A different judge will now oversee the legal battle involving former NFL quarterback Mark Sanchez after an unexpected development in Marion County.
According to The Indy Star, on October 14, Judge Jennifer Prinz Harrison formally stepped away from the case, signing an order that transferred the matter out of her courtroom.
The filing did not explain her recusal, which under Indiana law can happen when a judge has a personal connection to a defendant, a victim, or their families.
With Harrison’s withdrawal, the prosecution was reassigned to Judge James Osborn. Court documents show Osborn quickly issued new dates: Sanchez’s pretrial hearing will take place on October 22, and a jury trial is penciled in for December.
Records also confirm that Sanchez will not be required to appear in person at the first hearing and can join remotely.
Sanchez is charged with one count of felony battery resulting in serious bodily injury, as well as three misdemeanor offenses—battery resulting in injury, unlawful entry of a motor vehicle, and public intoxication. He has entered a plea of not guilty on all counts.
The charges stem from an incident on October 4 in downtown Indianapolis. Police say Sanchez confronted 69-year-old truck driver Perry Tole, who was collecting used cooking oil from the loading dock of The Westin hotel.
Surveillance footage cited in court filings reportedly shows Sanchez making physical contact, including grabbing and shoving Tole near an alley close to Loughmiller’s Pub & Eatery.
According to statements to investigators, Tole used pepper spray in an effort to stop the altercation, but claimed Sanchez continued to come toward him.
Believing he was in danger, Tole said he pulled out a knife and stabbed Sanchez multiple times. Both men were transported to local hospitals. Tole was treated and released, while Sanchez remained in critical care before being discharged a week later.
Following his release, Sanchez was processed by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office under conditions tied to the case. In the days after the stabbing, Tole filed a separate civil lawsuit naming both Sanchez and FOX Corp., Sanchez’s broadcast employer, as defendants.
Because of judicial conduct rules, Harrison did not comment publicly on her recusal.
However, Marion County courts spokesperson Luke Britt previously explained that sentencing and case management decisions must weigh all legal and factual circumstances, including mitigating and aggravating factors.