In September, former NFL quarterback and former Fox broadcaster Mark Sanchez agreed to resolve multiple pending criminal charges with a guilty plea. Since then, nothing else has happened as to the criminal case.
Via Fox 59, Sanchez’s change-of-plea hearing was canceled. It had been set for November 9, after being rescheduled four times.
Per the report, the official docketing system doesn’t explain the move. The entry says only that, “by agreement of the parties, change of plea hearing was vacated at this time.”
When the plea deal was reached, Sanchez’s lawyers requested a sentencing hearing on November 9 or November 16.
It could be as simple as the change-of-plea process being handled on paper, without a hearing. Still, there will need to be a sentencing hearing, at some point.
It’s also possible that the plea deal has fallen apart. Now that Sanchez has settled Perry Tole’s civil, the victim could be less motivated to tell the kind of compelling story that could lead to a conviction. Sanchez could be emboldened to rescind his agreement and fight.
Whatever the reason, it’s strange. Reaching a deal is the hard part. Reducing it to writing and finalizing it is the easy part.
In the legal system, nothing is done until it’s done. And Sanchez’s criminal case currently shows no signs of being done, or of a foreseeable moment in court when it will get done.