Former Ute Dominique Hatfield charged with assault


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SALT LAKE CITY — Former Utah cornerback Dominique Hatfield was charged with assault Monday.

On July 5, Hatfield, 20, was at a party when an acquaintance of his asked him to stop "rolling marijuana into a blunt." The acquaintance said he didn't want the smell of marijuana smoke in the room due to the many athletes from the University of Utah, who are subject to drug testing, according to the probable cause statement.

Hatfield and other "unknown individuals" then grabbed the victim and "began striking him in the face and other parts of his body."

The victim sustained cuts to the face and nose and some bruising to his eyes, shoulder and back, according to the documents.

Hatfield's attorney, Greg Skordas, said he's "frustrated" the city filed charges after they had been working with prosecutors and officers.

"We had given the prosecution and law enforcement everything they've asked for. We've cooperated, we've been available, and I didn't expect this," Skordas said. "It's still a case that they've known about for a month and it really, in my opinion, doesn't have merit."

Skordas said he expects this case to take much longer than previous charges that were filed and later dropped in an unrelated aggravated robbery and theft case on July 1. Ultimately, though, Skordas said he believes that "justice will prevail."

"I think this one's going to have to play out in the courts, and unfortunately that's going to take time," he said. "And more unfortunately that's going to probably hurt his eligibility as a student and as a student-athlete because of the fact that they waited a month to file the charge."

Hatfield was dismissed from the Utah football program on July 10 after Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham said there were "further concerns" with Hatfield. Skordas said he hasn't talked to the coaching staff, but believes the alleged assault to be what Whittingham was referencing.

"He's trying to work with the university, but also acknowledges he might have to wait until the legal process sorts itself out," Skordas said.

Hatfield was charged with a Class B Misdemeanor for assault.

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