Texas Court Rules Randy Travis’ 2012 DWI Arrest Footage Must Be Made Public

By Timothy Yap Aug 19, 2016 03:57 AM EDT

On Aug. 7, 2012, country and Christian singer Randy Travis was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated. At the time of the arrest, Travis was naked below the waist. In May of 2013, Travis requested that all information pertaining to his arrest be kept private. He argues that he "was exhausted, intoxicated, sleep-deprived, medicated and suffering from a post-collision concussion; therefore, his actions at the time of the dashboard recording could not have been voluntarily or knowing."

However, on Thursday (Aug. 18), a three-judge panel of the Texas Court of Appeals, Third District, ordered that the video be released.

Marty Cirkiel, Travis' lawyer, tells Austin's American-Statesman that he will appeal the decision, to the full appeals court and, if necessary, to the Texas Supreme Court. "I don't think the public has a right to see individuals in the course of a mental health breakdown any more than they have right to see someone in course of an operation on their heart, kidney or brain," Cirkiel says. "To intrude upon a person who's discombobulated due to a mental health issue or a concussion, I don't think the public interest stretches that far."

In addition to being charged with DWI, Travis was charged with obstruction and retaliation, after allegedly threatening an officer. In January of 2013, Travis pleaded guilty to driving while intoxicated and received two years probation, a $2,000 fine and a 180-day suspended jail sentence; the obstruction and retaliation charges were dropped.

Besides a successful career in country music, Travis was also successful on the Christian music scene. He recorded Christian albums such as Inspirational Journey (2000), Rise and Shine (2002), and Worship & Faith (2003). The single "Three Wooden Crosses" from the Rise and Shine album reached No. 1 and won the CMA song of the year in 2003. That same year, Travis ranked No. 13 on CMT's 40 Greatest Men of Country Music. Additionally, he continued to act in film and television; he appeared in several episodes and in the series finale of Touched by an Angel.