Former Phillie Lenny Dykstra waives preliminary hearing on drug charges
Dykstra faces two misdemeanor counts in a Pike County case stemming from a New Year's Eve arrest in which crack cocaine was found in a vehicle. His attorneys maintain his innocence.
HAWLEY, Pa. — Former Phillies All-Star center fielder Lenny Dykstra waived his preliminary hearing on two misdemeanor drug charges Tuesday before District Judge Randy Schmalzle, meaning the matter will now be addressed in a higher court.
Dykstra, 63, appeared with his two attorneys, Matthew Blit and Thomas Mincer, and the 1986 World Series champion was dressed in a dark suit. blue shirt, and tie. Dykstra said little in the windowless courtroom during the roughly 10-minute proceeding, other than to say he understood the meaning of waiver. Assistant District Attorney Dave Marra was also present.
“Thomas Mincer and I are pleased to report that today was Lenny Dykstra’s first court appearance,” Blit said in a statement. “Attorney Mincer had a very productive meeting with the District Attorney’s office and we are pleased to report that everything is moving [in] a positive direction.”
The charges stem from a New Year’s Eve traffic stop in Pike County in northeastern Pennsylvania, when Dykstra was the passenger in a GMC pickup driven by Scranton resident Kevin Zelna. State Trooper Kody Nowicki pulled the GMC over after Zelna failed to stay in his lane, according to testimony by Nowicki and a criminal complaint. Zelna, 37, was charged with several counts, including driving under the influence.
When Dykstra told law enforcement that he wanted to retrieve his ID and credit card, “troopers observed, in plain view, a glass smoking device and a jar/container containing suspected narcotics.” Nowicki later testified that the narcotics tested positive for crack cocaine.
Mincer released the following statement Jan. 6:
“We firmly assert that the alleged narcotics in the vehicle did not belong to Lenny, who is currently recovering from a serious stroke. Lenny was not knowingly in possession of or under the influence of any narcotics, had none on his person and was not taken into custody at the scene. The driver was arrested and taken into custody at the scene and accused of 17 counts, including being under the influence, not Lenny. Attorney Matthew Blit and our team remain steadfast in our commitment to absolve Lenny of all possession charges.”
» READ MORE: Lenny Dykstra formally charged with drug possession
Dykstra’s preliminary hearing was originally scheduled for Feb. 3 and then Feb. 17. Dykstra recently completed a 75-day rehabilitation stint, according to Dennis D’Augostine, a pastor at Steamtown Church in Scranton where the former major leaguer lives. D’Augostine has been working with Dykstra and said he baptized the former major leaguer on March 8.
Dykstra played 12 major league seasons as a center fielder, his first 4½ with a New York Mets team that won the 1986 World Series. He was traded to the Phillies in 1989 and helped the team reach the World Series in 1993. Dykstra retired with the Phillies in 1996 at age 33.
He spent time in prison after pleading guilty in federal court to bankruptcy fraud and money laundering in 2012. Dykstra also pleaded no contest to grand theft auto in California.