Former Ohio State QB Art Schlichter not in court on drug charge after hospitalization
A judge set a status conference date for Aug. 11 after Art Schlichter, 65, was unable to change his plea last month due to medical issues, his attorney said, and was not in court again today. The plea would eliminate a trial, which is scheduled for Aug. 25.
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Schlichter, who played for the Buckeyes from 1978 to '81, was found with two crack pipes during a 2024 traffic stop in North Linden. He was also found with small white rocks, which he reportedly said were 'crack rocks.' For a previous report on this story, view the video player above.
The arrest, which was captured on police body camera footage, was one of several over the past decade and change, including a 2022 arrest when he was found unresponsive outside of a Columbus-area hotel. Schlichter was revived with Narcan and charged with a fifth-degree drug charge. That charge resulted in a probation sentence, a sentence he was still serving during his 2024 arrest.
Online court records showed that if Schlichter violated his probation, he would be subject to as many as 11 months in prison. The court has also reserved the right to extend his probation by two years.
On Monday, defense counsel stated that Schlichter once again had a medical setback, this time from a fall and injuries sustained two weekends ago. Documentation of Schlichter's admittance to a skilled nursing rehabilitation center on Aug. 8 was provided to the court, where Judge Chris Brown stated he was initially skeptical of the circumstances surrounding his absence.
Schlichter's attorney said he's made it clear to his client that the court intends to keep a trial date set for Aug. 25 unless a resolution to his case can be made in the interim.
Judge Brown expressed frustration, noting that the case should have been pleaded out on July 31, but warned that Schlichter needs to be in court on Aug. 25, even if it means transportation is provided by the rehabilitation center.
If he pleads or is convicted on one count of drug possession, a fifth-degree felony, Schlichter could receive his fourth prison sentence related to drugs or gambling in nearly 20 years.
The ex-quarterback had spent 10 years in prison – twice. After his release from an Indiana prison in 2006, Schlichter wrote a book about his addiction, 'Busted,' and became an anti-gambling advocate. Nevertheless, while he campaigned against casinos during church appearances, he continued to accumulate additional gambling debts.
In 2021, Schlichter was released from the Trumbull Correctional Institution in Leavittsburg, Ohio, serving time for 2011 federal fraud charges related to a ticket scheme in which he swindled millions of dollars from his victims.
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Schlichter became Ohio State's all-time leader in offense and was drafted fourth overall by the Baltimore Colts in the 1982 NFL draft. He threw three touchdown passes and 11 interceptions over a four-year period in the NFL.
He eventually won the 1990 Arena Football League title with the Detroit Drive, then retired from football after the 1992 season, spending it with the Cincinnati Rockers.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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