Riders’ Jake Dolegala found not guilty of impaired driving

Saskatchewan Roughriders quarterback Jake Dolegala has been acquitted of an impaired driving charge.

Dolegala’s trial on charges of impaired driving and operating a vehicle while having a blood-alcohol content over .08 began Thursday in Regina Provincial Court.

The second charge was stayed during Thursday’s appearance. After hearing evidence during the trial, Judge Noah Evanchuk reserved his decision; he delivered his not-guilty verdict Tuesday.

On Sept. 19, the White Butte RCMP put out a media release saying the incident had happened two days earlier. The Mounties said that at around 8:30 p.m. on Sept. 17, officers got a call about a possible impaired driver at a business on Great Plains Road in Emerald Park.

Police found and arrested the driver.

Dolegala told members of the CFL team’s front office Sept. 18 that he had been charged with impaired driving in Regina during the team’s bye week.

“It’s obviously a difficult conversation to have, but I wanted to be upfront with it and put everything on the table,” Dolegala told reporters after practice on Sept. 19. “No secrets.”

That same day, the Roughriders issued a statement saying Dolegala was being suspended for one game in the wake of his arrest for violating the team’s code of conduct.

Dolegala, a 26-year-old product of Hamburg, N.Y., joined the Roughriders prior to the 2022 season. The product of Central Connecticut State University appeared in two games last season, completing 16 of 35 pass attempts for 154 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions and rushing twice for 12 yards.

He was the Riders’ third-string quarterback for most of the season, behind Cody Fajardo and Mason Fine on the depth chart.

During the team’s current training camp in Saskatoon, Dolegala is battling Fine and Shea Patterson for the backup job behind new starter Trevor Harris.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is an amended version of this story, correcting details of the stay of proceedings.