A “Disgraced” Mark Grace Faces Years in Prison if Convicted

For 16 seasons on the baseball diamond, Mark Grace brought enthusiasm, humor and amazing talent to the game. As a Chicago Cub, Mark led his team on the field and in the hearts of its fans from his rookie season in 1988 through the end of the 2000 season. His thirteen seasons playing for the Cubs established him as one of the game’s “good guys” with a throwback style of getting his uniform dirty and having fun on and off the field. With the Arizona Diamondbacks, Grace won a World Series ring in 2001 and played three seasons before retiring after the 2003 season.

Unfortunately for Grace, his personal life is now in significant turmoil. Since his August arrest and subsequent grand jury indictment on four counts of felony DUI, the former baseball star has lost his gig as the Diamondbacks’ color analyst, much of his once considerable fan base and perhaps his favorable public persona for good.

After being pulled over in Scottsdale for having expired registration tags on his vehicle, officers spoke with Grace and administered standard field sobriety tests. The officer proceeded to take Grace into custody for aggravated DUI. Making matters worse, Grace was allegedly driving on a suspended license and did not have the required interlock device installed in his vehicle stemming from a previous DUI charge in 2011.

Grace could spend up to 3.75 years in prison if convicted on all four counts of aggravated DUI however his defense attorney argues it is unlikely he would get prison time for a first time felony DUI. Rather, he will attempt to plead down his felony DUI charge to a misdemeanor.

The law requires the person with a first time felony DUI offense to spend at least four months in a DUI facility at the Department of Corrections. That might be the place Grace goes if convicted, but anyone with a DUI charge serving a year or less goes to Tent City. Grace’s next court appearance is December 5th.