Walters Is Charged With Possession of Cocaine, Seeks to Put Case on Hold

Danny Walters, Charger cornerback, was charged Tuesday with a felony count of possession of cocaine and a misdemeanor count of driving under the influence of alcohol or a controlled substance, according to the San Diego district attorney’s office.

He will be arraigned in Municipal Court Oct. 2, but his attorney, Eugene Iredale, said Walters will file a formal request that day for “diversion” of his cocaine charge.

“That means the case gets placed in a holding state for 6 to 12 months,” Iredale said Tuesday. “And, assuming he doesn’t get in any trouble in that time, the charges would be dismissed. But please understand, this is not a guilty plea, and if we went to trial, we’d expect him to prevail. And regarding the driving under the influence charge, we’ll fight that.”

The San Diego Union reported Tuesday that Walters failed a urinalysis given by the police department at the time he was arrested, Sept. 14. However, Iredale disputes the results of that test, since Walters passed a drug test administered by the Chargers approximately 28 hours later.

“Assuming the validity of the second test, how can you account for the first test?” Iredale said. “I’m not saying they spiked his urine, but a drug test has to be done in a precise, scientific manner. A jar has to be absolutely clean. The person handling it must have absolutely clean hands. If any spec of cocaine accidentally gets in the urine, it throws off the results. I don’t want to accuse the (police) chemists, but someone screwed up.”

Toxicologists say cocaine typically stays in the blood stream two to five days.

Charger owner Alex Spanos said earlier that Walters would be released if he tests positive for cocaine, but Spanos said Tuesday he is still waiting for all the facts before making a decision.

“I won’t pass judgment on Walters yet,” Spanos said.

Also on Tuesday, former Charger defensive end Earl Wilson pleaded innocent to two cocaine charges. At his arraignment, Wilson, 29, was formally charged with furnishing cocaine to an undercover officer on Sept. 15 and with possession of cocaine.

San Diego Municipal Court Judge Raymond Edwards set a Nov. 13 preliminary hearing and allowed Wilson to remain free on his own recognizance.