Seahawks' Lofa Tatupu likely to plead not guilty in DUI case

KIRKLAND — Lofa Tatupu is going to court.

The Seahawks linebacker is scheduled to be arraigned on June 17 in Kirkland Municipal Court on a charge of driving under the influence. At that hearing, Tatupu's attorneys will likely enter a not guilty plea.

Tatupu, a team captain, was arrested May 10 after taking three field-sobriety tests and declining to take a portable breathalyzer. His blood-alcohol content was measured at 0.155 and 0.158 in breath tests administered at the Kirkland Police Department.

Driving under the influence is a gross misdemeanor punishable by a maximum of one year in jail and a $5,000 fine. The mandatory minimum sentence is one day in jail, a 90-day license suspension and a fine, among other penalties.

Anyone who is proven to have a blood-alcohol content of greater than 0.15 faces a mandatory minimum of two days in jail and a $500 fine.

Tatupu released an apology for the incident after the arrest but has not been made available for interviews during voluntary workouts. He has been practicing with the Seahawks but advised by his legal team not to talk to reporters about the DUI case.

"Lofa's reputation as a leader hopefully will be taken into account," his attorney, Jon Scott Fox, said. "He's known as person of character because that's how he lives."

Once a plea of not guilty is entered, the next step in the court process is a pretrial hearing up to a month later.

News of the day

The absence of wide receiver Bobby Engram over a contract dispute was perhaps the biggest story surrounding the Seahawks during minicamp. The story took a turn Sunday when Engram told reporters he could hold out for a contract extension and choose not to report for training camp next month.

Then came Monday and a few more developments beyond the Engram and Tatupu situations.

Coach Mike Holmgren was not on the field to lead practice because of what the team called a "minor medical procedure." The Seahawks would not release details of the procedure for Holmgren, who is entering his last season as head coach, but the team does expect him back for practice today.

As for the players, punter Ryan Plackemeier, it was learned, has a torn pectoral muscle and is scheduled for surgery today. It's not known how long Plackemeier will be out of action, but the only other punter on the roster is second-year man Reggie Hodges, a sixth-round pick by the St. Louis Rams in 2005 who hasn't appeared in a regular-season game since his rookie year.

Also, right guard Rob Sims, who is coming off minor right-knee surgery, saw his first significant action in practice since last month, when it was determined during the team's May minicamp that he needed to have his knee scoped. The Seahawks are still without the services of starting left tackle Walter Jones and starting center Chris Spencer.

Notes

• LB Lance Laury missed his first practice of the month to attend to a personal matter and was excused.

• Fourth-year offensive lineman Ray Willis worked at right tackle with the first unit on offense, sending starting right tackle Sean Locklear over to the left side.

• The Seahawks' TV broadcast won a Northwest Emmy Award for excellence and outstanding achievement. The production was honored for best sporting event or game, live and unedited, for its exhibition season telecasts.

José Miguel Romero: 206-464-2409 or jromero@seattletimes.com

Danny O'Neil: 206-464-2364 or doneil@seattletimes.com