at the Redstone American Grill on Sept. 6 and fondled her breast before she escaped.
The former Minnesota Twins star was charged with one count of false imprisonment, a felony, and one count of fifth-degree criminal sexual conduct, a gross misdemeanor.
The woman suffered bruises where her arm was held, on her breast, and a swollen ankle when her leg struck a door frame as she was being dragged into the restroom, according to the criminal complaint. The complaint cited several witnesses to the attack.
Conviction on the false imprisonment charge could carry a penalty of up to three years in prison and a fine of up to $5,000. The sexual conduct charge is punishable by up to a year in prison and a $3,000 fine. However, County Attorney Amy Klobuchar said Puckett is more likely to face workhouse time and probation.
Klobuchar said Puckett is expected to turn himself in for booking on Monday, when he is expected to post $20,000 bail. She said his first court appearance is likely to be in two or three weeks.
"Like most Minnesotans, I remember watching Mr. Puckett help the Twins win two World Series, and he's a great Hall of Fame baseball player. But that night, in that bar, he was no one's hero," Klobuchar said.
Puckett's attorney, B. Todd Jones, did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment.
Puckett and his wife, Tonya, are in the process of getting divorced. After a bitter start, they reached what their lawyers called an amicable tentative settlement agreement earlier this month.
Tonya Puckett filed for divorce in February, about two months after she told police her husband had threatened to kill her during an argument about his alleged infidelity. He denied making such a threat, and prosecutors declined to charge him.
Puckett led the Twins to World Series titles in 1987 and 1991, but retired in 1996 due to a glaucoma resulting from being hit in the face by a pitch.
During his career, he won the American League batting title in 1989, six gold gloves and amassed 2,304 hits and a .318 career batting average in 12 seasons. He was to six consecutive All-Star teams, 1986 to 1995, and to the Hall of Fame in 2001.