Judge delays Arnold Schwarzenegger crash trial to February
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The gist
A judge postponed Arnold Schwarzenegger's Los Angeles collision trial to Feb. 22 after his lawyers sought a delay.
He has admitted negligence but disputes how much the injured driver should get.
Background
Arnold Schwarzenegger is California's Republican former governor, a former bodybuilder and action-movie star now described as an anti-Trump Republican. The case stems from a 2022 crash in Los Angeles in which his SUV collided with a Toyota Prius driven by Cheryl Augustine, who sued in Beverly Hills Superior Court; she is also suing his production company, Oak Productions Inc. The trial was pushed back because the judge was tied up in another trial and because both sides said witnesses and Schwarzenegger's schedule were unavailable.
How it unfolded
- Jan 21, 2022Schwarzenegger's SUV collided with Cheryl Augustine's Toyota Prius at Sunset Boulevard and Allenford Avenue in Los Angeles as he made a left turn against a red arrow signal, according to her lawsuit.
- Oct 12, 2026The trial was originally set to begin, but Judge Edward Moreton Jr. put the case on trailing status because he was presiding over another trial.
- Oct 20, 2026Schwarzenegger's attorneys filed court papers asking to delay the trial to a date in February.
- Oct 21, 2026A judge granted the defense motion and set the new trial date for Feb. 22, preceded by a Feb. 17 final status conference.
Who’s saying what
- Party
- Plaintiff Cheryl Augustine contends Schwarzenegger was negligent and that the collision caused a traumatic brain injury, a significant change in her personality and personal relations, and deteriorating family relationships.
- Defense
- Schwarzenegger has conceded negligence but disputes the amount of damages she is seeking.
- Caution
- Defense attorneys said Augustine's lawyer had begun a month-long jury trial, the life care expert was unavailable for most of late December 2026 and January 2027, and Schwarzenegger had contractual commitments through November and December; both sides agreed to the delay.
Still unverified
The auction price for Schwarzenegger's childhood home in Thal, Austria, is reported as €460,000 (about US$656,000 at the time), while some contemporary reports put it closer to €500,000.