Nuggets’ Ty Lawson to enter private alcohol treatment

DENVER (AP) — Denver Nuggets point guard Ty Lawson won’t face DUI charges in California and Colorado until completing a 30-day residential treatment program, a Denver judge ruled Friday.

The troubled point guard attended a pre-trial hearing Friday in Denver, where his lawyer said Lawson enters treatment Saturday at Cliffside Malibu, a celebrity rehabilitation center in California that treats patients with addiction and psychiatric issues.

“We will be handling the personal needs of the defendant,” said Lawson’s lawyer, Harvey Steinberg. Lawson did not speak at the hearing.

Lawson, 27, was arrested Tuesday in Los Angeles on suspicion of driving under the influence. He was arrested in Denver for the same thing in January.

“Now we have a new situation that needs to be dealt with,” Steinberg said Friday, referring to the Los Angeles arrest.

After his January arrest, Lawson was ordered not to drink alcohol or violate laws as part of his bond. A Denver judge on Friday ordered Lawson to use a stationary blood-alcohol monitoring device after his release from treatment.

Prosecutors had asked for Lawson to be required to use a device, such as an ankle bracelet or a home breath tester that monitors the body for alcohol.

Lawson’s next court appearance in Denver was set for Aug. 20.

Denver District Judge Doris Burd said she didn’t order sobriety monitoring sooner because she thought the NBA was monitoring Lawson. She said she could issue a warrant for Lawson’s arrest if he leaves treatment early.

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Kristen Wyatt can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/APkristenwyatt

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