Police/Legal Blotter

[jimotis4heisman]

I have decided to start solely based on pollice/legal issues, in light of reference on how rampid things are in cfb. this will aid in the condensed information of such things to be used later.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/200....ap/index.html

Day finally comes

Former UW football coach gets his day in court

Posted: Sunday January 23, 2005 1:06PM; Updated: Monday January 24, 2005 5:12PM

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SEATTLE (AP) -- Rick Neuheisel finally gets his day in court.

The former Washington football coach has waited 17 months for his trial against the NCAA and his ex-employer, firmly believing he will be vindicated after the facts are presented.

<!--startclickprintexclude-->"Rick Neuheisel was wrongly fired by the university as a pretext amid an effort to appease the NCAA," plaintiff's attorney Bob Sulkin said, summarizing his approach to the expected 4-week trial.

University officials are equally confident, saying it was "sad and painful" to dismiss Neuheisel but warranted because the coach wasn't fully honest with NCAA investigators when asked about his high-stakes gambling.

"The university's position has been consistent from the start," university lawyer Lou Peterson said. "Rick Neuheisel agreed to a contract where he could be discharged for acts of dishonesty."

Proceedings began Monday in King County Superior Court, though opening arguments aren't scheduled until Jan. 31.

"I'm eager for it to begin and for the facts to come out," Neuheisel told The Associated Press last month.

Neuheisel also claims the NCAA improperly meddled in his employment by pressuring Washington administrators to fire him. An NCAA investigation ultimately imposed no sanctions against the coach.

"We look forward to explaining our side in court, as well," said NCAA spokesman Erik Christianson.

The lawsuit involves big money, gambling on college sports, lies and accusations of mismanagement. After 18 messy months of bickering, all the dirty laundry should come out in court.

At times, it could strike with sensational force.

NCAA president Myles Brand and NCAA gambling director Bill Saum are among those expected to testify, along with former Washington athletic director Barbara Hedges, former university president Lee Huntsman and Neuheisel himself.

There's a lot of money at stake, too.

Jurors will decide if the coach should receive about $6 million remaining on his contract when he was fired, and he'll have to repay a $1.5 million university loan if jurors determine his firing was justified.

The trial's first week will include jury selection and pretrial motions. Judge Michael Spearman will consider such matters as the scope of evidence admitted and the length of the witness list.

Through his attorney, Neuheisel declined an interview request. As a witness, he's not likely to say much publicly during the proceedings.

A key piece of evidence is a tape recording of Neuheisel's meeting with NCAA investigators on June 4, 2003.

On the tape, which the university released to reporters on the same day Neuheisel filed suit in August 2003, the coach denied involvement with a high-stakes gambling pool in his wealthy Seattle-area neighborhood.

"I never placed a bet on anything," Neuheisel said early in the tape.

Later that day, he acknowledged taking part in an auction-style NCAA basketball pool, but said he didn't consider it illegal gambling. Sulkin has said Neuheisel cooperated with investigators after speaking to an attorney.

The NCAA bans all gambling by coaches, players and athletic department staff at member institutions. Neuheisel admitted winning more than $12,000 in two years of pools on NCAA basketball.

"Investigators from our national office were carrying out the will of member institutions: to investigate allegations of misconduct," Christianson said.

Last week, Spearman threw out Neuheisel's defamation claim against the NCAA but allowed the rest of the lawsuit to go forward.

The university initiated Neuheisel's firing on June 12, 2003. It took effect six weeks later after his appeals were exhausted.

It's expected the university will pin its defense on Neuheisel's contract, which stated he could be fired for acts of dishonesty. Administrators fired him with cause, meaning he was awarded no money.

"We're happy to let a jury decide about the conduct of the University of Washington, and confident that a fair trial will result," Sulkin said. "Rick is looking forward to telling his side of the story."

Last fall, the NCAA's infractions committee determined that Neuheisel broke rules against gambling but didn't penalize him because a staff e-mail issued by a former Washington compliance officer had improperly approved gambling in off-campus NCAA basketball pools.

"If not for the erroneous e-mail, the outcome might have been different," Christianson said.

After his firing, Neuheisel served as a volunteer assistant at a Seattle high school and worked as an analyst for College Sports Television. This month, he was hired as quarterbacks coach by the NFL's Baltimore Ravens.

"Rick is in very good spirits," Sulkin said. "He's very excited about his new job. He's working for a great organization and very excited about the opportunity."

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/200....ap/index.html

In the spotlight

Trial begins for man at center of recruiting scandal

Posted: Sunday January 23, 2005 1:38PM; Updated: Monday January 24, 2005 9:19PM

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MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) -- A wealthy businessman at the center of a football recruiting scandal bragged to friends he was the reason a top high school player signed with Alabama, a federal prosecutor said Monday.

But the lead defense lawyer for businessman Logan Young said the government's evidence against his client is weak and its chief witness is a liar.

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Young is charged with paying former high school coach Lynn Lang $150,000 to get defensive lineman Albert Means to sign with Alabama in 2000.

An NCAA investigation, which included a look into Means' recruitment, led to sanctions against the Crimson Tide in 2002.

Young was a longtime Alabama booster when Means made his choice of a college. Since then, the university has broken its ties with Young.

In his opening statement to the trial jury, Assistant U.S. Attorney Fred Godwin said Young bragged that "he's mine" when talking about which college Means would attend.

"This case is about the buying and selling of a young man," Godwin said.

Lang, who has admitted taking a bribe to send Means to Alabama, will testify for the prosecution, Godwin said. He has not been sentenced.

But defense attorney James Neal told the jury of seven women and five men that Lang cannot be believed.

For months before pleading guilty to a racketeering charge, he professed innocence, Neal said, telling government investigators, Memphis school officials and news reporters that he knew nothing about a payoff.

"In order to convict Logan Young of anything, you have got to believe Lynn Lang," Neal said.

Godwin said records will show Young made numerous bank withdrawals about the time Lang was making deposits. Many of those transactions were just under the $10,000 threshold required for reporting them to banking regulators, he said.

At a time when Lang was making less than $30,000 a year, he put more than $47,000 in his bank account and bought a sports car, Godwin said.

"Follow the money," he told the jury.

Neal said former Memphis coach Rip Scherer and former Alabama assistant Ivy Williams will be called as defense witnesses. Lang has said he was referred to Young by Williams.

In his indictment, Lang was accused of shopping Means around to other schools, including Memphis.

Young is charged with conspiring to bribe a public servant, crossing state lines in a racketeering conspiracy and setting up bank transactions to hide a crime.

The trial is expected to last about two weeks. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 15 years behind bars, but federal guidelines would call for a much lighter sentence upon conviction.

Means attended Alabama for one year before transferring to Memphis where he recently completed his football eligibility.

Authorities say he knew nothing about a payoff.

http://www.iowastatedaily.com/vnews/.../41f5dac7c1e3b

January 25, 2005 Football starter arrested, charged


By Emily Klein
Daily Staff Writer

Cyclone junior defensive end Cephus Johnson was arrested Saturday and charged with serious assault.

The arrest came after a weeklong investigation into claims that Johnson, junior in sociology, punched Nicholas Zeitler, junior in computer engineering, on Jan. 14 at Mickey's Irish Pub, 109 Welch Ave.

Jacki McKeighan, an employee of Mickey's, said she was working at Mickey's on the night of the assault but didn't see anything. McKeighan said that, as far as she knows, a fight between Johnson and Zeitler started in the bar, but then Johnson, his friends and Zeitler went outside.

McKeighan said Johnson showed her manager that he had a knife. McKeighan said her manager called the police, but they didn't come into Mickey's because Johnson was outside when police arrived. According to records, the police were called at 2:11 a.m. Police have not confirmed whether a weapon was involved.

Johnson had 23 tackles in 2004. He is the second ISU football player to be arrested for assault this academic school year. Former Cyclone football player Jason Berryman is serving a 300-day jail sentence for serious misdemeanor assault and felony first-degree theft for an incident on Aug. 4.

http://www.ctnow.com/sports/hc-colfo...ck=1&cset=true

UConn's Anderson Faces Charges
January 23, 2005
Staff And Wire Reports

UConn junior fullback Deon Anderson was arrested Jan. 7 on a warrant stemming from an incident on campus Sept. 24, according to a report in the school newspaper.

Anderson, 21, of Providence was charged with disorderly conduct and public indecency, the Connecticut Daily Campus reported Friday.

The complaint alleged Anderson exposed himself to a woman at the Hilltop Apartment Community Center.

Anderson turned himself in to campus police after learning that a warrant had been issued by Rockville Superior Court following a police investigation.

Anderson and coach Randy Edsall could not be reached for comment Saturday.

It is the second time in less than a year that Anderson was arrested. He was charged with breach of peace last spring for his involvement in an off-campus fight during Spring Weekend.

Anderson has been a key part of the Huskies' success the last three seasons. Last year, he rushed for 102 yards on 22 carries, had 14 receptions for 123 yards and played on most of the special teams as UConn went 8-4.

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/sports/...bcru_0122.html

Tar Heel arrested: A judge ordered the arrest of suspended North Carolina linebacker Fred Sparkman in Hillsborough, N.C., for failing to appear in court on a marijuana possession charge.

[Brutus1]

Hey ! No Buckeyes on there. That's great news. Did you find those blotters on ESPN.com ?

[LightningRod]

Don't forget about our friends up north.

Tuesday, January 25, 2005

U-M's Horton lands in court

Point guard pleads not guilty to a single misdemeanor count of domestic violence.

By Fred Girard / The Detroit News
Steve Perez / The Detroit News

Daniel Horton, a junior guard, from Cedar Hill, Texas, was the most valuable player in the Postseason NIT in 2004.

Daniel Horton, the starting point guard for the Michigan men's basketball team, pleaded not guilty Monday to a single misdemeanor count of domestic violence in what police called a lovers' quarrel.

Coach Tommy Amaker said he would decide on possible discipline no later than today, after talking to Horton and his parents.

The Washtenaw County Prosecutor issued a warrant Thursday in connection with an incident Dec. 10, according to Lt. Michael Logghe of the Ann Arbor Police Department.

Logghe said Horton was contacted Monday morning and told of the warrant. He reported to 15th District Court in Ann Arbor.

He was arraigned at 10 a.m. before Magistrate Michael Gatti.

Gatti entered a plea of not guilty on Horton's behalf and set a $5,000 personal bond, meaning Horton had to put up no money. His preliminary hearing was set for Feb. 9 before Chief Judge Ann Mattson.

He faces a maximum penalty of 93 days in jail and a $500 fine.

Police originally sought a felony warrant, according to records in the case file, listing the original arrest charge as "aggravated / felonious assault."

Under "Victim Circumstances" was listed, "Lovers' quarrel."

A woman, whose identity police would not release, reported the alleged incident to police Dec. 13, three days after it was said to have happened.

She told police that Horton, her boyfriend, was at her house when she arrived and, after demanding to know where she had been the night before, "put her in a sleeper hold" and choked her into unconsciousness.

When she recovered, the woman told police that Horton "choked her again and told her not to scream again or he would show her how he could kill her."

The woman said Horton stayed two more hours, and the two of them talked. Horton "apologized for his behavior and promised to get counseling," according to the records.

The woman did not seek medical attention, and the officer who took her statement noticed no marks on her neck.

The complainant said she "wanted to file a report for documentation purposes but did not want to prosecute."

Lt. Logghe said it is common for a warrant to be issued even when a complainant is reluctant, because she might be acting out of fear.

Efforts to reach Horton were unsuccessful Monday.

Horton, 20, a junior from Cedar Hill, Texas, has been one of Michigan's strongest players in his three seasons and was named Most Valuable Player at the 2004 Postseason NIT.

Contact Fred Girard at 313-222-2165 or fgirard@detnews.com.

Only a lovers' spat vs OSU out of control

[BuckeyeBaiter]

Good stuff Otis.

[BuckeyeNation27]

just to remind everybody, there is CORRUPTION AT OHIO STATE

[jimotis4heisman]

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/colle...25-notes_x.htm

Legal issues: A Mississippi State football player was suspended from the team Tuesday after he and two other men were charged with selling marijuana. Richard Burch, 21, of Brandon, Miss., was charged Monday with sale of more than an ounce of marijuana after a raid on his apartment in Starkville, said Sgt. Maurice Johnson of the Starkville Police Department. Johnson said police had been investigating the case since October.

The 6-5, 315-pound Burch, a junior, started all 11 games at left offensive tackle in 2004. He has played in 30 games during his MSU career, earning 25 starts on the offensive line.

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

http://msn.foxsports.com/cfb/story/3353460

PROVO, Utah (AP) - A former Brigham Young football player facing lesser charges related to the case of four players accused of rape has agreed to a plea bargain, prosecutors and defense attorneys said.


<!-- esi: /widget/story/videoAndPhotoGallery?contentId=3353460-->Defensive back Billy Skinner, 19, is charged with third-degree felony dealing in harmful material to a minor but will plead no contest on Feb. 18 to a misdemeanor charge, attorneys said Tuesday.


The action clears the way for him possibly to be called to testify in the trial of his ex-teammates, but Deputy Utah County Attorney Donna Kelly declined to say whether she planned to do so.

Skinner has transferred to Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas, where he plans to play football.

Kelly and Skinner's defense attorney, Randall Spencer, confirmed a settlement but declined to discuss details.

"We anticipate that we've got it resolved," Spencer said. "Billy wants to get this behind him so he can move on with his life."

Prosecutors contend that in August, four players gave vodka to a 17-year-old girl at an off-campus Provo apartment. They showed the girl a pornographic movie, then raped her after she passed out, the prosecutors allege.

Karland Bennett, 19, Ibrahim Rashada, 18, and B.J. Mathis, 18, and William Turner Jr., who is 18 now but was 17 at the time, were indicted on charges of aggravated sexual assault, dealing harmful material to a minor, furnishing alcohol to a minor and obstructing justice.

Turner provided information to prosecutors in exchange for an agreement that he would be tried as a minor.

The four were suspended by BYU for one year after the girl made the allegations.

Skinner was never accused of participating in the alleged rape. Another player, Antwaun Harris, was charged with making a false statement. After the charges were announced Dec. 2, Skinner and Harris were suspended from the team.

Skinner plans to join spring football practice at Sam Houston State, a Division I-AA school, and play next fall. He redshirted last fall and has four years of eligibility remaining.

"He's sad to have had to have left BYU," Spencer said. "The settlement allows him to basically move on in lieu of a nasty trial, to move on and look forward to a football career and put it behind him." In another development, Kelly filed a motion Monday asking for a gag order to prevent all the parties involved in the rape case from speaking with the media and public about the facts of the case.