Puka Nacua rehab stay could help his legal case if charged, experts say
Puka Nacua rehab stay could help his legal case if charged, experts say
Josh Peter, USA TODAYFri, April 3, 2026 at 5:10 PM UTC
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Puka Nacua, star wide receiver for the Los Angeles Rams, has reason to think he’ll avoid jail time despite a woman accusing Nacua forcibly biting her on the shoulder and making an anti-Semitic statement at a group dinner on Dec. 31.
Pacua has not be charged with a crime. But the Los Angeles City Attorney’s office has said it’s reviewing the case. The City Attorney's office handles only misdemeanors, which in Los Angeles carry a maximum penalty of one year in jail and a $1,000 fine.
The Los Angeles District Attorney's office handles felonies. The U.S. Attorney's office would handle a hate crime stemming from an anti-Semitc statement, but there is no indication at this time that the allegation is under review by the U.S. Attorney's Office in Los Angeles.
Former Los Angeles City Attorney Carmen Trutanich told USA TODAY Sports he thinks it’s unlikely Nacua will serve jail time in part because of a step the receiver has taken. This week, Nacua's attorney, Levi McCathern II, said the Rams star is in treatment but that his decision was unrelated to the allegations the woman made in a civil lawsuit.
"Puka is taking responsibility for his well-being and is focused on improving his performance during the offseason," McCathern said in a statement, adding that the decision to enter a treatment facility was made before the woman filed a legal complaint. "Puka voluntarily entered a private facility to focus on his health, personal growth, and overall development – and I’m really proud of him for doing that ahead of his upcoming season."
Trutanich told USA TODAY Sports he thinks Nacua entering rehab would help mitigate harsh penalties if he's charged with a crime. In addition to any kind of rehab treatment, Trutanich said he’d be in favor of community service.
“It’s all about education,’’ said Trutanich, who served as Los Angeles City Attorney from 2009 to 2013 and said he thinks jail time is less effective than education in keeping people from repeating criminal behavior.
More: Why is Puka Nacua in rehab? Here's what led Rams WR to seek treatment
Sentencing option
Deepika Sharma, a clinical associate professor of law at Southern California, said Nacua being in treatment only would impact sentencing, not whether the Los Angeles City Attorney will charge him with a crime.
But both Sharma and Trutanich said one sentencing option would be pretrial diversion. That would allow Nacua to avoid trial and keep criminal charges off of his record if he completes a court-ordered contract that could include self-help courses and probation-like supervision.
Trutanich, the former Los Angeles City Attorney, noted that any plea deal would have to be approved by a judge.
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The woman who made the allegations against Nacua reported the matter to police Jan. 2, according to her attorney. Three months later, the case still is under review.
“Maybe because it’s high profile is why it’s taking longer,’’ Sharma said. “You’re going to have a lot more scrutiny when the public and community attention is there.’’
The matter was referred by the Los Angeles Police Department and it's unclear how long police investigated before presenting their findings to the City Attorney's office.
The civil lawsuit against Puka Nacua
The civil case is a separate matter.
The woman’s attorney filed the lawsuit with the Superior Court of Los Angeles County March 25. The woman is seeking damages for assault and battery, gender violence and negligence.
The woman says Nacua bit not only her but also one of her female friends the same night, according to the complaint.
The incident took place after a group dinner in the Century City area of Los Angeles Dec. 31, according to the complaint, which was obtained by USA TODAY.
The woman also said Nacua made an antisemitic remark and was sexually suggestive during the dinner where she said the incidents took place, according to the complaint.
According to the complaint, during dinner Nacua made an unprovoked antisemitic statement of “(Expletive) all the Jews.’’ The woman said she is of the Jewish faith and “immediately felt uncomfortable and emotionally distressed.”
Attorney Levi G. McCathern, II, who is representing Nacua, said by email Nacua denies the allegations “in the strongest possible terms’’ and suggested Nacua is the target of “blackmail.’’
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Why Puka Nacua entering rehab could help legal case if charged: Experts
Source: “AOL Sports”
