Judge Rules Ducks Assistant Ineligible for DUII Diversion
Eugene Municipal Court found University of Oregon assistant football coach Ra'Shaad Samples ineligible for diversion after a April 12 downtown collision.
Updated on Nov. 7, 2026 in Football
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Eugene Municipal Court Judge Robert Schrank ruled on October 30 that University of Oregon assistant football coach Ra'Shaad Samples is ineligible for DUII diversion. Samples backed into a parked vehicle in downtown Eugene on April 12, injuring four people inside, and has pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor hit-and-run with property damage and reckless driving.
Why it matters
Under Oregon law, injuries to anyone other than the DUII driver disqualify a person from diversion, which is the basis for the judge's ruling. The decision affects how the charges against Samples proceed in Eugene's court system.
Samples has pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor hit-and-run with property damage and reckless driving charges, and his next court date is December 3. The judge's October 30 order bars him from diversion because four people were injured, leaving the case to proceed through ordinary court processes.
The players
Ra'Shaad Samples
Samples is a 31-year-old University of Oregon assistant football coach who has been on the Ducks staff since the 2024 season.
Robert Schrank
Schrank is the Eugene Municipal Court judge who issued the October 30 order finding Samples ineligible for DUII diversion.
University of Oregon
The University of Oregon is the public research university in Eugene whose football program employs Samples as an assistant coach.
The details
Samples drove away after backing into the parked vehicle and pulled over about a block and a half later, while the vehicle he struck followed him. He has been a member of the Ducks coaching staff since the 2024 season.
Timeline
April 12: Samples backs into a parked vehicle in downtown Eugene.
October 27: Four occupants testify about their injuries at a hearing.
October 30: Judge Robert Schrank finds Samples ineligible for diversion.
December 3: Samples' next scheduled court date.
Legal Context
Oregon's diversion program for first-time DUII offenders excludes cases in which anyone other than the impaired driver is injured, a rule the Eugene court applied to Samples' April 12 collision. The ruling shows how that statutory line determines whether a driver can avoid a conviction through diversion.
The ruling means the pending misdemeanor charges will be handled through the regular court process rather than a diversion program. Fans following the Ducks program should watch the December 3 court date for any change to Samples' status.
The takeaway
Diversion eligibility can hinge on whether anyone besides the impaired driver was hurt, a detail that can change a case's outcome entirely. Readers following local court cases should note how that single statutory condition shapes the result.
What happens next
Samples' next scheduled court date is December 3, when the pending charges are expected to move forward.
Further reading
Explore more Ducks football coverage for context on the program where Samples works.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Lookout Eugene-Springfield.
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