Shoemaker Prognosis Is Sought

Prosecutors will wait at least three days before deciding whether to file misdemeanor charges of driving under the influence against Bill Shoemaker, the former jockey who was involved in a single-car accident last week that has left him partially paralyzed.

Los Angeles County Dep. District Atty. Richard Jenkins of the Pomona Municipal Court said Tuesday that he wants an accurate prognosis for Shoemaker’s condition before considering the case. Shoemaker is listed in critical, but stable, condition at Centinela Hospital Medical Center in Inglewood.

California Highway Patrol officers were unable to obtain more medical information from the hospital to provide to prosecutors, according to authorities.

Shoemaker, 59, now a trainer who was the winningest jockey ever, had a blood-alcohol level of 0.13% after the crash April 8 in San Dimas. The legal limit in California is 0.08%.