Pippen's DWI Charge Dropped

April 22, 1999 / 1:43 PM EDT / CBS/AP

A drunken driving charge against Houston Rockets forward Scottie Pippen has been dropped after prosecutors determined there was not enough proof he was intoxicated.

The motion to dismiss the driving while intoxicated charge was accepted Friday in the Harris County Criminal Court-at-Law of Judge Sherman Ross.

"Scottie knew all along that he wasn't intoxicated," said Rusty Hardin, Pippen's attorney.

Pippen, 33, was arrested in early April 22 after running a red light downtown, the arresting officer said. Pippen denied being drunk afterward.

He was arrested after faring poorly in a field sobriety test and was booked after refusing a breath blood-alcohol test. He spent less than six hours in jail before his release in lieu of $500 bond.

Patrons of downtown's Jones Bar said Pippen was there after an April 21 game with teammates Charles Barkley and Matt Maloney. The Rockets had lost 109-95 to the Dallas Mavericks in Compaq Center, with Pippen scoring only four points.

Pippen appeared in court briefly on April 30, and his next court date had been set for May 26.

The Harris County district attorney's office and Pippen could not immediately be reached for comment.