Former Olympian Gold Medalist Skier Picabo Street Appears in Court to Answer Domestic Violence Charges

By Staff Writer | Feb 18, 2016 06:22 AM EST

Former Olympian gold medalist skier, Picabo Street appeared on her first court trial on Tuesday over her misdemeanor domestic violence and assault charges. According to her defense lawyer, the American former Olympian athlete rejected a plea deal in the case.

Picabo Street, 44 years old faces the said charges after she was arrested for throwing her 76 year old father, Roland Street down the stairs and locking him in the basement, Daily Mail reported.  Joe Wrona, Street's defense lawyer said her actions were self defense from her combative father. Street is also scheduled to have a court trial on the 3rd of May.

"Picabo really didn't have a choice on the morning in question. She had to take the action that she took," Wrona said. The former Olympic Athlete appeared on her initial court trial in the Park City Court, according to KSL. Prosecutors argued, Street started the fight that left her father with bruises on his elbow and neck on December 23.

Her father told the authorities that she was "yelling after he hit her house while trying to drive away in snowy weather, and the physical fight broke out after they went back inside." Ronald Street was not been indicted. CBS News reported, Street called 911 and told the dispatcher about the fight, reporting his father as the attacker. However, the prosecutors said she was the primary aggressor on the inicident.

Picabo also rejected a type of plea deal which is offered to first-time offenders. Robert Hilder said, the pleas would have cleared her record if she had completed certain conditions such as treatment and staying out of trouble. Streets was released on bail. She is facing three counts of misdemeanor domestic violence in the presence of a child and one count of misdemeanor assault. 

The 44-year-old former athlete won a gold medal at the 1998 Winter Olympics in the women's super-G. She also worked as Fox Sports analyst during the 2014 Winter Games from Sochi, Russia. 

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