Judge Denies Randy Travis’ Request to Block Court from Releasing 2012 DWI Arrest Video

The judge ruled that the video can be made public after Travis and his legal team made multiple attempts to keep the footage from being released.

Written by Lauren Jo Black
Judge Denies Randy Travis’ Request to Block Court from Releasing 2012 DWI Arrest Video
Randy Travis; Photo by Rick Diamond/Getty Images for Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

A federal judge has rejected Randy Travis’ request to block the Texas Department of Public Safety from releasing dash cam video of his 2012 DWI arrest and has given the green light for the agency to release the footage on Friday, Dec. 1.

According to DallasNews.com, U.S. District Judge Sam Sparks ruled that the video can be made public after Travis and his legal team made multiple attempts to keep the footage from being released. The state plans to release the video, with edits made to exclude images of the singer’s naked body below the waist.

The footage is from the night of August 7, 2012 when Travis was arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated in a small town about 60 miles north of Dallas. Sheriff’s troopers that responded to the incident claim that Travis was naked and lying in the roadway. Police reports indicate that Travis had a “strong odor of an alcoholic beverage” on his breath and that he refused to take a blood or breath test for alcohol. Authorities obtained a search warrant and drew blood, revealing that his blood alcohol level was greater than 0.15 (the legal limit for driving is .08).

Earlier this week, Randy’s wife, Mary Davis-Travis, along with his manager and publicist, launched a petition urging the Texas Attorney General’s Office to keep the dash cam footage private.

“The video, which contains confidential and sensitive footage, was taken after Mr. Travis had suffered a serious concussion as well as various other physical injuries due to the car crash,” the petition reads.

Travis’ attorney argued that the case is about more than the legendary entertainer, but about the rights of all citizens.

“When this case started it was only about Randy Travis but now it has evolved into a case protecting the privacy rights of every American who happens to have a video taken of them when in the midst of a medical emergency or mental health breakdown and wants to make sure those private moments, remain just that- private,” Martin J. Cirkiel stated.

Less than one year after the arrest, Travis suffered a stroke as a complication of congestive heart failure. Since then, he’s made quite the recovery, even learning to walk and sing again, but he still as a long road ahead of him.