Assault Charges Dropped Against Poker Pirate Who Allegedly Solicited Woman
Felony assault charges against an Iowa poker player known to dress in full Jack Sparrow costume at the poker table have been dropped after a prosecution witness failed to appear in court.
Scotter Clark, who has over $500,000 in live tournament cashes, according to The Hendon Mob, faced two felony counts for allegedly soliciting a woman and stabbing a man who confronted him.
Case Dismissed Against Poker Player
Clark was charged in Tulsa, Oklahoma on June 9 with two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon. The entire case, however, was dropped on Aug. 12, according to court documents reviewed by PokerNews.
The poker player-playing pirate who was banned from the World Series of Poker (WSOP) in 2022 had been out on a $10,000 bond. He arrived at a Tulsa County district court on Tuesday with his attorney, Stephen Layment, for a hearing.
The court dismissed the case at the state's request because the prosecution's witness, presumably the alleged victims, failed to appear.
Clark's bond was exonerated, and both charges were dropped at the direction of Judge Anna Seibert. He entered a not guilty plea at an arraignment on July 14.
Clark was alleged to have attempted to solicit an unidentified woman for sex in Tulsa. She is said to have declined his proposition, and an unnamed male who accompanied her confronted the poker pro.
Police said at the time of his arrest that Clark then stabbed the man in the head and chest before leaving the scene in his blue pickup truck. Clark then, according to investigators, backed his truck into the female victim. Both victims were treated at a local hospital and survived their injuries.
Clark, an Iowa native, frequently played in WSOP, World Series of Poker Circuit (WSOPC), and RunGood Poker Series (RGPS) events. He was well-known on the mid-stakes tournament circuit. But he also has a criminal past, including a 2000 conviction for selling cocaine, which resulted in a 180-month federal prison sentence.
The poker player still faces some legal trouble despite his assault case being dismissed. He was arraigned on June 17 in a separate Oklahoma county on two unrelated misdemeanors for malicious injury to property and trespassing and causing waste. That case remains open and court records indicate Clark, who entered a not guilty plea, is scheduled to appear again in court on Sept. 30 in Grant County.
