CSNBayArea.com reported the news Thursday.
The report cites the Santa Clara County criminal case index as the source of information and also states Smith will argue a motion to suppress evidence. That legal issue stems from an August 2015 incident involving multiple charges including a DUI and hit-and-run.
On Saturday, Hannah Knowles of the Bay Area News Group reported Smith's attorney, Joshua Bentley, is seeking to have the alleged violation of his probation due to driving while drunk last year dismissed, arguing that the evidence was "collected after he signed a citation promising to appear in court on a later date—and therefore, according to Bentley, after Smith was free to leave police custody."
Smith was the seventh overall pick in the 2011 NFL draft and spent his first four seasons with the San Francisco 49ers. The aforementioned misstep from last August triggered his release from the 49ers, though, and also led to the full calendar-year suspension he's serving.
The 26-year-old appeared in nine games for the Raiders last season, making seven starts and recording 28 combined tackles, three passes defensed and 3.5 sacks.
Oakland is sticking with Smith through his yearlong ban, which ends in November. The team signed him to a two-year contract in April. Once his suspension is up, Smith can apply for reinstatement, but the NFL isn't guaranteed to let him return to the gridiron.
The Raiders should still have a strong pass rush without Smith—who has recorded as many as 19.5 sacks in a single season (2012)—thanks to the presence of rising star Khalil Mack. The dynamic defensive end racked up 15 sacks last year.
Read more Oakland Raiders news on BleacherReport.com
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Article Source: Bleacher Report - Oakland Raiders
